Name: Pulihora Pulusu ~ Pulihora Paste
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 125 grams Tamarind; Water to extract thick pulp from tamarind; 3 tbsp Chana Dal (washed); 1 tsp Fenugreek Powder; 2 tbsp Salt (can add more); 1 tsp Turmeric Powder; 5 medium sized Dry Red Chilies; ¼ cup or 4 tbsp Oil; 20 Curry Leaves; 2 cups Water, (more if needed)

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Pulihora paste is a spiced, concentrated tamarind extract and is the key ingredient in chintapandu pulihora or tamarind rice preparation. It is a handy condiment to have in the refrigerator. Instant Pot pulihora paste is a dump and cook recipe.

Pulihora

Pulihora is a tangy rice prepared with tamarind, lime, green mango or any tangy ingredient. Pulupu means sour or tangy in Telugu, one of many Indian dialects. The most common preparation of pulihora is with tamarind followed by lime and raw green mango, when raw mangoes are in season.

As the name suggests, chintapandu pulihora / puliyodharai / puliyogare / tamarind rice is prepared with tamarind and the key ingredient is pulihora pulusu or tamarind sauce. Mix this paste with rice, then pour a tempering over it and mix well. It is a delicious preparation and a comfort food.

Pulihora Paste

Pulihora pulusu is a thick, concentrated, spicy, flavorful tamarind extract. It is prepared by boiling tamarind water with spices until it forms a thick paste. Store it in a glass container and use as required. It has a shelf life of at least 3-4 weeks and stays fresh for months in the refrigerator.

Tamarind rice is a common preparation during South Indian festivals. While lime pulihora and mango pulihora do not require much prepping but chintapandu pulihora does. Time consuming prep work is preparation of the paste.

Though it is an easy preparation, it does require a decent amount of time to simmer the pulusu. Hence it is a good idea to prepare the pulusu ahead of time, especially with the upcoming festive season.

You can prepare pulusu on the stovetop in a saucepan, in a pressure cooker or in an electric pressure cooker. I find the pressure cooker method the best as it does not require monitoring the sauce while it simmers, does not create a big mess and also requires very little cleaning up afterwards.

The messy part of the preparation is the spillage of the sauce in the final stages of simmering. This is one reason I prefer the pressure cooking method and Instant Pot pulihora paste recipe is my go to recipe.

Ingredients

The key ingredient is, obviously tamarind and depending on the region, the spices vary. My version of the pulusu requires very few basic ingredients and I like it this way. Regardless of the spices used, the method is almost similar all across South India. Add more spices and spice mixes to suit your palate. Sesame seed powder is one such addition.

Tamarind - use a good quality tamarind and please do not use store bought tamarind concentrate for shortcuts.
Oil
Curry Leaves
Red Chilies
Fenugreek Powder
Turmeric
Chana Dal - I prepare adding chana dal to pulihora paste than in the tempering.
Peanuts - optional and prefer adding peanuts to tempering when preparing tamarind rice.

Preparation

Soak tamarind in water for at least an hour and extract a thick juice. Longer you soak, easier it is to extract the pulp. Take the pulp and rest of the ingredients in a pot and cook until the mixture is thick.

Pressure cooker - Preparing this pulusu in a pressure cooker is mess free and requires minimal monitoring. I prepare it in an Instant Pot but can do the same in a pressure cook as well, on a stovetop.
Saucepan - This is the traditional way of preparing. Dump tamarind water/pulp and rest of the ingredients in the pan, bring it to a boil and continue to boil until the mixture reduces in quantity. As the pulusu thickens, it will splutter. Reduce the heat, continue to cook stirring in between until most of the moisture evaporates.

Storage

Store the pulusu in a dry glass container. It stays good for at least 3-4 weeks at room temperature and for months in the refrigerator. Always use a dry spoons for a long life.

Usage

Mix 2-3 tablespoon of the paste with cooked rice (1 rice cooker measuring cup of uncooked rice, cooked), prepare a tempering, pour over rice, mix well and serve.

Other Uses

When I am out of homemade tamarind paste and forget to soak tamarind for chutney or pulusu, I substitute tamarind with pulihora pulusu. Since I use very minimal ingredients to prepare this paste and since all the above mentioned ingredients are used in chutney and pulusu preparation, one wouldn't even notice the difference.

Expert Tips

Use good quality tamarind and do not use commercial concentrated tamarind extract. You can make instant pulihora with concentrated tamarind extract, if needed. Hence avoid tamarind concentrate for this preparation.
Store it in a glass or non metallic container.
Use dry utensils and do not introduce any external moisture to pulihora paste for a longer shelf and refrigerator life.
You can make tamarind rice tempering and mix it with this paste. When preparing the rice, all you need to is cook rice, mix the paste and pulihora is ready. This eliminates the step of tempering. This is a great for college students, young adults staying away from home and when on long road trips. All one needs to do is cook rice and mix this paste. A delicious meal is ready.

A bowl of tamarind rice prepared with seasoned Instant Pot tamarind paste.

Instant Pot Pulihora Paste Recipe

A jar of seasoned tamarind concentrate and in the back is a bowl tamarind rice

Pulihora Pulusu ~ Pulihora Paste

Pulihora paste is a tangy, spicy, concentrated tamarind sauce is a South Indian condiment used to prepare tamarind pulihora.

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Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Indian Cuisine, South Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Soaking & Resting: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Usha Rao