Tamarind Rice (Pulihora)

One of those 'go-to' recipes', when we are bored with our regular fare of rice and curries. Here is how I make tamarind rice.

Ingredients
Rice - 3 cups
Tamarind pulp - 4 tbsp (adjust per your taste)
Turmeric - upto 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sesame seed powder - 3 tbsp (coarse, toasted)
Oil - 4 or 5 tbsp

For seasoning/popu/tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 3 
Urad dal - 3 tsp
Dried red chillies - 5, tear and deseed
Peanuts - 3 tbsp
Ginger - 2 tsp, finely chopped
Green shillies - 10-14, slit lengthwise
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Asafoetida (hing/inguva) - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Cook rice with 5 or 6 cups water, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp oil. Remove into a wide bowl, spread to let cool a little.
2. To make tamarind pulp: soak tamarind fruit in warm water for an hour, remove the pulp, strain into a saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp salt and cook until all liquid evaporates and the pulp becomes thick
3. Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds, let them crackle, add cumin seeds before adding chana and urad dals.
4. Fry until dals turn pale brown, add dried red chillies, peanuts
5. Fry for a couple of minutes and add ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and hing
6. Let fry for just a minute, turn the heat off
7. Add the above popu to tamarind pulp, add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric, mix well and set aside for 1/2 hour
8. To the rice, add the popu/tamarind pulp mixture and toasted sesame seed powder
9. Mix well taking care not to break the rice
10. Set aside for an hour, allowing the rice to soak the tamarind flavour