Kovil puliyodarai recipe – Temple-style puliyodarai recipe with full video and step-by-step pictures. Popular Iyengar puliyodarai recipe.
Visiting perumal temples in South India always reminds me of the puliyodarai they serve there as Prasadam. Puliyodarai | Tamarind rice is done in different ways in different places. Even at home also the recipe slightly varies from house to house. Even I have posted my mom’s style of making puliyodarai, kalyana puliyodarai, and Andhra style puliyogare. Apart from this, we have Puliyodarai podi in Jeyashris kitchen too.
Puliyodarai | Tamarind rice is traditionally made for festivals like Kannu pongal and aadi perukku. Since it has a longer shelf life, it is perfect for long-distance travel. This recipe of Iyengar kovil puliyodarai, I learnt from my friend Janani’s mom. We all are huge fans of her puliyodarai and mami always makes this for us during her visit. I am so glad that I learned this recipe from her. Do try this and I am sure you will love it.
Also check out
- Kalyana puliyodarai
- Puliyodarai podi
- Andhra style puliyogarae
Vadam pairs well with puliyodarai.
Kovil Puliyodarai
- Let’s soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes.

- Extract thick tamarind juice and keep it aside.

- Lets dry roast the ingredients to make the powder.
- Dry roast the 1 tbsp chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chili and black pepper.

- Once the dal turns light golden brown, switch off and add the sesame seeds.
- This gets cooked very fast, saute this till everything becomes golden brown color.

- When it is little warm, powder it finely in a mixer.
- Grinding this warm helps to powder well.

- In a pan add 4 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, 1 tbsp chana dal, peanuts, roasted gram, 2 red chilis, and curry leaves

- Once the dals turn golden brown add the tamarind water to this.

- Add salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida to this.
- Now add the ground powder to this.
- You can reserve 1 tbsp of powder and add this while mixing the puliyodarai too.

- Add the jaggery to this now and mix well.

- Let this boil in medium-low flame till it comes to a semi-thick consistency.
- Switch off the flame and add the 2 tsp of sesame oil.
- Pulikaichal is done.

- Cook ½ cup of raw rice | sona masoori rice and spread this on a plate.
- Once it is cool, smear 2 tsp of sesame oil.

- Add the 2-3 tbsp of tamarind paste and gently mix well, without breaking the rice.
- If adding the reserved podi, add this now.

- Mix well gently.
- If you are taking this for travel or you are consuming it later, let the pulikaichal be little generous, as it will be perfect when you consume it later.
- You can temper some more peanuts to the puliyodarai at the time of mixing, this gives nice crunchy taste.

- Puliyodarai wrapped in banana leaf and consumed after 4-5 hours will enhance the taste to a different level.
- The Pulikaichal mix for the Kovil puliyodarai can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Store in a clean dry jar.

Kovil Puliyodarai recipe
Ingredients
- Big Lemon sized tamarind
- 4 tbsp +2 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp peanuts
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp roasted gram
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 2 red chilis
- 2 cups water
- Few curry leaves
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp jaggery
- 1 cup Cooked rice
To roast and grind
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds | dhaniya
- 7 red chili
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Let’s soak the tamarind in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes.
- Extract thick tamarind juice and keep it aside.
Lets dry roast the ingredients to make the powder.
- Dry roast the 1 tbsp chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chili and black pepper.
- Once the dal turns light golden brown, switch off and add the sesame seeds.
- This gets cooked very fast, saute this till everything becomes golden brown color.
- When it is little warm, powder it finely in a mixer.
- Grinding this warm helps to powder well.
- In a pan add 4 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, 1 tbsp chana dal, peanuts, roasted gram, 2 red chilis and curry leaves.
- Once the dals turn golden brown add the tamarind water to this.
- Add salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida to this.
- Mix well and let this boil for 5 minutes.
- Now add the ground powder to this.
- You can reserve 1 tbsp of powder and add this while mixing the puliyodarai too.
- Let this boil in medium low flame till it comes to a semi thick consistency.
- Add the jaggery to this now and mix well.
- Switch off the flame and add the 1 tbsp of sesame oil.
- Pulikaichal is done.
- Cook ½ cup of raw rice | sona masoori rice and spread this on a plate.
- Once it is cool, smear 2 tsp of sesame oil.
- Add the 2-3 tbsp of tamarind paste and gently mix well, without breaking the rice.
- If you are taking this for travel or you are consuming it later, let the pulikaichal be little generous, as it will be perfect when you consume it later.
- You can temper some more peanuts to the puliyodarai at the time of mixing, this gives nice crunchy taste.