Tamarind Rice

Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10-15 minutes and extract the pulp.

Cook the rice (if not using leftover rice) and set it aside to cool slightly before mixing it with the tamarind curry.

Start by heating a pan on medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peppercorns, and fenugreek seeds. Roast them lightly.

Toss in the white sesame seeds, and let it all roast for a few more seconds. Add the red chilies and continue roasting until everything turns golden brown.

Once the spices are well-roasted, transfer them to a plate and let them cool completely. Now, place them in a mixer jar, add the asafoetida powder, and grind it all into a fine powder. Set this aside.

In the same pan, add oil and heat it up.

Add chana dal, urad dal, and peanuts. Roast them for about 2 minutes until they're nice and crisp.

Toss in mustard seeds, red chilies, and a pinch of asafoetida powder, followed by curry leaves. Give it a quick sauté.

Squeeze the pulp out of the tamarind and add the puree to the pan. Stir it all together.

Now, sprinkle in turmeric powder, rock salt, and mix everything well. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add jaggery powder and the ground masala powder. Mix it again and cook for another 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Once your tamarind curry is ready, take the required amount and mix it with freshly cooked rice. Let the rice sit for about 30 minutes for all the flavors to come together.

You can store any leftover tamarind paste in a glass jar and refrigerate it for future use.

Serve the tamarind rice after it’s rested, and pair it with crispy papads for that extra crunch!