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    Home » Lunchbox Recipes » Tamarind Rice | Puliodarai

    Tamarind Rice | Puliodarai

    Posted on April 24, 2018 · Last Updated on June 2, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 32 Comments

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    Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai collage of two images with text overlay

    This Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai is prepared with homemade gojju/paste with the addition of black chickpeas. It is the perfect recipe for lunch as well as picnics and parties.

    Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai served in a lunchbox with more sides next to it

    Puliodarai prepared with homemade gojju/paste and that’s what I am going to share today. But there is a small twist. :-) Puliodarai is a great recipe to sneak in some additional legumes. Check what bean or legume I used and how I make and pack this tamarind rice for the kiddo.

    I know there are zillion lunch box ideas, but if you ask me what’s my favorite lunch box recipe, without any second thought, I would say Tamarind Rice / Puliodarai and Curd Rice / Thayir Saadam. When I posted my Dill Dal Kichadi, I mentioned that I had a jaw searching moment for one more recipe and that is this tamarind rice. Vaandu is not a big fan of curd rice yet, but I am not complaining. I am happy to see him relish this tamarind rice.I took this opportunity of redo my Puliodarai Gojju post.

    We usually prepare the puliodarai gojju aka tamarind rice paste well ahead. This gojju stays good for ten days when refrigerated. I typically cook this over the weekend and stock it up. Wondering how to get that kovil puliodarai taste? The secret ingredient is the Rasam Powder. Oh yeah, you read it right. Adding a small amount of rasam powder and jaggery enhances the flavor very much. You can check the detailed recipe here.

    Overhead on the sides of the Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai served in cute little bowls

    What am I going to share today then? How I pack it for vaandu with black chickpeas. I do add black chickpeas while mixing the puliodarai. The crunchiness of peanuts with black chickpeas and appalam is heavenly. This is a great way to sneak in those legumes too. I know it is not a significant source of protein, but I believe something is always better than nothing.

    So here is the tamarind rice recipe. You can get the homemade pulikaichal mix recipe here. As I mention I have updated it with new pictures. :-)

    Delicious Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai prepared in a lunchbox and with a few different sides

    Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai Recipe

    Puliodarai prepared with homemade gojju/paste with the addition of black chickpeas. The perfect recipe for lunch as well as picnics and parties.

    Ingredients:

    • Puliodarai Paste – 3 to 4 tbsps
    • Cooked Rice – 3 cups
    • Sesame Oil – 1 tbsp
    • Salt – ½ tsp
    • Cooked Black Chick Peas – ¼ cup

    Prep – Work:

    • Cook the rice and allow it too cool. Mixing hot rice makes it all mushy. So always mix the puliodarai in the cold rice.
    • Boil the chickpeas and drain the water and set aside. Do not overcook the chickpeas.

    Steps:

    • In a big bowl (I used the vessel in which I made the puliodarai) add the rice, oil, and salt.

    Adding rice, oil, and salt in a big bowl

    • Then add the cooked black chickpeas. Mix them all.

    Adding the cooked black chickpeas and mixing them all.

    • Now add the puliodarai paste and mix.

    Adding the puliodarai paste and mixing everything together.

    • That’s it. Serve it with appalam or vadagam.

    Serving Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai with appalam or vadagam

     

    Notes:

    • Instead of black chickpeas, you can use garbanzo beans, cowpeas. I haven’t tried any other beans. These three go well in puliodarai.
    • You need 1 tbsp of sesame oil. But if you feel it subsides the spice, you can add more puliodarai mix or reduce the oil.

    Enjoying this Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai? You will love these, too:

    • Quick Tamarind Rice | Homemade Instant Puliodarai
    • Pulikaichal | Tamarind Rice Paste | Puliodarai Gojju
    • Orange Peel Kuzhambu / Pachadi / Gojju
    • Quick Tamarind Rice | Homemade Instant Puliodarai

    Have you made this recipe?

    If you’ve made this Tamarind Rice, please share your photos with me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter – I will be delighted to see your results!

    Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai served in a lunchbox with more sides next to it
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    5 from 10 votes

    Tamarind Rice | Puliodarai

    This Tamarind Rice or Puliodarai is prepared with homemade gojju/paste with the addition of black chickpeas. It is the perfect recipe for lunch as well as picnics and parties.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Main Course, Variety Rice
    Cuisine: South Indian, TamilNadu
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 344kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 tbsps Puliodarai Paste
    • 3 cups Cooked Rice
    • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • ¼ cup Cooked Black Chick Peas

    Instructions

    Prep - Work:

    • Cook the rice and allow it too cool. Mixing hot rice makes it all mushy. So always mix the puliodarai in the cold rice.
    • Boil the chickpeas and drain the water and set aside. Do not overcook the chickpeas.

    Steps:

    • In a big bowl (I used the vessel in which I made the puliodarai) add the rice, oil, and salt.
    • Then add the cooked black chickpeas. Mix them all.
    • Now add the puliodarai paste and mix.
    • That's it. Serve it with appalam or vadagam.

    Notes

    • Instead of black chickpeas, you can use garbanzo beans, cowpeas. I haven't tried any other beans. These three go well in puliodarai.
    • You need 1 tbsp of sesame oil. But if you feel it subsides the spice, you can add more puliodarai mix or reduce the oil.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

     

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    Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87.

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    Filed Under: Adi Perukku, Festivals, Lunchbox Recipes, Pongal, Variety Rice Tagged With: adiperukku recipes, Blogging Marathon, how to add legumes and beans to tamarind rice, how to make tamarind rice, how to make tamarind rice paste, kids friendly lunch box recipes, kovil puliodarai recipe, lunch box recipes, my legume love affair, perumal kovil puliodarai recipe, picnic lunch, pulaikaicha saadam, puli saadam, pulianchadam, pulihora, Puliodarai, tamarind rice

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Priya Srinivasan says

      July 03, 2018 at 12:01 pm

      My elder one is a big fan of tangy puliyodharai, i try to make this often for him!!! your dabba looks very inviting dear!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        July 03, 2018 at 5:35 pm

        Thanks a lot, Priya

        Reply
    2. Padmajha PJ says

      June 24, 2018 at 9:16 am

      5 stars
      This is my go to dish when I wake up late and have to pack the kids lunch box. I always make sure there is this gojju in the fridge.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        June 25, 2018 at 9:53 am

        Same here. Pulikaichal is such a life saver.

        Reply
    3. preeti garg says

      June 19, 2018 at 3:44 am

      tamarind rice is one of mine fav version of Andhra rice.. perfect with curd.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        June 19, 2018 at 9:29 pm

        Thanks Preeti. I always love it with some papad or fried items. :-)

        Reply
    4. Suma Gandlur says

      June 12, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      Lovely choice for the letter ‘T’. Such a classic dish but comes handy on a busy morning with the gojju paste made in advance.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        June 13, 2018 at 8:07 am

        Thanks Suma. :-)

        Reply
    5. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      June 05, 2018 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      Tamarind rice is one of the staple travel food and lunch box rice to carry. My husband loves this and will never complain to take tamarind rice. Beautiful choice for the alphabet!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        June 06, 2018 at 11:16 am

        Thanks and very true about tamarind rice and travel. :-)

        Reply
    6. cookingwithsapana says

      May 20, 2018 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      Tamarind rice is my favorite too, love it for lunch or dinner. Your lunchbox looks so sinful, I wish it was mine.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 20, 2018 at 5:18 pm

        Thanks Sapana

        Reply
    7. Mayuri Patel says

      May 12, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious box of tamarind rice. When I was working and had to take lunch box, my favorite food to pack would be variety of rice or sandwiches. I would not like to take roti and sabji. Rice dishes are so much easier to prepare especially if you have leftover rice.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 14, 2018 at 9:54 am

        I agree. I also prefer rice for my lunch box. Thanks, Mayuri.

        Reply
    8. Srivalli Jetti says

      May 09, 2018 at 11:35 pm

      That’s a great looking dish to pack Srividhya, we love it too and can have it for any meal..such a fantastic idea to include chickpea..wonderful choice for the letter!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 11, 2018 at 8:39 am

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    9. Pavani says

      May 04, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      5 stars
      I will never no to good Tamarind rice — one of my all time favorite dish. Your version with boiled black chana sounds absolutely delicious. Will try this recipe next time I make tamarind rice and luckily my kids LOVE it too.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 07, 2018 at 8:48 am

        That’s great. When they like this kind of dishes, it makes it easy for us to naa.

        Reply
    10. Gayathri Kumar says

      May 01, 2018 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      Puliodharai tops my must eat dishes and yours looks super tempting. Trust me, I am drooling here looking at the pulikachal and the rice photos. Adding rasam powder is genius, will try it next time when I make it. Also the kadalai is such an innovative idea..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 01, 2018 at 9:04 pm

        Thank you so much, Gayathri. :-)

        Reply
    11. Sandhiya says

      April 27, 2018 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      Puliyodharai was my favorite lunch box during the college days and always i would carry one extra lunchbox whenever amma makes puliyodharai to share with all. This post reminds me of those days!!! Such a comforting lunch box recipe and adding chickpeas make it more healthy !!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2018 at 5:31 pm

        Thanks, Sandhiya. Always puliodarai brings back some nostalgic memories.

        Reply
    12. Priya Suresh says

      April 27, 2018 at 8:47 am

      What a brilliant idea to add black chickpeas in tamarind rice. Nothing beat this tamarind rice, am a crazy of this tangy rice. Next time i wont forget to add chickpeas in Tamarind rice.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2018 at 5:32 pm

        Agree, nothing can beat this tamarind rice. :-) Thanks.

        Reply
    13. kalyani says

      April 26, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      inge oru dabba anipi vayingo.. looks super yum :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2018 at 8:16 am

        Kandippaga.

        Reply
    14. Chitz says

      April 26, 2018 at 4:05 am

      Nice pics dear.. And that tip of rasam powder is really useful :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 26, 2018 at 1:49 pm

        Thanks Chitra. :-)

        Reply
    15. Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says

      April 24, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing can beat this dish ,though we try so many royal lunch recipes, Tamarind rice always have its place.. You gojju looks so tempting im craving for some now!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2018 at 2:16 pm

        Very true da.

        Reply
    16. Harini says

      April 24, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      Adding rasam powder in pulihora mix is a new one for me. I shall try it out next time. Also adding black chickpeas in pulihora makes it super cool. I always feel that pulihora lacks the protein component and here you are with this brilliant idea. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2018 at 2:15 pm

        Thank you. :-) Glad you liked it.

        Reply

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