Mango Ginger Puliogare

Mango ginger is not a very common spice and quite a few folks would have never come across it. Belonging to the ginger family and possessing a smell that mimics mangoes, it is usually added in chutneys and some pickles too. And in Odisha, I have seen people frying it up and adding it to farsan, chat, dal, etc. I feel that it does lend a special flavour to any dish.

However when I was making Pulihora or Puliogare yesterday, I realized that I was out of the spice powder. There was no time to go to a shop or make a batch myself at home, so I made a rather simple recipe by adding mango ginger instead of any spice. Of course, I put in the usual tempering but nothing else. And my family was blown away with the result. Even my three year old loved it.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 1  1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1 1/2 tsp mango ginger
• 1 tsp tamarind juice (adjust as per taste)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/3 tsp mustard seeds
• 4-5 fenugreek seeds
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 2-3 dry red chilis (byadgi)
• a handful of peanuts
• 2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Cook the rice in a regular manner (pan/pressure cooker/electric cooker). Keep aside for 5 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the peanuts and fry for 1-2 mins. Remove and keep aside.

Add the broken red chili, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida to the same wok. Fry for 30 secs.

Add the tamarind juice, 3-4 tbsp water, salt and sugar. Let it boil for 2-3 mins till it turns thick.

Add the cooked rice and mango ginger. Mix in. Cook for 2 mins.

Finally mix in the peanuts and cilantro. Remove from flame.

Serve hot !! (I served it with a brinjal raita /dahi baigana)

Pulihora/Tamarind Rice (Navratri Special)

Pulihora is one of the offerings (Neivaidyams) made to the goddess in South Indian during Navratri. A simple recipe without any fussy ingredients, it is quick to make and quite tasty. While one does get some packaged Pulihora mixes in the supermarkets, it can be easily made at home without one.

Read for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins.

Ingredients - 

1/3 cup raw rice

4-5 cashews

a fistful of peanuts

2-3 tbsp gram/chana dal

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 red chilis

a sprig of curry leaves

1 tbsp tamarind paste (adjust as per taste)

1 tsp jaggery (powdered)

salt to taste

3 tsp oil

Cooking - Cook the rice in a pressure cooker or an open pan till it is soft. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds followed by the chana dal and peanuts. Allow to brown a little. At last, add the cashews and curry leaves. Fry for 15 seconds.

Add the tamarind paste with a little water, jaggery and salt. Cook for 3-4 mins.

Add the rice and mix thouroughly.

Serve hot.

Watch out this space for more Navratri recipes (both from North & South India) ......