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    Home » Indian Breakfast Recipes

    Puliyogare | Pulihora | Tamarind Rice

    Published: Sep 13, 2019 · Modified: Aug 28, 2023 by Kushi · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Puliyogare, also called pulihora or tamarind rice, is a traditional South Indian-style recipe prepared with rice, tamarind, and aromatic spices. One of the popular lunchbox and prasadam recipes prepared at temples and homes during Navratri or any puja.

    Check out quick and easy Indian breakfast recipes and vegetarian dinner recipes Indian.

    Traditional and authentic South Indian Puliyogare (pulihora, puliyodharai, tamarind rice).

    Jump to:
    • About Puliyogare (Tamarind Rice)
    • How to make puliyogare?
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Tips
    • More South Indian Rice Recipes
    • Recipe card
    • User Reviews

    About Puliyogare (Tamarind Rice)

    Puliyogare is prepared with tamarind as a main ingredient, along with spices, lentils, peanuts, and curry leaves mixed with cooked rice. Puli means "tangy' or 'sour' in English. Pulihora is also known as pulisoru, pulinchoru, puliyodharai, ambad baath, puli sadam, kokum rice in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Telangana, and each region has its own variation.

    Puliyogare gojju (paste) or Pulihora podi (powder) is premade and stored for months. You have to mix it with rice to make it instantly.

    Puliyogare or Pulihora is offered to god as naivedyam and as prasadam to devotees in South Indian temples. This is offered to goddess Lakshmi during special puja or nine days of Navratri.

    Puliyogare is also one of the best lunchbox recipes, and since this dish has a longer shelf life, it's also a good food to carry during your travels, potlucks, and picnics.

    Puliyogare (pulihora, puliyodharai, tamarind rice) temple style prasadam, Indian lunchbox recipe.

    How to make puliyogare?

    The ingredients may look repetitive, and the steps may look lengthy, but this is very simple. Here are the key steps to make temple-style puliyogare at home.

    1. Soak the tamarind.
    2. Cook the rice.
    3. Make puliyogare powder.
    4. Prepare the tempering.
    5. Mix the powder with tamarind and tempering and cook to form puliyogare gojju or tamarind paste.
    6. Mix the cooked and cooled rice with the paste and toss till combined.
    7. Serve and enjoy.

    To make it for a quick breakfast or instant lunchbox recipe, you can make the powder and gojju in advance and store them in the refrigerator. The rice can also be precooked the previous day or use leftover rice.

    Karnataka Puliyogare (Andhra pulihora) with homemade powder and gojju. Easy rice recipe.

    Ingredients

    Rice: Use short-grain or medium short-grain rice like sona masuri, or kolam to make puliyogare.

    Tamarind: Use the tamarind ball or paste.

    Jaggery: Only if you want to balance the sourness with sweetness. Else, skip it.

    For the puliyogare powder, Coconut oil, urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds, methi, peppercorns, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, dry red chilies, cashews, coconut, and hing are used.

    For the tempering: Oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, chilies, peanuts, curry leaves, and cashews with a pinch of hing are used.

    See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    South Indian style rice recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner - puliyogare, tamarind rice, pulihora.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Tamarind paste

    1. In a bowl, add tamarind and hot water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. 
    2. Once it becomes soft, extract the juice using your hands and discard any seeds. To this, add brown sugar or jaggery and keep it aside. 

    How to make Puliyogare powder?

    1. Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal and chana dal, and roast until lightly golden. 
    2. To this, add coriander seeds, methi, and black peppercorn and roast until you get a nice aroma on low flame. 
    3. Add mustard seeds, cumin, sesame seeds, red chilies, and cashews, and saute for a few seconds on low flame.  
    4. Add the coconut and continue to roast. Once you get the nice aroma, add the hing and switch off the flame.
    5. Grind this to a powder and keep it aside. This powder can also be stored in the refrigerator for two months. 

    Cook rice or use leftover rice.

    Cook the rice using any method that you are comfortable with. Once the rice has cooked, using a fork, spread it to separate the grains. Keep this aside.

    Best puliyogare recipe. Homemade temple style pulihora. Popular South Indian rice dishes.

    Make the puliyogare tempering.

    1. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter, add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and saute.
    2. Once it turns light golden in color, add red chilies, peanuts, cashews, and curry leaves, and saute for 30 seconds.

    Making of gojju

    1. Add tamarind paste to this tempering. Cook it on a medium flame for about 7 minutes or till the rawness goes off, and it becomes like a thick paste. (jam consistency)
    2. To this, add puliyogare powder little by little and saute for a few more seconds till it becomes a thick paste. You can add salt at this stage. If it turns too thick, you can adjust with 1 or 2 tablespoon of water and simmer for a few minutes. This is puliyogare gojju. Taste check and adjust anything if needed at this point. You can also allow the gojju to cool completely and store it in the refrigerator if you do not want to use it immediately. 
    Instant puliyogare (pulihora) for a quick lunch or dinner with leftover rice.

    Making of puliyogare (pulihora)

    1. To the cooked rice, add the gojju a little at a time and mix. (Too much gojju will make rice soggy. If you are left with gojju, refrigerate) 
    2. Allow the rice to absorb flavors for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • To get the best result, you will have to be generous when adding all the spices.
    • The ingredient list and steps may look lengthy and repetitive, but they are all basic ingredients that will enhance the dish's taste.
    • Puliyogare is made with short-grain rice. For the grainy texture, the rice must be cooked and cooled completely. Thus, many use leftover rice to make this recipe.
    • If you want to make puliyogare with store-bought powder, then I recommend MTR puliyogare mix.
    • I use coconut or neutral oil while making puliyogare, but if you are looking for traditional Iyengar-style puliyogare, use sesame oil.

    More South Indian Rice Recipes

    • Rice kheer, Chawal ki kheer or payasam recipe - Classic Indian rice pudding dessert recipe.
      Rice Kheer | Chawal Ki Kheer
    • Perfectly cooked fluffy ghee rice for vegetarian lunch and dinner, lunch box
      Ghee Rice | How to make Ghee Rice | Neychoru
    • how to make simple & easy lemon rice or south indian chitranna recipe
      Lemon Rice | Chitranna Recipe | How to make Lemon Rice
    • Best Indian coconut rice (thengai sadam) with basmati rice, tempering and coconut flakes.
      Easy Coconut Rice Recipe | Thengai Sadam

    Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    Recipe card

    Traditional and authentic South Indian Puliyogare (pulihora, puliyodharai, tamarind rice).

    Puliyogare | Pulihora | Tamarind Rice

    Kushi
    Puliyogare, also called pulihora or tamarind rice, is a traditional South Indian-style recipe prepared with rice, tamarind, and aromatic spices. One of the popular lunchbox and prasadam recipes prepared at temples and homes during Navratri or any puja.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, South Indian
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 284 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 Pan

    Ingredients
      

    To Make Puliyogare powder

    • 1 tablespoon Oil (Coconut oil / Vegetable oil / Sesame oil)
    • 1 tablespoon Urad Dal
    • 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
    • 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds or Methi
    • ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
    • 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
    • 5 Dry red chilies vary as per taste
    • 5 Cashews
    • 2 tablespoon Grated Coconut (fresh / dry)
    • ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida or Hing

    For the Tamarind Paste

    • ¼ cup Tamarind
    • ½ cup Hot Water
    • 2 tablespoon Jaggery

    For Seasoning / Tempering

    • 1 to 2 tablespoon Oil Canola Oil / Coconut Oil / Sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds optional
    • 1 teaspoon Urad dal
    • 1 tbsp Chana Dal
    • 2 Dry red chilies
    • 3 tablespoon Peanuts (Groundnuts)
    • 8 Curry leaves
    • 5 to 6 Cashews
    • Asafoetida Hing, a pinch

    Other Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cup Rice (uncooked)
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    Tamarind paste

    • In a bowl, add tamarind and hot water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. 
      ¼ cup Tamarind, ½ cup Hot Water
    • Once it becomes soft, extract the juice using your hands and discard any seeds. To this, add brown sugar or jaggery and keep it aside. 
      2 tablespoon Jaggery

    How to make Puliyogare powder?

    • Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal and chana dal, and roast until lightly golden. 
      1 tablespoon Oil, ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds, ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds, 1 tablespoon Urad Dal, 1 tablespoon Chana Dal, 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds, ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
    • To this, add coriander seeds, methi, and black peppercorn and roast until you get a nice aroma on low flame. 
    • Add mustard seeds, cumin, sesame seeds, red chilies, and cashews, and saute for a few seconds on low flame.  
      2 tablespoon Grated Coconut, ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns, 5 Dry red chilies, 5 Cashews
    • Add the coconut and continue to roast. Once you get the nice aroma, add the hing and switch off the flame.
    • Grind this to a powder and keep it aside. This powder can also be stored in the refrigerator for two months. 

    Cook rice or use leftover rice.

    • Cook the rice using any method that you are comfortable with. Once the rice has cooked, using a fork, spread it to separate the grains. Keep this aside.

    Make the puliyogare tempering.

    • Heat oil in pan on medium flame. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter, add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and saute.
      1 to 2 tablespoon Oil, 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
    • Once it turns light golden in color, add red chilies, peanuts, cashews, and curry leaves, and saute for 30 seconds.
      2 Dry red chilies, 3 tablespoon Peanuts, 5 to 6 Cashews, 8 Curry leaves

    Making of puliyogare gojju

    • Add tamarind paste to this tempering. Cook it on a medium flame for about 7 minutes or till the rawness goes off, and it becomes like a thick paste. (jam consistency)
    • To this, add puliyogare powder little by little and saute for a few more seconds till it becomes a thick paste. You can add salt at this stage. If it turns too thick, you can adjust with 1 or 2 tablespoon of water and simmer for a few minutes. This is puliyogare gojju. Taste check and adjust anything if needed at this point. You can also allow the gojju to cool completely and store it in the refrigerator if you do not want to use it immediately. 

    Making of puliyogare or pulihora

    • To the cooked rice, add the gojju a little at a time and mix. (Too much gojju will make rice soggy. If you are left with gojju, refrigerate) .
    • Allow the rice to absorb flavors for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • To get the best result, you will have to be generous when adding all the spices.
    • The ingredient list and steps may look lengthy and repetitive, but they are all basic ingredients that will enhance the dish's taste.
    • Puliyogare is made with short-grain rice. For the grainy texture, the rice must be cooked and cooled completely. Thus, many use leftover rice to make this recipe.
    • If you want to make puliyogare with store-bought powder, then I recommend MTR puliyogare mix.
    • I use coconut or neutral oil while making puliyogare, but if you are looking for traditional Iyengar-style puliyogare, use sesame oil.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 12mgPotassium: 290mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 422IUVitamin C: 77mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Note: We originally posted this recipe in Sept 2019. It has now been modified in Aug 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anthony

      August 28, 2023 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      Wow so full of flavor! A really great rice dish - thanks for sharing!

      Reply
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    5 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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