Andhra makes tamarind rice too, and the difference from the Tamil version comes down to a quarter teaspoon of one thing: roasted fenugreek powder, stirred in at the very end.
That is it. Same tamarind, same tempering of dals and peanuts, same cooled rice folded through by hand. But the fenugreek gives pulihora a low bitter note underneath the sourness that puliyodharai does not have, and to anyone who grew up with one, the other tastes incomplete.
Roast the fenugreek gently and use it sparingly. Taken too dark, or used too generously, it turns the whole pot bitter rather than interesting.
Everything you need for this recipe is on the shelf at One Place Bazaar, delivered to all 32 counties. See the rest of our Ganesh Chaturthi recipes.
