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Lemon Rice recipe | Elumichai Sadam

By Vidya Narayan | September 22, 2020 | Last Updated: December 28, 2022

If you are looking for easy rice recipes for lunch, comfort food that takes just 30 minutes and lunch box friendly, kid friendly meals, try this South Indian Lemon Rice Recipe. Refreshing, tangy and lemony!

South Indian Lemon Rice recipe or Elumichai Sadam is a traditional variety rice or Kalavai Sadam made with cooked rice, turmeric, lemon juice and finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, lentils and curry leaves. Pack for school lunch, serve as lunch or dinner with a veggie side.

In a South Indian household, variety rice rules the lunch menu during summers. Easy to put together, delicious and doesn't need an elaborate side dish to serve. It is also lunch box friendly for both kids and adults.

Growing up, this was a staple in my lunch box at school. Making Lemon rice or Elumichai Sadam is not at all time consuming, which is the best part about this recipe. Another bonus is that it doesn’t need any side dish.

Lemon rice contains hing or asafoetida. For a 100% gluten free recipe, omit the ingredient. Lemon Rice is Vegan. If you are allergic to peanuts, feel free to substitute with cashew nuts or skip the ingredient entirely.

Best Travel Food

How to make south indian lemon rice recipe, side dish for lemon rice, important tips / storage instructions, other south indian variety rice recipes, south indian lemon rice recipe | elumichai sadam.

Elumichai Sadam (as referred to in Tamil), is a popular temple food or prasadam. The recipe contains no onion no garlic.

Elumichai Sadam is made for festivals like Aadi Perukku or Aadi 18 and Navaratri.

It is also made for Seemantham or Valaikapu function (South Indian Baby Shower Ceremony) as part of the 9 rice varieties that is traditionally cooked for the expecting mother.

If you talk about Ayurveda friendly meals or Sattvik food , Lemon rice fits the bill perfectly.

South Indian’s remember Lemon Rice or Elumichai Sadam as the most important part of their train journey’s. This is the best travel food as it stays fresh for atleast 48 hours.

Those days when Tamil Brahmin community carried everything from water to food during travel. It is because food was not easily available especially No Onion No Garlic varieties. Recipes like Curd Rice, Podi Idli were hot favorites.

The food packets were eco friendly and no use of plastic was permissible. Ask any Tam Brahm and he / she would share the exact same nostalgia about train journeys.  

I still pack this for my husband’s international travels along with Podi Idli, Methi Thepla, some rice crispies and fried chilies (mor milaga).

Wash and soak 1 & ½ cups of Rice (short grain rice) for 20 minutes.

Drain the water, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook. Once rice is cooked, transfer it to a wide mixing bowl, add salt to taste and let it cool.

Now heat a pan, add sesame oil, mustard seeds, roasted peanuts, urad dal, chana dal, whole dry red chillies, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves.

Once mustard crackles, add hing or asafoetida and turmeric powder. Mix well and immediately add the tempering to the cooked rice.

Squeeze lemon juice. Mix the rice well and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Roast is hands down the best accompaniment for Lemon rice.

It is served with appalam, rice crispies or vadagam, potato chips and banana chips.

Serve lemon rice with Thayir Pachadi (South Indian Raita) in summer season. Some of our favorites include Vendakkai Pachadi , Beetroot Pachadi and Tomato Pachadi .

If serving Elumichai Sadam for lunch, pair it with protein rich Kootu . We love Peerkangai Kootu (Ridge Gourd), Pudalangai Kootu (Snake Gourd) or Murungai Keerai Kootu (Drumstick / Moringa)

Short grain rice is most preferred. Kolam, Sona Masuri, Ponni are some of the top choices. You can also make lemon rice using Basmati rice, if you don't stock any short grain rice varieties.

You can also substitute rice with cooked Millets or Quinoa.

For packing lemon rice in kids school lunch box, cook rice in the night using pressure cooker or instant pot. Next morning, it will take no less than 10 minutes to pack.

When packing this for travel, add extra sesame oil while tempering. It will prevent the rice from drying. Do not use toasted sesame oil (used for Asian / Chinese cooking) for this recipe. You can also opt for Sunflower oil or vegetable oil.

• If packing for travel, ensure the rice is at room temperature. Packing hot rice will affect shelf life.
• Lemon Rice is consumed at room temperature. It is never served warm. I don't reheat leftovers either. If stored in refrigerator, I simply leave the bowl on the counter top until it attains room temperature.

Traditionally, peanuts are added to lemon rice. You can use cashews or feel free to omit nuts, if allergic.

The color of this rice is key - Adding turmeric at the right stage of cooking helps in achieving the color. Turmeric is added to the tempering just before its ready to be mixed with rice.

Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice)

Ellu Sadam (Sesame Rice)

Coconut Rice (Thengai Sadam)

Raw Mango Rice (Manga Sadam) - Seasonal Rice Variety during Summers

Nellikai Rice (Amla Rice)

This post appeared on Masalachilli in December 2017. I have added step wise pictures and fresh content to this post.

Please take a moment to  LEAVE A COMMENT  and a  STAR * rating  on the blog. It would encourage others to try the recipe or you could  TAG US  on any of our social media handles  – INSTAGRAM ,  TWITTER ,  FACEBOOK PAGE  AND  PINTEREST.

Ingredients    1x 2x 3x

• 1 ½ cups Rice Use any short grain - Ponni, Sona Masoori, Kolam
• 2 cups Water
• 1 teaspoon Chana Dal (Kadala Paruppu or Bengal Gram Dal)
• ½ teaspoon Urad Dal or Ulutham Paruppu
• ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds, Kadagu or Rai
• 1 tablespoon Peanuts
• 3-4 Whole dry red chillies
• 1-2 Fresh green chillies finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 3 tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice or Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 Sprigs of curry leaves
• a pinch of asafoetida or hing skip this for gluten free recipe
• Salt to taste

1 cup is 250ml, 1 tbsp 15ml, 1 tsp 5ml

Instructions  .

• Wash and soak 1 & ½ cups of Rice (short grain rice) for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water, pressure cook using 2 cups water.
• Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a wide bowl and allow to cool completely.
• Once cool, prepare tempering by heating sesame oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, peanuts, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chillies, finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves.
• When the lentils are toasted (brown) and mustard crackles, add turmeric powder and hing (asafoetida), mix once and switch off the flame.
• Add this tempering to the cooked rice along with salt to taste.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, mix everything well and let it rest for 5 mins (to absorb flavors) before packing in lunch box and/or serving.
• Any variety of rice can be used for the recipe. Traditionally, aromatic rice or long grain Basmati Rice is not used. I use Sona Masoori, Ponni, Kolam variety of short grain rice. It is available in leading supermarkets and grocery stores.
• If planning this for kids school lunch, cooking the rice can be done previous night to save time. You can use Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to cook the rice.
• When packing this for travel, add more sesame oil while tempering. It will prevent the rice from drying. The Sesame oil used for the recipe is also referred to as Gingelly oil. Do not use toasted sesame oil (used for Asian cooking) for this recipe. You can also opt for Sunflower oil or vegetable oil. 
• Traditionally peanuts are added to the dish. You can add cashews too or skip nuts entirely, if you are allergic.
• The color of Lemon Rice is key - Adding turmeric at the right stage of cooking helps in achieving the color. Turmeric is added to the tempering just before its ready to be mixed with rice. 

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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!

Vidya Narayan

Reader Interactions

December 07, 2017 at 3:12 pm

Lemonrice always turns out so good, I love the crunch cashewnuts add to it!

December 07, 2017 at 7:13 pm

Great. My version here doesn't have any nuts though.

December 07, 2017 at 3:14 pm

Somehow, the one given as prasad in temples always tastes better?

December 07, 2017 at 7:12 pm

Absolutely. Nothing beats that taste.

December 07, 2017 at 10:05 pm

This is comfort food 🙂

December 08, 2017 at 8:41 pm

Absolutely dear!

December 08, 2017 at 2:39 am

So well presented Vidya, lemon rice always tastes awesome , my version has a little ginger in it as well, looks great!

December 08, 2017 at 8:37 pm

Oh Ginger sounds really tasty. Should try it sometime. Thank you for your kind words.

December 08, 2017 at 8:45 pm

You are welcome my friend, I got that tip from a friend from Chennai, am sure you will like it as well.

December 09, 2017 at 7:48 am

absolutely! Thanks again.

December 08, 2017 at 10:14 pm

Wow Vidya!! You have made this lemon rice look so gorgeous! We love lemon rice a lot and your pics are nudging me to make these soon 🙂

December 09, 2017 at 7:53 am

HaHa.. Make them soon then! Thank you so much dear for all the kind words!

December 08, 2017 at 11:16 pm

Beautiful rice ! I have never seen seedless lemon and it is really nice to use them !!

December 09, 2017 at 7:55 am

I had neither seen them as well. The skin was very thin and had too much of pulp with juice, no seeds. Thank you so much.

December 09, 2017 at 10:58 pm

I have never seen a more brighter and tastier looking Lemon Rice!Will surely try out ur recipe sweetheart..:)

December 10, 2017 at 7:14 am

Thanks a ton my dear for all the kind words of appreciation. Means a lot.

December 10, 2017 at 8:31 pm

I can already smell the aromas from this beautiful rice dish! 🙂

December 11, 2017 at 9:36 am

thanks so much! Wish there was a virtual way of tasting too .. ha ha .. u never know someday!!

December 11, 2017 at 9:45 pm

That would be a wonderful invention! 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!

December 12, 2017 at 6:29 am

ha ha .. Most welcome!

December 10, 2017 at 10:38 pm

Wonderful ?

Thanks dear

March 05, 2018 at 2:58 pm

The lemon rice looks delicious. Adding fresh curry leaves to any tempering smells heavenly. I can understand how this would be a good dish to have when travelling. It's a light dish which would be easy to digest.

March 07, 2018 at 1:04 pm

Absolutely true. Thank you for stopping by and pouring your comments.

March 05, 2018 at 3:54 pm

Whenever I have left over rice this is the dish that comes to my mind. Simple, tangy and tasty.

March 07, 2018 at 1:03 pm

and very apt for summers too! Thank you so much

March 06, 2018 at 12:22 pm

Wow... Seedless lemon! Thats really interesting and I have never seen such type of lemons.. so nice of your friend. This one is my most favourite variety rice and always reminds me of school days lunch box..

March 07, 2018 at 12:57 pm

Absolutely kind of her, Blogging and FB has given me so much, new friends, one of them being you! Lemon Rice is every South Indians love, mine included.. Thank you so much.

October 06, 2019 at 2:33 pm

I can't access the types of rice you suggest. Can I use a medium grain rice as a substitute?

October 06, 2019 at 5:43 pm

Yes Medium Grain rice would be fine. Thank you

September 23, 2020 at 8:26 pm

So nice method you have used.

September 24, 2020 at 10:08 am

October 07, 2020 at 6:47 pm

October 08, 2020 at 7:55 am

Its a traditional recipe and glad you liked it.

October 07, 2020 at 6:56 pm

October 07, 2020 at 7:02 pm

October 08, 2020 at 10:21 am

Thanks Lisa. Ponni is a short grain variety from South India and I hope you find it and try the recipe. You can use it for your everyday recipes too, just in case you would like to know.

October 07, 2020 at 7:49 pm

October 08, 2020 at 10:19 am

Thanks so much and hope you enjoy these Jen. Cheers!

February 21, 2021 at 4:14 pm

So yummy dish...I am surely going to try soon

February 22, 2021 at 6:15 am

Thank you Sushma for appreciating. I hope you enjoy making and eating the Lemon Rice. Cheers!

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Vendakkai puli kuzhambu

Vendakkai puli kuzhambu recipe in Tamil | Lady’s finger puli kuzhambu | Okra puli kuzhambu. Popular tamarind based South Indian gravy- Vendakkai puli kuzhambu without coconut – Kara kuzhambu recipe with full video and step by step pictures.

We make Vatha kuzhambu at home and puli kuzhambu with onion garlic and tomato is a rare thing in our house. Though I love the restaurant-style kara kuzhambu, the family prefers the Tamil Brahmin style Vatha kuzhambu more. A few months back when we went to a friend’s house he made a delicious Kathrikkai puli kuzhambu.

We all loved it very much and I asked him for the recipe. It is his grandmother’s recipe. The next time when he made that, he called me and I went down and saw him making and noted down the recipe. Later that I completely forgot. A few days back again we went to his house and he made the same Puli kuzhambu on popular demand. This time he made it using sundakkai vathal.

When I decided to try this using ladies finger, I called him and asked few doubts and he patiently clarified all my silly doubts and gave me extra tips too. The Vendakkai puli kuzhambu is a super hit at my home. Everyone loved it. The masalas were not overpowering. The spicy kara kuzhambu tasted even yum the next day.

If you have the traditional clay pot at home, please use that one to get an enhanced taste. I have one at home but it is yet to be seasoned. Soon I will do it and start posting recipes using a clay pot.

Also check out

• Sundakkai kara kuzhambu
• Thatta payaru kuzhambu

Ingredients

• 7 ladies finger
• 1 cup tamarind water from gooseberry sized tamarind
• 5 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• Few curry leaves
• 1 handful garlic cloves
• ½ cup chopped small onions
• 10 whole small onions
• 1 ripe tomato
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt as needed

To roast and grind

• 1 tbsp dhaniya | coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds | vendayam
• 3 red chilis
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

• In a pan add 3 tsp oil and put the dhaniya, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, red chili, pepper, cumin seeds and garlic.
• Saute till the dal turns golden brown color.
• Switch off and cool this.
• Add a few curry leaves to this and grind this into a fine paste by adding little water.
• Wash and pat dry the ladies finger. Cut them into big pieces.
• In the same pan add 2 tbsp sesame oil and add the ladies finger.
• Saute this for few minutes in a medium flame.
• Do not change the color.
• Alternatively you can deep fry this too.
• When it is half done, add little salt to this.
• Cook for few more minutes and once the slimy texture goes off, take it out and keep aside.
• In the same pan add 2 tbsp sesame oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
• Add handful of garlic, chopped small onions and whole small onions.
• Saute this well till the onions shrink.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes.
• Cook till it becomes slightly mushy.
• You can puree the tomato also and add to this.
• Extract 1 cup of tamarind water from a gooseberry sized tamarind. Always soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes before taking out the tamarind water.
• Add the red chili powder, coriander powder, salt and turmeric powder.
• Instead of red chili powder and coriander powder you can add 2 tbsp of sambar powder too.
• Add the ground masala to this.
• Mix well and cover this and cook for 10 minutes.
• Stir in between.
• The gravy will come to a semi thick consistency.
• Now add the fried ladies finger to this.
• If needed you can add 1 tsp of jaggery at this stage.
• Mix well and cook it for 2 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and add 3-4 tsp of sesame oil.
• Vendakkai puli kuzhambu is ready.
• Serve with hot rice and any poriyal or kootu.

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• Add few curry leaves to this and grind this into a fine paste by adding little water.

• Wash and pat dry the lady’s finger. Cut them into big pieces.
• In the same pan add 2 tbsp sesame oil and add the lady’s finger.
• Saute this for few minutes on a medium flame.
• Alternatively, you can deep fry this too.
• When it is half done, add a little salt to this.
• Cook for few more minutes and once the slimy texture goes off, take it out and keep it aside.

• In the same pan add 2 tbsp sesame oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves.
• Add a handful of garlic, chopped small onions, and whole small onions.
• Sauté this well till the onions shrink.

• Extract 1 cup of tamarind water from gooseberry-sized tamarind. Always soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes before taking out the tamarind water.
• Add the ground paste to this.

• Add the red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder.
• The gravy will come to a semi-thick consistency.

• Now add the fried lady’s finger to this.

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Tamilnadu Recipes

(Tamil Nadu Recipes, சுவையான தமிழ்நாடு சமையல், Tamil Nadu Samiyal)

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Food is an important part of tamil culture. Tamilians are known for their hospitality and are very particular about feeding everyone that comes home with a smile. Even a stranger who comes home is offered at least a cup of water. For occasions, people make sure that their guest go home with a stuffed stomach. It is very common to lovingly force the guests to have some extra servings of each course. Traditionally, food used to be served on the floor on a banana leaf. Even now, during special occasions people prefer eating their food in the traditional style. It often starts with a sweet, followed by rice served with curries like sambhar, rasam, kaara kuzhambu, etc and finishing with curd. It is accompanied by varieties of side dishes and fried snacks like appalam, vadagam, vadai etc. Finally it is common to serve a dessert which is mostly payasam. Tiffin menu includes many dishes made with rice and lentils. Apart from this, there are many specific snacks and sweets made during festivals.

Tamil cuisine is dominated by rice, lentils, tamarind, coconut and curry leaves.  There are many dishes that are native to the state like the idli, dosa, sambhar, upma, filter coffee and many more dishes. Along with these common dishes, there are many region specific dishes. The Karaikudi Chettinad cuisine is known for its use of fresh spices in both veg and non veg dishes. The Nanjilnadu (Kanyakumari and surrounding areas) dishes have an interesting blend of tamil dishes with kerala style since nanjilnadu was part of kerala few decades ago. Madurai people are known for their mutton preparations. They have very unique ways of preparing each part of the mutton including the brain, blood, meat, leg, liver and intestine. The Kongunadu cuisine (Coimbatore and surroundings) are famous for their preparation using many millets. They have some age old recipes which are gaining popularity these days sue to its health benefits.

Here is a huge list of 325+ classic tamilian recipes that have been passed on from our ancestors. Try them and enjoy!!

The recipes from Tamilnadu are classified into 7 major categories. Press the links below to go directly to the specific category or scroll down to see the recipes.

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Tamil Nadu Breakfast & Tiffin Recipes

Tamil nadu rice varieties, tamil nadu curries and side-dishes, tamil nadu condiments (pickles, chutneys, podis), tamil nadu snack recipes, tamil nadu desserts and sweets, tamil nadu beverages.

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Kuzhi Paniyaram

A popular chettinad kuzhi paniyaram recipe.

Kuzhi Paniyaram is part of Chetinad cusine and its quick and easy to prepare. It is a delicous evening snack and goes well with sambar and coconut chutney . This has to be made with special pan, paniyaram chatti. Here, in this recipe, I have given the method of soaking rice and dal and prepare paniyaram from scratch. But we can also make Kuzhi Paniyaram from left over Idli/Dosa or Adai Batter.

Making paniyaram from left over Idli/Dosa batter makes our life easier. But sometimes when we don’t have left over batter, we can soak rice and dal and grind it and allow it to ferment and make these conventional paniyaram. This Kuzhi Paniyaram tastes awesome when served hot. I make these yummy paniyaram for kids’ Lunch Box. My kids love to have paniyaram with Ketchup.

Recipe Card:

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 Cup Raw Rice
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Parboiled Rice
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Urad Dal
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• ▢ Salt As Needed
• ▢ 1 Onion Finely Chopped
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Oil For Cooking Paniyaram

For Tempering

• ▢ 1 tsp Oil
• ▢ 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• ▢ 2 Green Chili
• ▢ 1 tbsp Split Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalaparuppu)
• ▢ Few Curry Leaves

Instructions 

• ▢ Soak the rice, urdal , fenugeek seeds in water for 2 hours
• ▢ After 2 hours, rinse and drain the water and grind it to paste in a grinder.  Add necessary salt and mix it well. Set it aside for Fermentation overnight or for about 8-12 hours
• ▢ Next day, first prepare the tempering. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add bengal gram and fry till dal turns golden brown
• ▢ Then add green chili and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds and switch off the flame.
• ▢ Now, take the fermented batter, add the tempering we prepared along with chopped onions and mix the batter well
• ▢ Heat the paniyaram pan. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil in each mould. When the oil is hot, pour the prepared paniyaram batter into each mould
• ▢ Cover & cook in low flame. After 30 seconds, flip the paniyaram in each mould and again cook till both the sides turn into golden color. Take out cooked paniyaram
• ▢ Serve the yummy Paniyaram with Shallots Garlic Chutney or Coconut Chutney or Idli podi or Tiffin Sambar & Enjoy!
• Soak channa dhal in water for about 30 minutes, drain and add. It gives a nice texture- soft with fried urdad dhal. 
• You cal also add raw jeera to batter.
• We can also enrich with grated coconut, grated carrot and even spinach or coriander leaves 
•  We can make the Paniyaram with fermented adai batter also.

Nutritional Info

• Soak the rice, urdal , fenugeek seeds in water for 2 hours
• After 2 hours, rinse and drain the water and grind it to paste in a grinder. Add necessary salt and mix it well. Set it aside for Fermentation overnight or for about 8-12 hours
• Next day, first prepare the tempering. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add bengal gram and fry till dal turns golden brown
• Then add green chili and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds and switch off the flame.
• Now, take the fermented batter, add the tempering we prepared along with chopped onions and mix the batter well
• Heat the paniyaram pan. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil in each mould. When the oil is hot, pour the prepared paniyaram batter into each mould
• Cover & cook in low flame. After 30 seconds, flip the paniyaram in each mould and again cook till both the sides turn into golden color. Take out cooked paniyaram
• Serve hot with Sambar and coconut Chutney .

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Sowmya Venkatachalam

IT Engineer turned full time Food Blogger. I ♡ FOOD. I also love food blogging. Did you make a recipe? Tag @Subbusktichen on Instagram. I WANNA SEE!

7 Comments Hide Comments

You can also try this variation. Slice the paniram to two halves to get semi sphere. Spread idlly podi emulsion with oil. Toppings with pudina chutney. Arrange five in a plate and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

can the idli / dosa batter be used or paniyaaram??

Hi, Yes, you can surely use idli or dosa batter and we can add the onions and seasoned ingredients and make paniyaram

We palaghatis call this as more appam (மோர் அப்பம்) It is same except a little buttermilk and channa dal is used in the recipe. We use short cut with idli dough and add besan (கடலைமாவு) Since my family don't eat too much onions we do not add it. Also it is made in appa karal (அப்பகாரல்)

Hi mam, shall I use mixer instead of grinder to make a dough . Will I get same softness like in we use grider. And can u post recipe for sweet paniyaram also….thanks in advance

After grinding in the mixer, beat the batter nicely so that the batter is nicely aerated. we can also add a pinch of soda salt to make it soft.

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Puliyodharai, Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe, Temple Puliyodharai

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Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe also called as Kovil / Temple Puliyodharai, Puli sadam. Tamarind rice using home made Puliyodharai paste – Puliyodharai mix. South Indian Tamil Style recipe. Its also called as puliyogare in Kannada.

I still remember my tryst with Iyengar Puliyodharai. My first job after graduation was at a lending institution. One day I was having lunch with my manager in the pantry. The branch manager, Krishnan entered the pantry ( a 3 table tiny pantry) and since the other tables were not yet cleaned, my manager, Amrita offered a seat in our table. He had brought his mothers Puliyodharai for lunch. He offered us a taste of the Puliyodharai. It was absolutely divine. He told us that his mother makes the best tamarind rice in the whole world and I had to agree. He told, “You know whats the secret of a good Puliyodharai? Its all in the making of pulikaachal (tamarind paste)”. If done the proper way, Puliyodharai can be so delicious. Here is how to do Iyengar style Puliyodharai / kovil Puliyodharai.

First, we will make a spice powder.

We will be dry roasting the ingredients one by one separately. # Dry roast coriander seeds on medium flame till the seeds slightly changes in colour and one or two seeds splutter. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool. # Dry roast white sesame seeds on medium flame till the seeds slightly changes in colour and becomes light brown. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool. # Dry roast methi seeds (fenugreek – vendhayam), black pepper and dry red chillies on medium flame till the the methi seeds turn golden and one or two seeds splutter. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool.

The spices are roasted and ready!

Once the spices are cool, grind it in a mixie to a powder. Set aside.

Tamarind Pulp

• Soak a big lemon size tamarind in two cups of water for 30 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Strain the pulp and discard the seeds and the fibre. Set aside.

Pulikaachal – Tamarind Paste – Tamarind mix with powder

Heat sesame oil (gingely oil – nalla ennai) in a pan until hot. Gingely Oil is the traditional oil used for the preparation of puliyodharai. Do not use any other oil. The flavour of gingely oil is very important for puliyodharai. Add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add dry red chillies and chana dal. Roast till the chana dal is golden. Add in the tamarind extract / pulp.

Add in the hing (perungayam – asafoetida), turmeric powder and curry leaves. Let it simmer on a low flame.

In the mean time, dry roast the peanuts until the skin turns slightly black here and there and the peanuts are nicely roasted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Remove the skin and add it to the tamarind mixture simmering on the pan.

Add in the salt and jaggery. Jaggery balances the sourness of the tamarind. Jaggery is very important for puliyodharai.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the tamarind mixture on a low flame for 20 minutes. Saute once in a while to avoid the mixture from burning at the bottom. After 20 minutes, the mixture would have reduced and thickened and the gingely oil would have separated and can be visibly seen on the sides of the pan. The tamarind mixture is ready.

Switch off the flame and add in the ground spice powder. Tamarind paste mix – pulikaachal is ready.

Let the mixture completely cool down. Bottle it in glass jar and store it and use it as required. The pulikaachal paste can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Mixing and Assembly! We will be using cooked rice and will be mixing it with pulikaachal. I have a tip for cooking rice that stays fluffy and does not become mushy. The secret for fluffy rice is to soak the rice in water for at least half an hour. I usually use Indian raw rice (sona masuri) variety. I add 2 cups of water for every cup of soaked and drained rice. I cook my rice in a rice cooker. You can do the same in the pressure cooker too. Cook for 2 whistles and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Cook 1 cup (250 ml) of rice with 2 cups of water and cook it to firm texture. Allow it to cool completely. Once the rice is cool, Mix half of prepared tamarind paste – pulikaachal and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sesame oil.  Mix well to combine. Adjust seasoning if necesary. The best way to combine the rice and the pulikaachal is to use your hands. As the pulikaachal is thick, a spatula does not do a good job.

Do not consume the tamarind rice immediately. The flavour develops after an hour. Enjoy with papad or appalam.

This pulikaachal will be enough for 2 cups of dry raw rice (uncooked).

5 from 41 reviews

Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe – Kovil / Temple Puliyodharai, Puli sadam. Tamarind rice using home made Puliyodharai paste – Puliyodharai mix. South Indian Tamil Style recipe.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 250 - 300 ml pulikaachal 1 x

Ingredients

Spice powder.

• 3 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (vendayam)
• 4 dry red chillies (add more for spicy)
• 3 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1.5 teaspoon black pepper (use less according to spice levels)

For Tamarind paste / pulikaachal

• 1/3 cup sesame oil (gingely oil / nallennai)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoon chana dal
• 4 dry red chillies
• 1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
• 1.5 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 cup peanuts (use less if you want less nuts in puliyodharai)
• 3 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon jaggery
• Big lemon sized tamarind
• Rice as required

Instructions

• Dry roast all the ingredients listed under spice powder separately till slightly dark and golden. Set aside on a plate to cool. Once the spices are cool, grind it in a mixie to a powder. Set aside.

Pulikaachal – Tamarind Paste – Tamarind mix with powder

• Heat sesame oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add dry red chillies and chana dal. Roast till the chana dal is golden. Add in the tamarind extract / pulp.
• Add in the hing, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Add in the roasted peanuts. Add in the salt and jaggery.
• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the tamarind mixture on a low flame for 20 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and add in the ground spice powder. Allow it to cool completely. Bottle and use.

Mixing and Assembly!

• Cook 1 cup (250 ml) of rice with 2 cups of water and cook it to firm texture. Allow it to cool completely. Once the rice is cool, Mix half of prepared tamarind paste – pulikaachal and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add little oil. Mix well to combine.
• Serve with appalam.
• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Keywords: puilodharai

135 thoughts on “Puliyodharai, Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe, Temple Puliyodharai”

Absolutely love this Pulli sorre recipe! Made it for temple prayers & for ponggal festival – such a hit! Thank you! ❤️ Followed the recipe to the dot – good instructions & so easy to follow!

Question : how should I store extra’s for later use? Freezer? Fridge?

the pulikachal can be store in the fridge.

I love your recipes. How much in grams is the amount of tamarind? I live in New York and our lemons are the size of golf balls and baseballs. So, weight of tamarind would really help. Thank you.

Check 1:44 on video. Thanks. I am not sure of the weight. I will update that.

Thank you so much.

No urad dail in temple puliyogre? Just asking, as I have seen many using it.

Hi I am planning to make this for Golu, for a large group of guests. If I use 4 cups of rice how much pulikachal do I need to make

Whenever I’m making puliyogare, I used to follow your recipe. Good one!.

Thank you recipie came out good. I made it in large quantity and stord in fridge but I can taste fermented taste. Can you please help me to fix it.

If its fermenting, please do not consume.

Awesome recipe! Lovely manamaana puliyotharai! Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this recipe. it is a favourite dish, but I never made it on my own.

Nice recipe

Hi kannamma,

I tried out to his recipe today and it came out very well!! Just one quick question..Is it ok to reduce the amount of black pepper used in the recepie…I got review from a family member that pepper taste was dominating…as one of the posts had mentioned earlier..

Ofcourse. Please modify the recipe according to what your family likes. 🙂

Thanks for the recipe! I have already made the pulikachal with the recommended pepper and feel the same as pepper flavor is a bit high otherwise it is excellent.

How to now reduce the pepper flavor in the pulikachal directly? Please advise.

Puliodharai come out well. My family members liked it. Thanks for recipe

Your Iyengar puliodharai is simply superb. Keep posting more traditional dishes. All the best.

I love you recipe and i have tried to can you tell me how to make chicken noodles can you please share me the recipe please mam

Hi Suguna, Thx a ton for this recipe. Just made it & savoured it. Loved by my family too.. had no thoughts of buying MTR… i follow yr sambar powder recipe and hv forwarded to many.. and now this will b the 2nd recipe that i shall recommend to all…

Hi Ms. Suguna,

Looks very authentic and I admired the detailed attention to making Tamarind sauce.

As regards Gingelly oil. I see posts that say many store bought brands taste bitter or have gone rancid.

Any tips on how to choose the best quality giggly oil ? Any brands you can recommend ? What to look for ? How to store ?

We live Toronto, Canada and we have access to lot of south Indian grocery stores.

Also, authentic Puloyogare recipes generally recommend only Black sesame seeds . You recommend whites. Any comments ?

Thank you Rama. I am not sure of the brands that are available in canada. Any cold pressed / wood pressed sesame oil will be good. I just store it in a cool place and get in small quantities. I use white sesame seeds for the colour.

You can drop a small piece of jaggery in the gingely oil to reduce its bitter taste and it will not go rancid for a long time.

Hi Suguna, Wanted to know for how long the paste mixed with rice or the puliyodarai rice stays good. We’re planning to take it on a plane trip and was curious to know

It will be good for 10-12 hours. be generous with the oil while making for long trips.

Hi Suguna, Could you tell me for how many cups of raw rice would above tamarind paste be sufficient for? Last night I cooked restaurant style veggie biryani. it came out very well. Thank you so much!

2 cups rice (uncooked)

Kanamma, wonderful recipe, planning to try it out today. How can we add chana dal to the puliodahari, I remember having kovil puliodharai that has black kondakadalai. Thanks a lot.

Each and every recipe if differs from place to place and from home to homes. 🙂

Thank you. Glad you liked the Puliyodharai.

I was wondering the best way to store the paste and powder if made in advance? We live in Australia and I was hoping to send some interstate – any chance this would be ok for a few days (up to a week at the latest) if packed securely and mailed?

Thank you, Aparna

Hi Aparna, sure it will travel well. Make sure to keep the packing materials sterilized and completely dry. Use a little extra oil as buffer.

Thank you so much for your reply! This recipe was so good we ended up keeping it for ourselves so I had to make another batch to mail interstate 🙂

I’m a big fan of your recipes – I’ve followed your idli and hotel sambar recipes with fantastic results so thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us! I make sure to mention and tag @kannammacooks on instagram when I post pictures of my results too.

<3 Aparna

Thank you so much Aparna. Very glad that you liked the Puliyodharai recipe. Really happy you all enjoyed the tamarind rice.

Hey there, How did you prep & send it via courier? I plan on doing the same by next week so that it reaches its destination by Diwali. Would appreciate tips When the person you sent it to received it after that 1 week travel, how long did it last?

I have never sent via courier. Do not know how well it travels.

Hi maam , your puliyodharai recipe is simply superb! Just made it…came out so well. Thanks a lot for this awesome recipe!

Simply easy to understand south Indian culture, the way you describe ingredients

Ma’am…. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Tried it out today and everyone in our family just loved it. I used to follow a different recipe. This pulikaichal definitely tasted better. Thanks once again.

I tried it out yesterday! It’s super-hit! Everyone loved it!

Thank youu for sharing, everyone liked it soo much.

Tried a few times and it came out well. Feell happy that I too being an average in cooking can do it so well. A big thank you.

Very nice.. Thank you for sharing…

Tastes very close to Tirumala’s! Wonderful!

Thank you for generously sharing this recipe!

I suggest have one simple suggestion for improvement. It would be very helpful to have at least an approximate estimate of how much puliodharai can be made using the paste. How many will eat feed? Or at least how many cups of paste or will yield…

This way once can easily scale up the recipe ingredients when making larger quantity without losing the proper ratio of ingredients.

I struggle with getting consistent taste when I have to adjust a recipe to feed a larger group then usual…

Thank you! Your recipes are precise and easy to follow.

Super. Instead of using peanuts we can use chinna also. That will also give good taste. Thank you so much. I am always prepare puliyodharai in the same way. I am 66 years old.

Thank you the receipe… it tasted sooo good. Everyone in the family liked it

Hello Suguna…. thank you for the receipe….it tasted soo good… everyone liked it in my family…. thanks again

Pulikaichal turned out to be great.super taste

If we use hand for mixing rice, so it’s will be good for next day ? Please let me know madam.

Hi Kathi, Yes it will be good for the next day. make sure you use clean washed hands. If you are in doubt, feel free to use a spatula.

Superb recipe 👌👌My family liked it v much as well as my friends. Thanks 😊

You’re awesome!!! 😀 The recipe was a bomb, and the family absolutely couldn’t get enough of it!!!

Awesome recipe

Hi. Tried the recipe today. Had no doubts as to how it may turn out as it’s from you. As usual excellent. Thanks a lot

Is sesame seeds must for this receipe? Shall I try without it?

sesame n sesame oil is must as flavor n taste comes thru dat; in karnataka style, we add dry kobbarai too; n lill more jaggery; like 1:1 ratio of tamarind n jaggery

excellant taste.

I tried Ur recipe as u have mentioned and did as prasadham for Navaratri 5th day. Came out very well. Many has asked to share this recipe. Thanks a ton mam. Since it is Ur recipe I tried directly as prasadham without any doubts. On 7th day iam planning to try Ur kalkandu sadham. Thank u mam for Ur service

Thank you so much. Wishing you and your family a happy Navrathri!

Tried it. Very nice. I want to make larger quantity to and sent to my children who are working and away from me.. is it enough to multiple the spice quantity and d tamarind paste. Thank u for your suggestion.

Sure. Doubling the recipe would work.

Tried it and it was awesome. Thanks for the quick recipe

Hello akka,

In this receipe peanuts is compulsory?

I’ve prepared puliyotharai just wth powder; chilly oil n sesame; evn omiting dals n peanuts tastes amazing– see to it salt, sour n sweet r appropriate;

Dear kannamma My son 7 year old son loves it a lot… My entire family asking me to prepare this puliyodharai almost every Saturday…… everyone loves it . Thank you so much😍😍😍😍😍

I tried this recipe today, it tastes divine. I think my search for perfect puliogare recipe ends here. Thank you so much for the recipe.

Thank you. Glad that you liked it!

Made Puliyodharai using this recipe for a potluck dinner and everybody loved it. Thanks so much for this recipe. Tastes exactly like the ones served in the temples.

Once I mix it with rice, can I store the rice in container? Going for a two day trip. Should I keep mixed rice at room temperature or fridge? Love your site.good job kannamma..!

Can I replace black sesame instead of white??

The colour will be very dark but you may add.

Hi Suguna, I would like to make a larger quantity of the Pulikaachal and store it for repeated use. But the peanuts change colour and turn stale after some time. So can I make plain Pulikaachal and add fresh seasoning every time I mix Puliyodarai rice? In which case, will any of the proportions change?

Hi Nalini, Yes you may try. I will suggest not to change the proportions and add peanuts whenever you are making.

Very clearly explained…. no doubts abt anything, will try tomorrow, very excited evn before trying, sure it will come out well, will post my comments on my experience soon, thxs a lot

Best ever puliyodharai..in my pregnancy.. loved it so much… all credits goes to u.. thank u so much..

Thank you so much Uma. Wishing you the best for a smooth pregnancy!

I tried this recipe today. Came out well. Thanks for the recipe !!

Amazing recipe…. I tried it today and everyone loved it Thank you so much : )

Thank you so much 🙂 Glad it came out well!

If we are using tamarind paste what is the measurement

For this recipe, please use fresh tamarind.

Hi Suguna…Happy New Year…I can’t wait to try this recipe…what are the traditional accompaniments ( if any …example, raita, specific curry…etc) for this dish?

Many thanks!

Potato fry, vadagam or papad works well.

Thankyou <3

Tried it today and really loved it. Thanks for the posting its owesome.

Thank you so much!

tq….now I learn how to make this recipe..

This recipe has been really useful. I come here to the same site over over again whenever i cook for guests or new dishes to hit KANNAMACOOKS.!!! Thank u so much

Thank you Sowmya. Glad you liked the recipe. Happy Cooking!

I tired . Really good intaste. Thank u for ur receipes.

Hi ma’am….I tried this today in large quantity. 5 times more than that is mentioned. So mine went very watery. Any tips to make it semi solid?

You mean the pulikaachal went watery? Just split the mixture between two kadais and let it simmer until thick. thats the only thing you can do.

Mine came watery too. and I added the powdered spices as well. Can it be simmered after adding the powdered spice?

No. Do not simmer after adding powdered spices. You need to boil the pulikaachal till it comes to right consistency.

Everyone liked the puliyotharai a lot . Very good explanation.

Really nice…. Your explanation made me to do this recipe… I hope it’ll come out very well

Hope you liked it!

The recipe is really awesome. Everyone in my home loved it. Thanks for the post. Just loved it????

Thanks Shirly!

Hi the above said pulikachal qty holds good for how much rice? If we mix in moderate rice to pulikachal ratio! And can you suggest how much pulikachal is needed for a gud 40 to 50 ppl! There s a get together at home ! Tia

Hello…thanks for this awesome recipe. Just a small doubt. Instead of white sesame seeds can we add black ones. What difference will it make.? Thanks.

black sesame will make it too dark.

Can we use ponni rice? Half cup pulikachal na how much ml 120 or 250?

1 cup is approx 240 ml

Can we use ponni rice? Half cup of prepared tamarind na How much ml?

1 cup is approx 240 ml. Sure you can use ponni rice.

Dear sugu sis., Made this and thoroughly enjoyed every morsel of it. I used to rely on my mom and friend for pulikaichal as I always felt making this is an Herculean task. As you posted this I prepared the podi same day. And the next day I made this to pack lunch. you made it possible. Tasted real yumm.my son relished it and went for second serving. I should thank you deary. Pl keep going.

Thank you so much Andal. really glad you liked the recipe.

Hi Suguna, I tried this on my husband’s birthday and it came very well. We stay in US. As you know we carry puliodarai paste when we go for small trips in summer. Now we are very lucky to get this yummy recipe. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. Really glad you like it!

Hello Maam all ur recipes r mouth-watering n typical tamil nadu style recipe ur annaporna sambar was a big hit in my family name friends.

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