chintapandu pulihora(Tamarind Rice)

Ingredients:

100g Tamarind
2 cups of White Rice preferably Sona masuri
2 Red Chillies
3 tbsp oil
5 Green chillies
3 Curry leaf stalks
1" piece ginger chopped very very finely
Salt to Taste
2 pinches Asoeftida
1 pinch of Fenugreek powder
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Cumin
2 tbsp Groundnuts
1 tsp turmeric

Method:

1.Soak the tamarind for around half an hour in water and extract the juice free of all the pulp and seeds.Shift the tamarind pulp to a cooking vessel, add 2 red chillies, few drops of oil, a stalk of curry leaves, a pinch of asoeftida, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of fenugreek powder (optional) & little salt and put it to boil until the tamarind becomes a thick consistent paste and all the water evaporates. This can be stored in a refrigerator if you keep it in a moist-free and tightly closed container for a few days or nearly a month.
2.Cook rice separately (make sure the rice doesn’t get sticky) and once it is cooked spread it out in a wide bowl/dish to cool slightly may be for 5 minutes.Mix the rice evenly with one tbsp of oil, salt to taste and turmeric. Take care not to mash the rice grains. You can use a spoon here but I do not mind using my hand to mix thoroughly without having to mash the rice grains.
3.Mix the rice with the tamarind paste and Keep aside.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the groundnuts, drain them and add to the rice.Temper the rice with asoeftida, red chillies,ginger, mustard, cumin, curry leaves and green chillies in that order.

You may serve it hot or cold. If you make it in the morning it taste better in the evening as the rice gets marinated in the the tamarind pulp. The ginger in this enhances the flavour and makes it the best.