Tamarind Rice (with leftover rice)

Tamarind rice (Puli Sadham)is a popular recipe of south India. Whenever i have plenty of left over rice, i prepare this. I can say It's the perfect way to use leftover rice and it is easy to prepare also. Just marinate the rice with tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric powder and little salt, cover and keep it overnight. And in the next day morning you just need to do tadka and add the rice. Along with this i prepare some coconut chutney and serve this as breakfast.

Ingredients
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Oil- 3 tbsp
Bengal Gram - 1/2 tbsp
Black Gram - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Dry Red Chillies - 8 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Shallots - 10nos, peeled and chopped (or u can use 1 big red onion) - optional
Tamarind - lemon sized




Method
Soak tamarind in water and leave for few minutes and take out the extract.
In a large bowl place the leftover rice, add the tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
Heat oil in kadai,add bengal gram, urad dal and fry for 30 seconds, then add mustard seeds to it and let them splutter.
Add dry red chillies and curry leaves and fry till the red chillies turn lightly brown.
Now add chopped onions to it and fry till it turns pink.
Add the peanuts, salt and mix well.
Finally add the rice and mix well.

Note:

• Take a thick extract from tamarind, don't add too much water, otherwise the rice becomes soggy.
• Do not add too much sambar powder b'cos its flavour will dominate.