Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup - Cooked (make sure the strands are separate)
• Seedless Tamarind - Big lemon size
• Oil - 4 table spoons
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 Tea spoon
• Channa Dal - 2 Tea spoons
• Dry chillies - 4 to 5
• Methi powder - 2 to 3 pinches
• Inguva - 2 to 3 pinches
• Urud dal - 1 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves - 2 stems
• Pea nuts - 1/2 cup
• Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Salt - To taste

For making powder : 

• Dry roast the dhaniya seeds, dry chillies and methi seeds separately.
• Grind them separately.
• Once done, mix them and store in a plastic container. Can be used whenever we are making tamarind rice.
• More powder can't be used, since it give bitter taste to the rice.

Procedure:

• Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes and blend until we get a thick paste.
• Later strain the paste by adding little water and keep it aside.
• Heat 2 table spoons of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, channa dal, dry chillies and wait till mustard seeds pops down.
• Now add the strained tamarind paste, simmer and stir fry the whole mixture until the raw smell of tamarind goes off.
• Once tamarind paste reaches its consistency and begin to leave the borders of the pan, add methi powder and inguva.
• If this is done, switch off the stove and cool it.
• Meanwhile cool the rice on a plate.
• Once done, add the cooked tamarind paste, salt, methi dhaniya powder (which has already been grounded and kept aside) in pinches and combine well with the rice.
• Adjust powder and salt based on your taste.
• Finally, heat oil in pan, add dry chillies, urud dal, curry leaves and fry them. Take them aside.
• In the same pan, add little more oil, add ground nuts, cashew nuts and roast them.
• Finally mix the tempered lentils to the rice, combine well and serve.