A lip smacking tangy, sweet and spicy accompaniment to South India meals.
Ingredients
an orange size ball of tamarind
two lime size pieces of jaggery (or 4 to 6 tbsp)
1 1/2 tablespoon sambhar powder
1 sprig curry leaves
salt to taste
For tempering
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon chana dal (split bengal gram dal)
1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
2 to 3 dry red chillies
Instructions
Soak tamarind in a cup water and extract pulp. Discard the fibres and keep the fresh extract/ juice aside.
In a saucepan heat oil for tempering. Add all the tempering ingredients and let mustard crackle and dal turn golden.
Now add the tamarind extract, jaggery, sambhar powder, salt, curry leaves. Let boil for sometime. Adjust consistency by adding water as needed. Adjust sweetness to taste by adding more or less jaggery.
When it gives nice aroma, remove from heat. It should be of medium thick consistency.
Serve with curd rice, plain shemige, khara (ven) pongal, South Indian rice meals.
Note
Puli gojju can be stored for a week. Adjust quantity of sambhar powder depending on how spicy is the one you are using.