5 Pulihora recipes to light up your festive season

The festive season is round the corner, and it’s time to dish out the much loved mouth-watering Pulihora. Kusumlata Dantu of Bananaleaf recipes brings you not one, but five different variants of this simple, filling and amazing dish. Here are 5 amazing Pulihora recipes to light up your festivities this Dussehra and Diwali.

5 Pulihora recipes to light up this Dussehra and Diwali

#1 Tamarind Pulihora

This is the time-tested, traditional way of making the Pulihora. Choose to spice it up or tone it down as per taste. And yes, this one tastes better with time, so try to make it a few hours before you serve.

Ingredients:

Rice – 3 cups
Tamarind – Size of a lemon
Peanuts – 1/4th cup
Cashew nuts – 1/4th cup
Curry leaves – 10-12
Slit green chillies – 2-3
Red chillies – 3-5
Groundnut oil -1/2 cup
Salt – As per taste
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder – 2 pinches
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Bengal gram – 2 tbsp
Black gram – 2 tbsp
Sesame (roasted and powdered) – 4tbsp

Method:

1) Cook rice and allow it cool down so that the rice grains stay separate.

2) Add warm water to the tamarind and squeeze it to get the tamarind paste.

3) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the peanuts, Bengal gram, black gram, red chillies, cashew nuts, mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, curry leaves, slit green chillies and turmeric ( to be fried in the mentioned order).

4) Now add the tamarind paste and salt. Cook for a few minutes.

5) Pour the above mixture on the rice. Add the sesame powder and mix gently and thoroughly. Ensure that all the rice grains are coated by the mixture.

#2 Avakayi Pulihora (serves-4-6)

When two indulgences of Andhra pickle and Pulihora come together, it gives way to the spicy red avakayi Pulihora. Taste it to believe it. Another one among the Pulihora recipes that you shouldn’t miss.

Ingredients: 

Rice – 3 cups
Peanuts – 1/4th cup
Avakai – 1 cup
Bengal gram – 2 tbsp
Black gram – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Slit green chillies – 2-3
Asafoetida – 2 pinches
Curry leaves – 15-20
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Heat a wok with oil.

2) Add peanuts and fry for a few minutes.

3) Add Bengal gram and black gram. When they turn golden brown, add mustard seeds.

4) Once the mustard splutters, add asafoetida, green chillies and curry leaves.

5) Take off the flame.

6) Take rice into a bowl. Add pickle and mix well.

7) Add lemon juice and tempered ingredients.

8) Mix well and serve.

#3 Atukula Pulihora (serves 4)

Pulihora made from flattened rice offers a delicious twist to the traditional dish with onions giving it a much-loved zing.

Ingredients:

Flattened rice or atukulu – 3 cups (washed and drained)
Bengal gram – 1 tbsp
Black gram – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Peanuts – ¼ cup
Finely chopped green chillies – 4-5
Curry leaves – 10-15
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Finally chopped onion – 1 (optional)
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Sesame (Roasted and powdered) – 4 tbsp

Method:

1) Wash the flattened rice and drain it. Keep it aside.

2) Heat oil in a wok. Add peanuts, Bengal gram and black gram.

3) After they turn golden brown, add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add turmeric, green chillies and curry leaves followed by the drained atukulu and salt. Turn off the gas.

4)Add chopped onions, lemon juice and sesame powder. Mix thoroughly.

#4 Lemon Pulihora

This ten-minute version of Pulihora is quicker to dish out for the tiffin box. Not only is it filling, it is much loved by kids as well.

Ingredients:

Rice – 3 cups
Peanuts – ¼ cup
Bengal gram – 2 tbsp
Black gram – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 10-15
Slit green chillies – 4-5
Carrots peeled and grated – 2
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp oil
Red chillies – 2-3
Salt to taste

Method:

1) Heat oil in a wok.

2) Add peanuts, Bengal gram and black gram. Sauté till golden brown.

3) Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add asafoetida, green chillies, red chillies, turmeric and grated carrots.

4) Toss for a while. Add rice and mix well.

5) Take off flame.

6) Add lemon juice and mix well.

#5 Rawa Pulihora

Concluding our delectable collection of Pulihora recipes is the one of Rawa Pulihora.

Ingredients:

Rice rawa – 3 cups
Tamarind – Size of a lemon
Peanuts – 1/4th cup
Curry leaves – 10-12
Slit green chillies – 3-5
Red chillies – 2-3
Groundnut oil -1/4 cup
Salt – As per taste
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder – 2 pinches
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Bengal gram – 2 tbsp
Black gram – 2 tbsp
Sesame (roasted and powdered) – 4tbsp

Method:

1) Boil six cups of water. Add rice rawa, salt and turmeric and cook on low flame. Stir from time to time, till it is done.

2) Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the pulp.

3) Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the peanuts, Bengal gram, black gram, red chillies, cashew nuts, mustard seeds, asafoetida powder and turmeric. Keep it aside.

4) In the remaining oil, add green chillies, curry leaves and cook the tamarind pulp till it thickens.

5) Pour the above mixture on the rice rawa. Add the tempered ingredients, sesame powder and mix gently and thoroughly. Ensure that the rice rawa is completely coated by the mixture.

6) Serve with tomato pickle or sweet mango pickle.