Tamarind Rice - Puli Saatham 

This is the traveller's favourite as it keeps and can be made previously and packed for the journey.

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice 3 cups
Dry Chillies 10 + 1
Channa dhal split 1 cup
Urid dhal split and cleaned 1 cup
Asafoetida 2 pinches
Oil 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds1 teaspoon
Jeera ½ teaspoon
Tamarind paste 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
Gingelly oil 2 - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast 10 dry chillies, channa dhal (save 1 tablespoon for later use), and jeera and urid dhal separately and grind in a grinder and keep separately.

Dissolve the tamarind in water as thick as possible and strain.

Add to this the turmeric powder and salt and keep aside.

Then fry in a pan using the oil the mustard, asafoetida, one dry chilli cut into small pieces and 1 tablespoon channa dhal until the channa dhal is well fried.

To this add the tamarind mixture and boil until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Now add the ground powder of dhal chillies etc and mix and cook until it is of the consistency of jam.

Allow to cool. When cooled, extra quantity can be stored in a dry bottle to be used as necessary.
Cook the rice in a pot or rice cooker and leave it to cool.

When cold, add to this rice the mixture stored earlier as necessary to taste and add gingelly oil to taste and stir well.

This is now ready to eat and can be kept for a few days.

When people travelled over a day or two this is the food they carry for their meals. It is preserved, and does not need any other accompaniments to go with it.