Puli Inji with green chillies

As the name suggests, is a dish made from Puli - tamarind and Inji- ginger. This tangy, hot and sweet side dish is a favourite in any Palakkad Iyer household. Festivals and special luncheons are never served without this dish to go with Saambhaar, rasam, kootu and poriyal/thoran. Hmm.. I love a nice saadhya/saapadu served on a fresh banana leaf. Coming to the recipe, this is my amma's version with fresh green chillies and ginger. As usual, my recipes include very little or no oil at all.

What you need ...

• Ginger - grated - 3/4 cup
• Green Chillies - chopped - 1/2 cup or less
• Tamarind - size of a small lime
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
  
• coriander seeds - 1/4 tsp
  
• jeera - 1/4 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder- a pinch
  
• Red chillies- 2
• curry leaves - 4/5
  
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Salt 
• Jaggery - 3 tbsp
• Oil- 1 tsp

Process

• Heat oil in a kadai and add the tempering ingredients - mustard seeds, jeera, coriander seeds, methi seeds red chillies and curry leaves
• once the mustard crackles, add green chillies and saute for a minute
• Add ginger and then add salt, asafoetida (hing), turmeric powder
• Soak the jaggery in just enough water and strain it for sediments
• Add the tamarind pulp a few minutes later, add jaggery water and cook until done (until ginger and tamarind looses their raw smell)
• Let the cooked mixture cool and then grind

Puli inji goes well with thayir saadham (Curd rice)....YUM! Can be stored in the refridgerator for over a week. You could use it as a spread for your "bombay style" sandwich. I use it to make vepudu/thoran/poriyal.  This dish is a great digestive, no wonder it is a staple during festivities. We add jaggery to balance the heat from the ginger. Tamarind brings in the acid component to blend the heat from chillies and sweetness from the jaggery perfectly. Try it and enjoy!