Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (measurement before cooked)1 & ½ table spoons Tamarind Paste 2 Green Chilies - Cut the length wise.
3 Red chilies1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
3/4th tsp Turmeric Powder1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste).
1 tsp Sugar

For Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Mustard1 tbsp Chana Daal
1 tbsp urad daal
2 tbsp groundnutsa pinch of asafetida
A pinch of fenugreek powder – optional
2 tsp gingley seed powdered – optional
Few curry leaves2 tbsp oil

To make tamarind paste: Soak tamarind in just enough water, cook on medium heat for 15 min until soft and grind. Can be stored in refrigerator for at least a month (add 2 tsp of salt for 500 gm of tamarind to store well)
Method:
· Boil the rice with less water (than normal) so that the grains are separable from each other and allow it to cool in a wide bowl or a basin.
· Add tamarind paste, salt and turmeric to the cooked rice and mix evenly.
· Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana daal, urad daal, groundnuts, red chilies and fry just a little, then add green chilies and ginger and fry till daal and nuts become golden brown, now add curry leaves and asafetida fry few more seconds and remove from heat. (Basically fry all the ingredients so that they give out nice aroma and not over fried). Add fenugreek powder and/or gingley powder at this point if using.
· Pour this seasoning mixture over rice, and then add sugar.
Mix well with a wide flat spoon (or hand) until it is evenly mixed and serve.

Can be served with Papad. Also, goes well with potato curry, vegetable raita (vegetable and yogurt/curd salad) or spicy chicken curry.