PULIKACHCHAL (TAMARIND PASTE)

Ingredients :

Ingredients :
Tamarind soaked in hot water for 3-4 hours - 1 fist
red chillies - 20 of which 7 is for grinding into a powder
til oil - 10 tbsps
salt to taste
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
peanuts roasted - 1 cup and skin removed
hing - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds - 1tbsp

To make powder :
methi seeds - 1 tsp
hing - 1 tbsp
red chillies - 7
white til - 1tsp
dhania seeds - 4 tbsp
til oil - 1 tsp
pepper seeds - 5-6

Method :

In a pan take til oil, and roast all the ingredients for the powder till it becomes brown
make a powder of this and keep aside.
In a kadai, heat 10 tbsp of til oil, splutter the mustard seeds
add the turmeric powder
remove pulp from the soaked tamarind and add this pulp in the kadai
add the hing, salt and start boiling.
when this mixture reduces to 80%, add the ground powder and the curry leaves, mix well
keep on sim flame for till the mixture becomes a thick paste

add the peanuts and switch off the gas.                                                                                 

Use this to make tamarind rice, or use it as pickle for curd rice