Gongura Pulihora - గోంగూర పులిహోర - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu - గాయత్రి వంటిల్లు

Ingredients:

• Rice – 3/4Cup (170gms)

• Water – 320gms To Cook Rice (Use 2 1/2Cups Water For 1Cup Of Rice)

• Sorrel Leaves (Dekanee Hemp) (Gongura) – 3Cups – Pressed tightly while measuring (180gms)

• Red Chilies – 2

• Green Chilies – 9 (Spicy Variety) Or To Taste

• Salt To Taste (1tsp + 1/8tsp)

• Turmeric Powder – 1/8tsp

• Asafoetida – 1/8tsp

• Curry Leaves – Few (1Sprig)

• Bengal Gram – 1tsp

• Black Gram – 1tsp

• Mustard Seeds – 1/2tsp

• Fenugreek Seeds – 10

• Cashew Nuts – 12

• Peanuts – 1 1/2Tbsps

• Oil – 3Tbsps

• Water – 20ml

(Online Conversion utility to convert Gms to Cups & Temperatures etc)

Preparations:

Wash sorrel leaves and chop them roughly. Take chopped sorrel leaves into a microwave safe bowl and add 20ml water. Place the bowl in microwave oven and cover bowl partially. Cook sorrel leaves on high power for 2 minutes. Cool the cooked sorrel leaves and grind to a smooth paste.

Wash rice and add to the rice cooker bowl. Add water to cook rice and switch on the rice cooker. Once done, remove the rice cooker bowl from the rice cooker and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the prepared rice into a plate and spread using a fork so that the grains remain intact without turning mushy.

Method:

Add the sorrel paste to the cooled rice and mix gently with a fork.

Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add cashew nut pieces and fry stirring till they turn golden in color. Remove the fried cashew nut pieces from oil and add them to the rice mixture. Add peanuts to the remaining oil and fry stirring till they are nicely fried. Take the fried peanuts from oil and add to the rice mixture. To the remaining oil add Bengal gram, black gram and fenugreek seeds and fry stirring till the seeds start to change color. Then add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Then add curry leaves, slit green chilies and fry till chilies turn crisp. Then add red chilies and asafetida and mix. Switch off the flame and add turmeric powder and salt and mix. Add the prepared rice mixture to the pan and mix gently to coat all the seasonings to the rice mixture. Transfer the prepared gongura pulihora to a serving dish and serve.

For better taste serve the pulihora after resting it for 30 minutes to one hour.

Points To Remember:

Cooking rice in rice cooker makes the rice grains appear long. Cook rice in rice cooker adding sufficient water as done every day. Add a teaspoon of oil to the rice in rice cooker and cook rice so that the oil helps in keeping the grains separate.

Wash sorrel leaves and cook in microwave oven or on a stove top till they are wilted. Add just sufficient water to make a fine paste of the cooked sorrel leaves. Adding more water makes it watery---so add water using a spoon while grinding just to make a smooth paste.

While handling cooked rice to spread in a plate and while mixing sorrel paste into the rice use a fork and mix so that grains would not be mashed up and remain separate.

Usually we do not add asafetida in any other gongura dishes---but here the asafetida gives the special pulihora taste to the rice.

If sorrel leaves are too sour reduce the quantity to two cups. If sorrel leaves are not that sour increase the quantity or add some citric acid crystals and grind. Citric acid mixes well with sorrel leaves without adding any lemony flavor.

Remember to fry green chilies till they are crisp so that they do not taste hot while eating.

With fried cashew nuts and peanuts giving a nice crunch, this pulihora has a special flavor because of sorrel leaves.

After making the pulihora keep it covered aside for 30 minutes to one hour so that all the flavors get absorbed in the rice mixture and it tastes good.

Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Related Recipe - Chintapandu Pulihora