Nimmakaya pulihora

Nimmakaya Pulihora (Lemon Rice)

Pulihora a sour, spicy hot and salty dish is considered to be a good stimulant for a dead tongue. It is easy to cook and is a good stomach filler.

Hindus consider turmeric powder as a symbol of auspiciousness, this dish is therefore cooked for almost all good occasions and during festive days. It is also distributed in temples under the name of Prasad.In the North coastal part of Andhra Pradesh, people used to call it Saddi but younger generations may not know this name. Pulihora can be made with a variety of combinations using mango, lemon and tamarind. I would like to present the easiest way of preparing it using lemon.

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice - 1 large cup (not too mushy and without lumps)
Green Chillies - 8-10 (Slit into two halves)
Chana Dal - 1 1/2 tb sp (Also called senagapappu/Bengal Gram)
Urad Dal - 1 1/2 tb sp (also called minapappu)
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp (also called avalu)
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
ground nuts - 3 tb sp (also called pallilu/veru senagapappu)
turmeric - 1 t sp
oil - 3 tb sp
Lemon - 2 (squeeze juice without seeds and set aside)
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a pan, heat oil. Add Green chillies, Chana dal, Urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, groundnuts, turmeric and fry till golden brown. Switch off the flame.

2. Add salt and lemon juice to the above fried mixture and mix it with cooked rice thoroughly. More lime juice can be added if you prefer sour taste.