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square image of curry leaves tamarind rice paste
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5 from 1 vote

Karivepaku Pulihora | Curry Leaves Tamarind Rice

Discover how to make this delicious and aromatic curry leaves rice, a popular Andhra/Telangana dish known as karivepaku pulihora in Telugu. Follow this recipe with step-by-step instructions and detailed pictures.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Variety Rice
Cuisine: Andhra/Telangana Cuisine, South Indian
Keyword: Karivepaku Pulihora
Servings: 6
Calories: 231kcal
Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1 tbsp=15ml; 1tsp=5ml;

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw Sona Masoori rice
  • 2 cups water

For the Curry Leaves Mix:

  • 1 cup loosely packed curry leaves
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns

Other Ingredients:

  • 1.5 tbsp tamarind paste diluted in 1 cup of water or juice extracted from a lemon-sized tamarind
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida use gluten-free for a GF version
  • 1 small piece of jaggery optional
  • ¼ tsp roasted fenugreek powder or substitute with whole fenugreek seeds during tempering

For Tempering:

  • 2 tbsp gingelly oil plus 1 tsp for roasting
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tsp chana dal
  • 2 –3 tbsp peanuts omit for a nut-free version
  • 4 dried red chilies broken

Instructions

Prep Work:

  • Cook the rice with 2 cups of water, fluff gently, and let it cool.
  • Wash and dry curry leaves thoroughly. You can air-dry or sun-dry them for crispness.
  • If using tamarind pulp, soak and extract about 1 cup of juice.

Steps for the Curry Leaves Mix:

  • Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add curry leaves and peppercorns, and dry roast until crisp.
    roasting the curry leaves
  • Cool the mixture and grind it into a fine powder.
    curry leaves pepper mix

Steps for the Pulihora Mix:

  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the peanuts first and roast until it's golden.
    roasting peanuts
  • Then add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chilies, and asafoetida. Sauté until they splutter.
    tempering for the pulihora
  • Stir in turmeric powder and tamarind extract. Add salt and bring the mixture to a boil.
    adding tamarind water and salt and turmeric
  • Mix in the curry leaves powder and continue boiling until the mixture thickens.
    mixing in the curry leaves powder
  • Turn off the heat and let it cool. Store the mix in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
    thicked mixture

Final Assembly:

  • Add enough curry leaves paste to the cooked rice and mix well.
  • Adjust salt and add gingelly oil as needed.
    rice mixed
  • Serve with fryums or papad, and enjoy!

Notes

  • You can add up to 2 tsps of peppercorns for a spicier version.
  • Jaggery is optional.
  • You wash and dry the curry leaves well ahead, and make sure to roast them until they are crisp.
  • Adjust salt and spice as per your preference.
  • I used roasted fenugreek powder towards the end. If you don't have roasted fenugreek powder, add ½ tsp of fenugreek seeds while tempering.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3272IU | Vitamin C: 1621mg | Calcium: 353mg | Iron: 1mg