Puli inji or Inji puli is a luscious, sweet-and-sour paste of tamarind, ginger, jaggery and green chilies and is a requisite during Onam Sadya.
Ingredients
Ginger (finely chopped) -1/4 cup
Green chili (finely chopped) – 2 nos
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Red chili powder -1/4 tsp
Tamarind - a lemon sized ball
Jaggery -1/4 cup
Fenugreek powder -1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder – 1 pinch
Curry leaves – few
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt – As required
Preparation
Wash, peel the skin of ginger and chop it finely. Fry ginger and chili well until ginger changes to brown color and keep aside.
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and extract thick juice. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add red chilies, asafoetida powder, curry leaves, fried ginger and green chilies.
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, thick tamarind extract, jaggery and salt. After it starts boiling, lower the flame and stir until the gravy becomes thick and oil separates. Add fenugreek powder, mix well and remove from flame.
Cool it and tasty Puli inji is ready to be served.