Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa.

“Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa” … A spicy~tangy easy to prepare dish that actually does not need any accompaniment dish … can be savored as it is … I just served it with some sliced cucumbers with a dash of pepper seasoning … Yumz  …. 

** I have been wanting to take a break for a long time now, but find myself unable to do so, finally today I thought of doing the same, by taking some days break and preparing just one simple meal a day, while I attend to the loads of piling work kept aside at home, which I have been sidelining for quite some time now. When I had come across this recipe in my collection of old recipes two weeks back, I had been wanting to prepare it again as it was over 2 decades since I had prepared it. After marriage and settling in Mumbai, I had prepared it many times during the initial years of my marriage, but somehow in the last two decades it took a back seat and I had completely forgotten, till I went through my old collection of recipes. Well, that’s it, I had sidelined it for enough time, so today, I finally decided to prepare it for lunch. 

** This is a simple dish that can be relished as it is without any side dish to be served along with it or at the least you can add on some simple raita or plain curds and some pappads or pickle as accompaniment to the dish. This is basically a dish prepared mostly by kannadigas and being from Karnataka I had relished it a few times in my neighbors home during childhood. Today after a long time Hubby and Me relished it as it is with some cucumber slices seasoned with pepper powder. Yumz. It was fantastic, savoring it after so long that hubby demanded I prepare it again within a month as he was still not satisfied. Do try this simple tangy flavored rice, you can even pack it tiffin and take to office or send it in children’s dabba too. You can even prepare this for functions as it is usually prepared at room temperature. 

** Here is the simple Recipe to “Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa” … My Style … 

** Ingredients : 

Rice : 1.5 cups (I used Surti Kollam) * You can use any variety. 

Coconut : ½ cup freshly grated white part of the coconut. 

Jaggery / Goda / Gud : 2-3 tblsp grated. 

Tamarind / Imly / Chinchama : one small marble sized or 1 tsp paste. 

Groundnut / Peanuts / Kadlo / Nerakadale : ¼ cup. 

Urad Dal / Black Gram Dal : 1 tsp 

Chana Dal / Bengal Gram Dal : 1 tblsp 

Mustard Seeds / Sasam / Rai : 1 tsp 

Kashmiri Red Chilly / any variety : 2-3 cut into one inch pieces. 

Curry Leaves / Kadipatta / Karbev : 10-12 fresh one’s 

Haldi / Turmeric Powder : ¼ tsp 

Hing / Asafoetida Powder : ½ - 1 tsp (depending upon the aroma) 

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder or any other less spicy chilly powder : 1 tblsp 

Coriander / Dhania / Kothimbir Powder : 1 tsp 

Cumin / Jeera Powder : ½ tsp 

Coriander / Dhania / Kothimbir leaves : 1 tblsp finely chopped 

Oil : 3-4 tblsp * any edible oil 

Salt to taste 

** Preparing the rice for the Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa : Bring about 8 cups of water to boiling point. Wash the rice and add it to the boiling water and cook till it is 75 – 80% cooked. Remove and drain off the hot water. Rinse the cooked rice in plenty of normal room temperature water till the rice has cooled down. This is done so, to arrest further cooking of the rice as if is hot the rice may get cooked further and turn too soft. We need completely drained 80% cooked rice to prepare this dish, somewhat like that for biryani. Prepare this first and keep it ready aside. 

** Preparing of the Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa : 

** Soak the tamarind in 3-4 tblsp of hot water and keep covered aside for 15 minutes. Mix well and strain out the prepared paste and keep this ready aside. 

** Heat the oil, when hot lower the heat and add in the ground nut and fry till they are 80% fried. Now add in the chana dal fry for a minute and then add in the urad dal and fry till it slightly changes in color, now add in the mustard seeds, it will start spluttering, immediately add in the red chillies cut into pieces and curry leaves, fry for a second and add in all the powders ie, chilly powder, haldi powder, hing powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and fry for a few seconds. 

** Once the above ingredients are fried well add in the tamarind paste and the grated jaggery and mix well. Add in 1/4 cup of water and bring all to a good boil, once it starts thickening which will hardly take 4-5 minutes add in salt to taste and the grated coconut and mix well. Let all the ingredients cook till its almost dry say for 2-3 minutes. Now add in the prepared and kept ready rice little by little mixing it all the time till all the rice is consumed and mixed well. 

** Cover with a dome lid and cook on very low heat for 5-10 minutes mixing once or twice in between. Lastly garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, remove from fire and keep it covered aside till serving time. This dish need not be served and is usually served at room temperature, so just mix well before serving and it’s done. 

** “Tamarind Rice / Hulianna / Chinchama SheetHa” is done and ready to be served. This dish is best served at room temperature along with other dishes. In my home we relish it as it is with some salad and fryums or pickle. But during festive season’s it is served as one of the items amongst several others, specially in Kannada speaking ie kannadigas homes. Whichever way you serve, do try this out and enjoy with your family and friends. 

** You can use the search option for "Rice" where you will get many more combinations of the same prepared using different Ingredient. Do try out various types of dishes to relish with yummy side dishes that are also included in the Blog. Just use the labels on the right side of the blog for various types of dishes. Enjoy the dishes with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible. 

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