Sour Tamarind Rice

* Rice - 1 cup
* Tamarind - little more than big lemon sized
* Powdered asafoetida- a pinch
* Green chillies - 4 (long thin variety)
* Red chillies - 6
* Salt - as required
* Small onions - 1/2 cup peeled
* Oil - 31/2 Tbl. sps.
* Roasted ground nuts - 1 Tbl. sp.

Masala Powder

* Bengal ram dhal - 1 tsp.
* Pepper - few (optional)
* Fenugreek - a pinch
* Red chillies - 8
* Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsps.
* Black gram dhal - 3/4 tsp
(Fry the above spices in half a tea spoon of oil and powder)

Seasoning :

* Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp.
* Black gram dhal - 1 tsp.
* Bengal gram dhal - 1 tsp.
* Broken cashewnuts - 1 Tbl. sp.
* Curry leaves - as per taste

Cook rice till half done. Allow it to cool completely. Separate the grains. Soak tamarind in two to three cups of water and then extract juice from it. Strain and keep aside. Heat a tsp. of oil and add asafoetida and then red chillies (whole).

Fry till chillies become black in colour. Pour tamarind extract with whole green chillies. Keep stirring constantly till tamarind extract reduces in its volume till a thick pulp. Add enough salt to that and remove from fire.

Add required quantity in this to the previously cooked rice with powdered ingredients. Fry the seasoning in oil and pour over. Add more salt if necessary. Mix well and serve. Garnish with cut coriander leaves.