Inji puli

Inji puli / Puli Inji is a popular dish made in Kerala during any festivals/ occasions as a part of Sadhya(lunch). This is prepared using ginger (inji in malayalam), tamarind, green chillies and jaggery. I am so fond of this, that I used to have as an accompaniment for anything and everything, like dosa, idli, chapathi, rice or just like that. It is more or less like a pickle. Tastes awesomely delicious with hot steamed rice, curd rice or with sambar rice. My ammama always used to say that it is very good for digestion. This is spicy, tangy and sweet and is a perfect treat for spice lovers. It is very easy to prepare with very limited ingredients. It can be refrigerated for about a month. Just give a try and I am sure you will love this preparation.

Ingredients

• Ginger - 1 cup, skin peeled and chopped very finely
• Green chillies - 1/4 cup , chopped very finely
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tblspn
• Tamarind - pulp extracted from 1 lemon sized tamarind
• Jaggery powdered- 2 tblspn
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp (optional)
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 nos
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Dry roast fenugreek seeds for a minute or two in a medium heat until it just starts to change the color. It will release its aroma. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Powder it very finely.
• In a pan, heat oil and crackle mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, asafoetida and red chillies, broken in to 2 each. Fry for few seconds
•  Add the finely chopped ginger and green chillies. Some people crush these both using a mortar and then add. But I prefer to have some chunks of ginger and green chillies in this.
• Saute them until both are cooked and browned. 
• Add the tamarind pulp and salt. Bring this to boil until the raw smell of tamarind leaves from it. 
• Reduce the heat to medium and allow it to thicken. This might take 8 to 10 minutes. 
• Once it is thickened, add the powdered jaggery and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Finally, add  the powdered fenugreek seeds (step 1) and give it a good mix. Switch off the heat.
• Serve with hot steamed rice or as an accompaniment with curd rice / sambar rice.