Black Grapes Puliyodharai / Black Grapes in Tangy Spicy sauce Rice

Hi everybody, This is a must read recipe, a Fantastic twist to the Traditional Iyengar Puliyodharai Recipe.
I would first give my heartfelt condolences to all those people who died due to mother earth's fury and Tsunami, to all those little ones to the Older generation who have lost their their loved ones, their kiths, kins, family and friends.  It still doesn't seem to stop with the Nuclear explosions and aftermaths and an other warning again on the 19th is extremely painful to see and hear.  May the God help all those people who are going through this harder times and protect them from any more disasters.
It's been such a busy week, no time to do anything. Lot of things are piling up, we have bright Sun  shining through the cold weather, Making us think we are going to have a good Summer may be :), this time at least.
Walking through the supermarket, I saw these lovely Grapes and of course they were on offer picked up the two lots and came to the counter and paid, only to walk past a few paces as usual to look up the receipt to check out  if the discounts, offers have come up on the bill, If you don't do, then don't forget to check out next time to make sure you have paid for what you thought you wanted to pay for!. then realized that the offer hadn't come up, so back to the customer services, in the queue, just then son called from sports center asking us to pick him up and it was so cold, we just had to leave both the grapes and came back home very disappointed, as walking through I had made up my mind what I was going to try :)) but no Grapes :(( very disappointed.
But, I wouldn't let it go, next day back again to an other supermarket, no offers but, I wouldn't let go and bought these Black Grapes, these grapes weren't very sweet they were more on the sour side I think.
So, Let's get to the recipe then, curious to know how I made this, lovely Gorgeous Pulikaachal with Grapes! and made Grapes Puliyodharai.

BLACK GRAPES PULIYODHARAI / BLACK GRAPES IN TANGY SPICY SAUCE RICE



INGREDIENTS FOR PREPARING THE PULIKAACHAL
Black Grapes 400 to 450 gms (1and 3/4th Cup Juice)
3 tbsp of  Thick Tamarind Juice ( from 15 gms of Tamarind)
3 tbsp Salt
80 gms Jaggery
60 gms Rasam Powder (Molagapudi)
1 tsp of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Menthya/Methi seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of Pepper corns
SEASONING:
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
few curry leaves
METHOD:
First of all pluck the grapes from their stalks, Immerse them in salted water for at least half an hour, clean the water and use fresh water and rinse them again, this is the way I always use my Grapes just to make sure that  If it is been treated with Insecticides or pesticides are removed for good.
Microwave Tamarind  for a minute with 1/2 cup of water and allow it to cool .
Meanwhile try to find seedless Grapes, which makes your job much easier, other wise find some body to help you with removing the seeds, mine had single seeds, some were seedless too, so it was quick for my family to remove the seeds. (Just be cautious like me, that they slice one and eat the next one in the process! even then I lost few grapes :)).
Once the Grapes are done, run them in a mixie, and make juice, filter it and you would be left with pith, using some of the juice with the pith again blend it well into a smooth puree. I got exactly 1 and 3/4th cup of Juice, If you have more juice either you drink it or you can use it to make the Pulikaachal only adjust the Ingredients by tasting it now and then :)).

Then take a big pan/wok, heat oil, once it is hot add the sesonings in the list above, once the mustard seeds spluttter, Add the Grape juice and allow it boil, for few minutes until it reduces a little bit, now add the Tamarind juice and allow it boil, once it starts boiling vigorously, be carefully as it starts splattering every where, so I always reduce to a medium flame, and keep stirring around very often which reduces the splattering,
Meanwhile in a pan heat 1/4 tsp of oil and  fry fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and pepper corns, then grind it into a fine powder and keep aside.
When the Juices are boiling add the Rasam powder and the powdered Masala to it and salt and keep boiling for few more minutes, then add Jaggery and now it starts thickening very soon, so be careful keep stirring and it starts to thicken and becomes like a Gojju or should I say kind of lehya (sauce).

Once the Gojju or Pulikaachal is ready as you can see above it was quite tasty.

TO PREPARE BLACK GRAPES PULIKAACHAL/TANGY SAUCE RICE


INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Rice
5 to 6 Cups of Water (use it according to your Rice )
Salt as per taste
SEASONINGS:
3 to 4 tbsp of Oil
2 to 3 Red Chillies
1 tsp Mustard seeds
few curry leaves
one fist ful of groundnuts/Peanuts
1 tbsp channa dal
1 tbsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp of Asafoetida
EXTRA SEASONING FOR THE RICE
3 to 4 tbsp of Til seeds
1/2 cup of Dry Copra/Dry coconut

METHOD:
Now go ahead and prepare the Rice,
First of all Prepare the Rice, Make rice like you make for Chitranna/ or for any Rice bath, allow it cool and separate the grains.
Take a pan and dry fry the Til seeds once they start to splutter, switch off the stove and keep aside when it is cool, Mix it with Grated Dry copra and make it into a powder, this powder will be little moist, no need to panic it is how it is meant to be, Because Till seeds and Dry Copra release their oils when grinding :), Keep this powder ready to use later.
Take a big pan or wok heat oil then add mustard seeds once they splutter add the Ground nuts and fry for few minutes, keep the flame low the peanuts start breaking up or making noises,add the Red chillies, now add the dhals and curry leaves once they change colour put of the stove, I usually add the Pulikaachal to this and loosen it, so it is easy for me to mix it with rice, My mom she spreads the rice on a large plate, top it with the required quantity of pulikaachal/Tangy Sauce needed to the amount of rice we are using and  pour this hot Seasoning on to it. Either way it doesn't make any difference, I prefer to do it like this.
To this Seasoned Pulikaachal add Til and Copra powdered and required amount of salt, then mix it with rice throughly well incorporated.
Once it is well and evenly covered with the Tangy Sauce leave it at least for an hour before serving, this way the rice absorbs the Flavours well and will taste very well.
Serve it with popadoms or Cucumber Raitha or as I love to eat it with Carrot Kosumbari.
Here is an other click of Grapes Rice.

MY VERDICT: When I made it, I asked my Hubby to taste it, he said it has come out very well, only my friend knew I had used Grapes instead of Tamarind, I saw my H raising his eyebrows and said it was really good, My girls were very happy that their favourite puliyogarai still tastes like puliyogarai :)!, and My Son who love and can live on puliyogarai everyday said - Wow mum, an amazing creation, our favourite dish made with healthy Ingredients, He only came to know when I asked him to put the left over pulikaachal into a box and keep in the fridge.
NOTES: Pulikaachal made with tamarind usually stays up to 6 months to an year. I don't know how long this one stays, This kind of Rice, tastes better the next day!, Use pulikaachal to your taste and to the amount of rice you are using.

I like to thanks Satya, for hosting this event Twist the traditional - Puliyogarai, otherwise I would have never thought of trying this out!, Many many thanks to you Satya, this is for your event, I am also sending this to Nivedita's Original Recipes only started by Pari of Food delicious.

C u soon with a new recipe , take care , bye...