Authentic Kerala pulingari: A delicious tamarind and coconut curry

Kerala Pulingari is a traditional South Indian curry that bursts with tangy and savoury flavours, thanks to a combination of tamarind, coconut, and spices. This dish is perfect for those who love the rich, comforting taste of Kerala cuisine. Here's how to prepare this delicious, hearty curry with a blend of spices that’s sure to become a favourite in your kitchen!

Ingredients
1 ash gourd/Madras cucumber/raw papaya
Lemon size piece of tamarind
2 handful or 2 1/4 cups tur dal (thuvara parippu)
Grated coconut grated (3/4th of a coconut if large or 1 full coconut if small)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
5-6 red chillies whole/ 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
For seasoning
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Curry leaves
Red chillies

Preparation
Soak the tur dal for about 1 hour
Soak the tamarind in hot water for 1/2 hour
Cut the preferred vegetable into cube size pieces
Pressure cook the vegetable and dal along with turmeric and red chilli powder until 3 whistles
Squeeze the soaked tamarind and add that juice to the cooked dal
Allow it to boil well
Heat coconut oil in a seasoning pan
Add fenugreek seeds
When the colour of the fenugreek seeds change, add the whole red chillies and saute
If you are using chilli powder, add them after turning off the stove)
Once the colour of the chillies change, turn it off
Add this to the grated coconut and grind it to a coarse paste
Add this coconut paste to the cooked vegetables
Boil the curry for 1 minute
For seasoning
heat coconut oil in a seasoning pan
Add fenugreek seeds
When the colour of the fenugreek seeds change, add mustard seeds
Once the mustard seeds crack, add curry leaves, red chillies broken into two and saute for few seconds
Add this seasoning to the curry