Puli Inji Kerala Style

PULI INJI

This is a quick and easy recipe.Most of the Kerala dishes are influenced by regional variations.This dish has 2 variations and is known as  in different names in the southern and northern parts of Kerala-Inji curry and Puli inji.Inji curry is more spicier than puli inji and the taste of ginger predominates the sweet and sour taste of jaggery and tamarind.There is a balance of sweet and sour  elements and the taste of ginger doesn't dominates in puli inji.the main ingredients of this dish are ginger,tamarind,green chillies and jaggery.this sweet and sour ginger pickle is one of the main item in ONAM SADYA menu in Kerala.

Ingredients:

• Ginger-250gm
• Tamarind pulp-2tsp
• Jaggery -2 tsp,grated
• green chilly-5-8,finely chopped
• Coconut-1/4 cup(cut into very small pieces)
• dry red chilly-2
• mustard seeds-1/2tsp
• Fenugreek seeds-1/4tsp
• curry leaves-1-2 sprigs
• Small onion-1-2,finely chopped
• Chilly powder-2tsp
• Turmeric powder-a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Oil-as required 

  Method:

• Peel and chop the ginger into round pieces.Fry it till brown and drain on a kitchen tissue.
• Crush this fried pieces in a mortar  and pestle or in a mixie.
•  Soak tamarind pulp in 1 cup of warm water for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes,squeeze out the tamarind juice and keep aside.
• Dry roast fenu greek seeds and crushed it well.
• heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds.when they pop up add chopped small onions,curry leaves and saute well.
•  Add chilly powder and turmeric powder paste to this and saute for few seconds.
•  Boil tamarind juice along with this sauted paste,salt,greenchillies,small onions.Add fried ginger pieces to this and let it simmer until it reaches a thick consistency,stirring occassionly.Add grated jaggery to this.
• Pour over the puli inji.Allow to cool.It thickens more when sits in the room temperature.
• Store in an air tight glass bottle. 
• It can be served not only  at Sadya but also a great condiment for Biryani. 

 Notes:

• Adjust tamarind and jaggery according to your personal taste.
• There should be a proper balance between tamnarind and jaggery/brown sugar.   
• This can be bottled and stored in a refrigerator for a long time. 
• Never use plastic bottles to store this.Use glass bottles.

Serve with steamed Rice...
Happy Cooking!!!