Inji Puli is a tangy pickle served as a part of Onam Sadhya. Inji Puli is one of my favorites anytime. Amma used to make inji puli occasionally which she learnt it from my ammama. I enjoy it to the core with sambar, curd rice sometimes with idlis and dosas too.
About Inji Puli
Inji Puli is a sweet, sour and spicy pickle made using ginger, green chilies and tamarind as main ingredients. Inji Puli translates to Ginger Tamarind, to make it simple, it is nothing but Ginger Tamarind pickle. Inji Puli is made using fresh ginger, green chilies sauteed then cooked in tamarind extract along with the basic tempering. It is also called Inji Puli Curry or Puli Inji and is one of the must have in Onam Sadya meal. Inji Puli can be served as a dip or pickle and has the right blend of sweet, spice and tanginess. Inji Puli is one of the integral part of Onam Sadya. Sadya is a meal of Kerala origin to be simple it is Kerala full meal. Inji Puli is a great accompaniment with curd rice. The tangy taste from tamarind, spice from green chilies, flavor from ginger and sweetness from jaggery takes this pickle to another level. Though Inji Puli comes from Kerala cuisine even in Tamil Nadu this is popular which is served in weddings and functions. I served it with rice, paruppu curry, papadam and it was an amazing lunch.
Inji Puli Video
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Inji Puli Ingredients
Ginger – is the main ingredient for this pickle which helps in digestion. Fresh ginger skin peeled then chopped finely and used for this pickle. Green Chili – is finely chopped and added. I prefer the long variety green chilies over the regular ones. Tamarind – Tamarind forms the base of this pickle. Tamarind is mixed with water and tamarind water is extracted. Sweetness – Sweetness comes from jaggery which makes a perfect balance for this dip. Tempering – A basic tempering using oil, mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves is made.
How to make Inji Puli Step by Step
1.To a kadai add 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds roast it until golden brown. 2.Crush it using a hand mortar and pestle to a coarse mixture, set it aside. 3.To 1/2 cup tamarind add 1 cup water to it. 4.Crush well and set it aside. 5.Heat 4 tablespoon oil, add 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds. Let it splutter. 6.Add few curry leaves along wit 2 red chilies (tear it roughly and add). Let it splutter then give a quick saute. 7.Add 1 cup ginger finely chopped, 5 long green chilies finely chopped. 8.Saute in low medium flame. 9.Saute until it turns to golden brown. It will take at least 5 minutes, be patient and keep sauteing until color changes. 10.Now strain and add the tamarind extract. Pour the tamarind extract through a strainer, press well for the juice to extract completely. 11.Let it boil. 12.Boil until it starts to thicken. 13.Add salt to taste. 14.In few minutes it will become thick and oil starts to separate this is what we are looking for. 15.See the curry has thickened and oil starts to float on top. Now add 1 teaspoon jaggery powder along with roasted fenugreek seeds powder. 16.Mix well and switch off. Inji Puli is ready!
Expert Tips
Make sure you chop ginger and green chillies very finely so that it gets cooked easily. Be patient and saute ginger, green chilies well until color changes. Adjust spice level according to your taste. You can even add hot water to tamarind, set aside for 10 mins then crush and extract, this way it is easy too. Adding roasted fenugreek seeds powder gives a great balanced taste to this pickle. Oil should float as with any pickle so don’t compromise on oil else it will get spoiled easily. I love jaggery in this but if you dont prefer the sweetness then skip it. You can use jaggery powder or jaggery syrup. Inji Puli thickens after cooling down so switch off accordingly.
Serving & Storage
Inji Puli can be served as a pickle with meals, tastes great with sambar rice, variety rice, curd rice etc. Inji Puli keeps well in room temperature for about 5 days and in fridge for about a month.Use clean spoon every time to extend shelf life.
1.Which oil to use?
You can use any cooking oil for this pickle. Sesame oil tastes great for pickles, you can use that too.
2.Can I add more green chilies? What can I replace it with?
Yes you can add up to 10 green chilies for 1 cup ginger chopped if you like spicy inji puli. Green chilies are best for puli inji and there is no replacement or alternate to it.
3.Any specific cookware recommendation?
You can cook puli inji in any cookware, avoid iron cookwares for tamarind based dishes. Tamarind is acidic so wen cooked in iron cookware leaves a metal after taste in the cooked dish. Stone cookware(kalchatti) as I have used here works great as it makes cooking faster, you can use claypot cookwares also. If you have any more questions about this Inji Puli Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Inji Puli Recipe ? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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