Tamarind idiyappam or puli idiyappam, an instant recipe with idiyappam or sevai that’s spicy, tangy, and delicious. Growing up, this tamarind idiyappam was a specialty dish at home since we just ate idiyappam with stew or ghee and sugar and it rarely got made into anything else.
We also use the terms sevai and idiyappam interchangeably. I don’t believe we’ve ever made sevai the traditional way. Our idiyappam or sevai was made with rice flour mixed with hot water and then pressed through a mould onto trays which were then steamed until soft and fluffy.
I have always loved tamarind based stuff like puliyogare and puli sadam, especially when traveling when Amma would pack it tightly in wilted banana leaves with a spicy thick coconut chutney. Such lovely memories surrounding them. My family loves tamarind idiyappam and lemon sevai so much that we served it along with poori and such for tiffin the night before my wedding day.
If you have some leftover idiyappam or buy instant sevai, this tamarind idiyappam is a must-try. A little goes a long way and is a perfect meal to start the day or when you feel peckish during tea time.
You may also like to check out how to make idiyappam, recipe for puttu, or recipe for lemon sevai which is another equally easy and delicious recipe. Click on images below for recipes.
- 4 cups lightly crushed idiyappam or sevai
- 1 tsp tamarind soaked in ½ cup warm water
- 2 tsp oil
- ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp split urad dal (skinned black gram)
- 2 tbsp broken cashew nuts or peanuts
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- A few curry leaves
- 3-4 dry red chillies, torn into halves
- A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- ½ tsp brown sugar or jaggery
- Salt to taste
- Soak the tamarind in warm water. Extract the juice and discard pulp and seeds
- Heat oil and add the black mustard seeds. When they pop, add the urad dal
- When the dal turns golden brown, add the cashew nuts or peanuts
- Roast until golden brown
- Then add the onions, curry leaves, red chillies, and hing
- Mix well and saute until the onions turn translucent
- Now add the tamarind water
- Also add the brown sugar and jaggery at this time
- Cook on low flame until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 mins
- Then add the idiyappam and salt
- Mix well and cook for another minute until the moisture is absorbed almost entirely
- Serve hot as is or with red coconut chutney
Step by Step Tamarind Idiyappam Recipe
Soak the tamarind in warm water. Extract the juice and discard pulp and seeds
Heat oil and add the black mustard seeds. When they pop, add the urad dal
When the dal turns golden brown, add the cashew nuts or peanuts
Roast until golden brown. Then add the onions, curry leaves, red chillies, and hing. My red chillies are missing in the picture because I forgot and then added them later!
Mix well and saute until the onions turn translucent
Now add the tamarind water
Also add the brown sugar or jaggery
Cook on low flame until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 mins
Then add the idiyappam and salt
Mix well and cook for another minute until the moisture is absorbed almost entirely
Serve hot as is or with red coriander coconut chutney.
For tamarind idipayyam or puli idiyappam recipe in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
Hello Nags…nice recipe…typical tamilian cuisine..interstg to know you haverice hoopers rather than rice
thank you bincy! 🙂