Today's recipe is Pulinji(chi) or InchiPuli (Inchi puli) ('Puli' means Tamarind and 'Inchi' means Ginger in my native language). This is an awesome relish/chutney/curry that is part of the traditional sadya , prepared during festivals(my last post has details on the sadya). It has so many varieties of spices and flavors in it that a little drop is enough to awaken all your taste buds.
What does Inchipuli (inji puli) contain?
Ginger is an essential part of this dish and we already know the great benefits of this wonderful root with its medicinal and healing properties not to add its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties, etc. This particular dish enhances the sadya and is delicious. It can be also prepared in advance and stored for about a week or so. The combination of ginger, tamarind, jaggery, and spices works brilliantly and gives a unique sweet, sour, tangy, and spicy flavor that it is hard to resist 🙂 helping after another. Enough said I guess, recipe details are below. Enjoy 🙂
Inchi Puli - Ginger and Tamarind Relish

A traditional and deliciously tangy, sweet, sour and spicy relish made with ginger and tamarind usually made on festivals and goes well with rice and traditional sadya.
Some prefer thick pasty consistency and others a little runny so it's absolutely one's choice. This can store in a glass container for up to 10 to 15 days.
Ingredients
- 3 big lemon sized tamarind balls (soaked in water and pulp extracted)
- 4 green chilies finely cut
- 5 tsp ginger finely cut
- 5-6 shallots coarsely cut
- 3 tsp garlic coarsely cut
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
- ½ cup jaggery (add more depending on the sweetness you prefer)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- salt to taste
To dry roast and powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 3 tsp broken matta rice or raw rice
Directions
- Take a deep bottomed pan and heat about 3-4 tsp oil
- Splutter mustard and add chopped shallots, red chilies, green chilies, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves
- Add the turmeric and chilly powder and fry for about 5 minutes
- Add the extracted tamarind pulp and water
- When it comes to a boil and the raw smell disappears, add jaggery.
- Add salt and continue boiling it.
- Meanwhile, dry roast all the ingredients in the "To dry roast and powder" section
- Once roasted and cooled, powder it a fine consistency
- Add the powder to the tamarind ginger relish that is cooking
- The relish will start thickening on adding the roasted powder
- Check the taste and add more jaggery if you prefer more sweetness
- Adjust the spice and salt as per your liking and switch off the flame
- That is it, All you need is some dal and rice to go with it now!
- Hope you try this dish and will like it, enjoy 🙂

InchiPuli - A traditional and deliciously tangy, sweet, sour and spicy relish made with ginger and tamarind usually made on festivals and goes well with rice and traditional sadya
- 3 big lemon sized tamarind balls soaked in water and pulp extracted
- 4 green chilies finely chopped
- 3 big pods garlic finely cut
- 5 tbsp ginger finely cut
- 5-6 shallots cut into small bits
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 cup jaggery (add more depending on the sweetness you prefer)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 3 tbsp broken matta rice or raw rice
Take a deep bottomed pan and heat about 3-4 tbsp oil
Splutter mustard and add chopped shallots, red chilies, green chilies, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves
Add the turmeric and chilly powder and fry for about 5 minutes
Add the extracted tamarind pulp and water
When it comes to a boil and the raw smell disappears, add jaggery.
Add salt and continue boiling it.
Meanwhile, dry roast all the ingredients in the "To dry roast and powder" section
Once roasted and cooled, powder it a fine consistency
Add the powder to the tamarind ginger relish that is cooking
The relish will start thickening on adding the roasted powder
Check the taste and add more jaggery if you prefer more sweetness
Adjust the spice and salt as per your liking and switch off the flame
That is it, All you need is some All you need is some dal and ricle enjoy 🙂
Making my mouth water 🙂
Thank you ! hope you will try it out some time 🙂
Surely!
Drooling, when I think of flavours 🙂
Thanks Priya! the combination of flavors are indeed unique
☺️👍
Wow! really mouth-watering!
Thank you Megala! sweet and sour has that affect on me as well 🙂
Ginger & tamarind, a wonderful combo!
yes indeed its a traditional recipe .Thank you:)
One of our favorite..we eat even idli , dosa or chapati with ingipuli😊...
oh that's awesome!
Completely mouthwatering...felt the urge to try it as i saw the recipe..
Thank you Anshu! Hope you will try it and like it as well 🙂
Ya i will try it soon and will definitely let you know how it came out..!!
MOuth watering.
Thank you Moushmi!
Can have this with just about anything! yummm! feel like dipping my finger in it and licking away 😉 Love!
Thank you dear! so nice to read your comments ..
Very delicious!
Thank you Latha!
Very delicious. Thanks fpr this great recipe!
Thank you!