Gojjavalakki / Pullatukulu

Pullatukulu / Gojjavalakki is one of my all time favorite among breakfast dishes. I have never come across an Indian breakfast dish which has all the flavors infused in it. It is spicy and tangy at the same time. As the name suggests, poha is soaked in tamarind juice and thats what which makes it entirely a different kind compared to the other poha dishes. Though it is prepared as a breakfast, it is a prominent dish which appears in many South Indian house holds on religious fasting days like krishnastami and ekadashi days. My mom on vaikunta ekadashi day, after a day long fasting, used to prepare (and still prepares to this day) the same three dishes, year after year. Gojjavalakki used to be one of them, since it does not contain any onions. Even though, I knew what would be on the menu, I would eagerly wait for those lovely, mouthwatering dishes my mom going to prepare.

Here is the recipe for the gojjavalakki, which can be a meal, any time of the day. Don't be put off by the long list of the ingredients. Half of them just go into tadka and the rest are just mixed.

Ingredients:
Poha / Atukulu - 1 Cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1 to 1 & 1/2 Tbsp
Tamarind - Little (around a tablespoon)
Chillie Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 - 2 Tbsp
Peanuts - 1 Tbsp
Fresh coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Chanadal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Hing - A little
Curry Leaves - Few
Water - 1 Cup

Dry grind poha using a blender into a coarse powder. You can grind the poha before hand and store it.
Soak the tamarind in little water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind and collect the puree along with the water. Throw away the waste pulp.

Take coarsely powdered poha, chillie powder, salt, powdered jaggery and tamarind juice in a big bowl and mix well. Add a cup of water to the mixture, again mix and let it remain for 10 - 15 minutes. The poha mixture will absorb all the water and would be a dry mixture by this time as in the picture. Add a little more water, if your mixture is already dry even before the resting period.
Heat oil in a pan. Add peanuts, chanadal, mustard seeds to it. When peanuts and chanadal start to turn red, add turmeric powder, hing and curry leaves. When they are all done, add the poha mixture and the grated coconut, stir well. Check and add salt and chillie powder ,if needed and close the pan with a lid. Lower the heat and let it cook for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir again and switch off the stove.
Gojjavalakki is ready now. Serve hot.

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