Millet Tamarind Rice with step by step photos. A variation to the good old puli sadam by using organic mixed millets instead of rice.
As this is a no onion, no garlic recipe, this is apt to serve during vrat days when you fast.
This puli sadam is also given as prasadhams in temple in small “dhoannais”.
By using millets, now you have a healthy neivedhyam to distribute to your friends and neighbours for Navratri.
24 Mantra Organic are pioneers in ancient grains and their curated content platform called the organic board has some really insightful content.
Millets are Ancient Grains. Mankind has known their nutrition value for centuries. They are naturally gluten – free. Low on carbs and high on fibre. They get digested slowly giving sustained energy.
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Millets are ideal for diabetics looking for an alternative grain to rice. They also help increase the bio-availability of minerals and have strong antioxidant properties.
You can check out the different varieties of Millets that 24 Mantra Organic has to offer.
The 24 Mantra Organic YouTube channel has some interesting recipes for you to try out. Do check out their extremely innovative initiatives like the Organic Mantras page, their Facebook and Instagram page for some really interesting stuff coming your way.
Usually my Grandma and Amma make this with left over rice.
Whenever we have guests or have a family function at home and if we have large amounts of left over rice, it is safe to deduct that we will be eating this puli sadham either for brunch or for lunch with homemade vazhakkai chips.
I just adapted the same recipe and made this into mixed millet tamarind rice.
This one is a quick stir fry of sorts recipe which is quite handy to pack in lunch box especially when you don’t have any veggies sitting in our fridge or when you are running around like a headless chicken, not knowing what to cook, hard pressed for time.
As you all know, I have collaborated with 24 Organic Mantra to raise an awareness about using Organic products in our day to day cooking and so the ingredients in this recipe are sponsored by them.
Are you one, who does not feel comfortable cooking millets? OR Are you one, who wants to include millets to replace rice in your daily diet, but have no idea how to even begin, which millet to buy and how to go about it?
then, using parboiled mixed millets is your answer. You get the goodness of all the millets in one pack and they are parboiled already which makes cooking millets a breeze.
I finished cooking this millet tamarind rice in under 15 mins literally. No need to pre soak and no need for constant checking whether they got cooked properly or not.
This is quite helpful if you have no prior experience of cooking millets. You can also check out how to cook millets in pressure cooker.
Millet Tamarind rice with stepwise photos:
1. Cook rinsed par boiled millets till they are soft to the touch. Fluff with a fork when done.
2. Take tamarind paste in a small bowl, add 1 tbsp water, turmeric powder and mix well.
3. Pour this over the cooked millets, mix well and keep aside.
4. Heat a pan with sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add asafoetida, chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, whole dry red chilies broken into pieces, mix well and let it cook for few seconds till the dals turns golden in color.
Add roasted peanuts, curry leaves and cook for few seconds till the leaves turn crisp.
5. Add the millet mixture, salt and toss well cooking over low flame for 1 to 2 mins till they all get combined well and the millets get heated up.
6. Switch off stove and keep the pan covered with a lid for all the flavors to come together. Millet Tamarind Rice is ready.
Millet Tamarind Rice Recipe details below:

Millet Tamarind Rice Recipe - Mixed Millet Puli Sadam
Ingredients
For Millet Tamarind rice:
- MIxed millets or any type of millet - 1/2 cup
- Water - 1 cup
- Tamarind paste - 3 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
- Salt - to taste
For seasoning:
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Chana dal - 1 tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Black sesame seeds - 1 tsp
- Whole dry red chilies - 5
- Roasted peanuts - 2 tbsp
- Asafoetida - 2 pinch
- Curry leaves - 1 sprig
- Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
Instructions
How to cook Millets:
- Place the mixed millets in a strainer and rinse well.
- Heat 1 cup water in a pressure cooker and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Add rinsed millets, give it a stir and close with the lid. Simmer the flame completely. NO NEED to place the weight in the vent.
- Cook for 5 mins. Switch off flame and take the cooker off the stove and now insert the weight into its vent.
- This will prevent the steam from escaping and the millets will continue to cook from the heat inside the cooker.
- You can also do this in a skillet or pan that has a tight fitting lid.
- Before using, open the lid and fluff with a fork.
How to make Millet Tamarind Rice Recipe:
- Take tamarind paste in a small bowl, add 1 tbsp water, turmeric powder and mix well.
- Pour this over the cooked millets, mix well and keep aside.
- Heat a pan with sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
- Add asafoetida, chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, whole dry red chilies broken into pieces, mix well and let it cook for few seconds till the dals turns golden in color.
- Add roasted peanuts, curry leaves and cook for few seconds till the leaves turn crisp.
- Add the millet mixture, salt and toss well cooking over low flame for 1 to 2 mins till they all get combined well and the millets get heated up.
- Switch off stove and keep the pan covered with a lid for all the flavors to come together.
- Millet Tamarind Rice is ready.
- Serve hot with any side dish of your choice or with papppads.

Really superb Millet tamarind rice.Thanks for sharing.
Glad you like it. Thank you for stopping by Renu.
Superb Radhika. The presentation, photo, background everything is nice