Inji Puli Milagai Pachadi Ginger Tamarind Chilli Gojju

Puli milagai as we say in Tamil which is Green chili in tamarind sauce is quite popular in Tamil Nadu. And puli inji or inji puli or ginger with the hint of green chili in tamarind sauce is quite popular in Kerala. Puli inji is part of the onam feast menu too. I had mentioned this on my blog before that my mom’s maternal relatives lived in Kerala. Her food is the amalgamation of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil cuisine. (We are Kannadigas born and bought up in Tamilnadu). So is her cooking. :-) This puli milagai is a perfect example of one such amalgamation. Now let’s talk about the recipe in detail. For this recipe, all you need to do is chop ginger and green chili and simmer in tamarind sauce along with jaggery and salt. If you want it like gravy for rice or dosa, add more water. If you want it like a pickle, reduce the water quantity. But my mom simmers it for a long time, so it thickens and makes it more like a gojju/thick stew. If you are looking for some other gojju recipes, then check my wild lemon gojju and also tomato gojju recipes. Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of this inji puli milagai, let me share why I absolutely love this gojju. ✓ It is versatile. You can serve this as a pickle or serve it as a side for rice, especially yogurt rice, idli, and dosa. I love mixing this with plain steamed rice with a dollop of sesame oil. ✓ It has longer shelf-life. When refrigerated and when you use a clean spoon every single time, it stays good for up to ten days. ✓ Easy to make. ✓ Of course, the kick and taste that tingles the palate.

Ginger & Chili Measure:

We use an equal measure of chili and ginger for this recipe. But don’t worry, the jaggery and the oil subside the spiciness. Like every other pickle, we need more oil for this one as well. I used ½ cup sesame oil for this chili and ginger measure. You can adjust the chili and ginger proportion according to your preference. You can either reduce the ginger amount or chili amount. The other option is you can use equal measure but the increase the jaggery amount. You adjust the quantity of the ingredients depending upon the spice preference.

Prep-Work for the Inji Puli Milagai:

I used 11 green chilies of this size below, and when chopped as thin sticks, I got half a cup. (PS: I made this recipe in India, and I got the readily available green chilies from the vegetable vendor. ) Same with ginger as well. We sliced it thinly like below. You can also reduce the spice level by removing the seeds from green chilies before chopping.

I used small lime-sized seedless tamarind block for this recipe. If you are using a paste, you use 1.5 tbsp to 2 tbsp depending upon the tamarind sourness. Soak the tamarind in 2 cups of water for 30 to 45 minutes and extract the juice. If you are using paste, mix it in 2 cups of water.

Here is the picture of the three main ingredients, green chili, ginger, and tamarind.

How to make this inji puli milagai?

Heat a kadai or heavy-bottom vessel and add the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafetida. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.

Then add the chopped ginger and green chili.

Mix well and saute for two to minutes.

After sauteing, this how it will look – green chilies slightly fried.

Then add the tamarind juice, followed by turmeric powder and salt.

Let it simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

And then add the jaggery. Mix thoroughly and simmer it again 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture will slowly thicken, and the oil will float on top. That’s the right stage to turn off the heat.

Let it cool before storing it in an air-tight container. You can serve this as a side for yogurt rice, idli, dosa and also mix it with rice and relish.

Recipe Notes:

If you want thin consistency, after adding jaggery, add half more cup of water and simmer it for just 5 minutes. If you want a thick consistency, extract the tamarind juice with 1 cup of water instead of two cups and also after adding jaggery simmer it for 3 to 4 minutes or until the jaggery melts. Adjust the ingredients, including salt and jaggery according to your spice preference. Allow it to cool completely before refrigerating. Instead of sesame oil, you can use peanut oil or any other neutral oil. I have never tried this with coconut oil or vegetable oil.

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