Puli or Tamarind is the timeless ingredient that not only enhances the taste of Tamil dishes but also carries a rich history and medicinal benefits.
In Tamil recipes, you may notice a step that requires a brown block to be taken and mixed with water. This liquid is then added to dishes and adds that extra kick that’s key to Tamil cuisine. This ingredient is what we call புளி (puli) or tamarind, in English.
Tamarind is a fruit native to Africa and likely made its way to the Indian subcontinent through foreign trade with African and West Asian civilizations. Despite not being native to our homeland, the ingredient has still been with us for millennia. References to tamarind have been made for centuries, such as in Malaipadukadam, a Sangam text. The text discusses tamarind growing in backwaters of rivers and mixing the ingredient with buttermilk as a drink. Malaipadukadam is one of several poems in the Pattupaatu anthology, which dates all the way back to the 2nd century C.E.
However, Malapudukadam is not the only Sangam text that references tamarind. Poem 119 in the Sangam text Purananooru by the poet Kabilar mentions a dish made during the reign of Paari (a Tamil king who is grouped under the seven great benefactors/patrons) in which termites were cooked in tamarind and buttermilk. They were then served with thinai (millets), as described below:
கார்ப் பெயல் தலைஇய காண்பு இன் காலை,
களிற்று முக வரியின் தெறுழ் வீ பூப்ப,
செம் புற்று ஈயலின் இன் அளைப் புளித்து;
மென் தினை யாணர்த்து; நந்தும் கொல்லோ
நிழல் இல் நீள் இடைத் தனி மரம் போல,
பணை கெழு வேந்தரை இறந்தும்
இரவலர்க்கு ஈயும் வள்ளியோன் நாடே!
-Purananooru 119
(Translation from Sangam Poems Translated by Vaidehi)
There was a sweet time when monsoons poured,
and flowering creepers blossomed like the spots
on the faces of elephants,
termites from red mounds were cooked
in sauces with tamarind and sweet buttermilk,
and wealth from soft millet was abundant.
Will all that be ruined?
He was like a single tree on a long, shadowless
path, our generous lord who gave more than other
kings with panai drums, to those who came in need!
Tamarind is used extensively in dishes such as rasam, kuzhambu (curries that contain vegetables such as eggplant, okra, etc.), and puliyodharai (tamarind rice). Tamil cuisine typically uses the pulp of the fruit as an ingredient in dishes. In Tamil, the word puli comes from the word pulippu (புளிப்பு), meaning sour. Like its root, the ingredient adds a sour taste which contributes to the unique flavor profile of Tamil cuisine.
In addition to the taste, tamarind also contains significant amounts of magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and phosphorus, along with vitamins B1, B2, and B3. These all contribute to the numerous medicinal uses of tamarind. The pulp of the fruit which is used in dishes is known to help with relief of constipation and improving digestive health. A poultice can also be prepared from tamarind leaves and pulp for wound healing. The ingredient is shown to have antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Here, we see that one of the staples to Tamil cuisine also contains medicinal properties. It’s almost as if our ancestors thought Unave Marunthu (Food is Medicine).
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