*The rice must be cooked and cooled in a wide dish, such that each grain is separate.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Sprinkle a pinch of asafoetida, followed by mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves, red chillies, green chillies, chana dal, urad dal and sauté until the dals turn golden brown. Take care not to burn the dal.

Throw in the roughly chopped gongura (roselle) leaves and stir on a high flame. If the leaves are fresh and tender, they will start wilting immediately. Stir around for 3-4 minutes until they almost collapse into a coarse paste. Season this mixture with salt and add in sambar powder and turmeric. Stir to incorporate well.

Gently mix in the cooked rice until the gongura mixture is uniformly spread through. Remove this gongura rice / pulihora on a serving platter or in a bowl.

In a small pan, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Fry the peanuts until they turn a couple of shades darker. Quickly drop in the curry leaves. As soon as they crisp up, transfer this over the gongura pulihora.

Serve hot with crispy fryums / papads and a cooling raita.