SPICY CURRIES OF ANDHRA

“Pulusu” in andhra means thick gravy curry cooked with tamarind and onions. This dish tastes sweet and sour and is best eaten hot with steamed rice accompanied with papad or potato fry. With quite a few ingredients in hand this dish is easy and quick to prepare. When I’m tired and not in a mood for cooking a full course meal this dish goes to my rescue.For those of you who do not eat eggs, substitute with other vegetables like lady’s finger (bendakaya), brinjals (vankaya),  bottle gourd (sorakaya) etc., 

 

I have used organic eggs but normal eggs would also do as good as the organic ones. Store bought or home made tamarind paste can also be substituted in this dish. I usually soak tamarind in little hot water, extract the pulp out of it and refrigerate it for further use. I have used sugar in the recipe but it can also be replaced with grated jaggery or brown sugar as well. Lets hop on to the recipe.

 

A few tips for boiling eggs:

 1. Bring water to boil in a sauce pan. When the water starts bubbling up, with a slotted spoon, slowly slide in one egg at a time into boiling water. Let the eggs cook for 10-12 mts in the water. Switch of the flame. Allow to cool off a bit and remove the shells. When in hurry. discard hot water and run the eggs in cold water under a tap and remove the shells. 

 2. Another alternative I follow while boiling eggs is, pressure cook eggs with 4 cups of water to 1 whistle. Let the pressure settle down, then remove the lid, discard the water and remove the shells of the eggs. 

 

We need:

 4 eggs (boiled, shells removed and make slits lengthwise) 

 

lemon sized tamarind (soaked in 1/2 cup warm water and extract pulp out of it) 

 

4-5 tsps oil

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)

1 tsp mustard seeds (avalu)

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

4 dried red chillies 

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

4 medium sized onions - finely chopped (makes 3 cups of chopped onions)

6 green chillies - finely chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1 tsp ginger & garlic paste

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp red chilly powder (adjust according to your spice levels)

3 tbsps sugar 

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - 4 sprigs (finely chopped)

 

 

How to:

• In a kadhai/wide pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add pinch of turmeric and drop in boiled eggs gently into the pan. Fry on medium flame for about 2-3 mts till brown spots start appearing on the eggs. Remove and set aside.

 

 

• Add remaining oil ( 3 tsps) in the kadhai. Reduce the flame to low. Add in methi seeds and fry for 20 seconds. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow to splutter then add red chillies and fry for about 30 seconds.