PULUSU.....పులుసు Tongue Tingler

PULUSU.....పులుసు

What is Avial to a Malayali, Pulusu is to a Telugu. I think that among the sambar/rasam/amtis/kozambus, pulusu is the simplest form in its usage of spices. And yet, it is one of the best to taste and its aroma takes your breath away.
Source of this recipe is again Lady Suryakanthamgaru my late land lady and one of the greatest actress south has ever produced.

So here it is for your enjoyment. I must thank my wife for preserving the tradition of Andhra cooking as learnt from her.
Last week I prepared PULUSU and had it with steaming rice.



PULUSU WITH RICE



INGREDIENTS

Toor Dal/Pigeon pea lentils 3/4 to 1 cup (cooked)
Sweet potato 1 no.
Drumstick 1 no.
Potato 1 no.
Onion 1 no.
Capsicum 1 no.
Tomato 1 no.
Beans 50 gms.
Tamarind extract from a large marble sized Tamarind qty.
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Sugar 1 Tea spoon
Salt to taste

SPICES

Black pepper powder 1/8 Tea spoon (optional)
Chilli powder 1 Tea spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 Tea spoon
Cilantro 1/4 cup

TEMPERING
Groundnut oil 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1.5 Tea spoons
Mustard seeds 1/4 Tea spoon


METHOD OF PREPARATION

At the onset, prepare all the vegetables. Cut sweet potato, potato in about 1.5 to 2" large pieces. Cut Drumstick in same length pieces. Cut Capsicum in thickish slices. Cut tomato in 1/4 inch pieces. Cut beans also in longish cross cut pieces. Cut onion also in long slices . Pluck Kothumalli (coriander/cilantro) .Remove leaves from 1 sprig of curry leaves for tempering and keep the other sprig for boiling with sauce. Extract concentrate from Tamarind.

Cook about 75 gms of toor dhall (SplitPigeon pea) in a pressure cooker. When cooked, churn and use.

Take oil for tempering in a Kadai (wok) and set the flame on medium. Add mustard seeds first. After five seconds, add fenugreek seeds. When fenugreek starts turning light brown, mustard seeds would start popping. Add onion slices ,Capsicum and plucked curry leaves and fry till onion becomes creamish. Now add all the vegetables and turn the vegetables for about a minute in tempering.Now add all the dry spices , cooked and churned dhall and salt, turn for further five minutes.

Now add tamarind extract and curry leaves and boil the Pulusu for about fifteen minutes on a low/medium flame. Keep the kadai partially open and cook till all the vegetables are cooked. Now taste for salt and sourness.

Add Asafoetida (raw) now and boil for further two to three minutes. When you are sure that all the vegetables are properly cooked, add sugar and Cilantro. Stir well , put off the flame and let the spices work up for about an hour.

Reheat the pulusu and serve piping hot with rice. Tastes equally great with chapathis and rotis.

This Pulusu would bring a new taste to your kitchen. But remember one thing. Never prepare pulusu without Drum stick and sweet potato.

Enjoy !!!!!

One variation of Pulusu does not use Lentil dhall and pepper powder. Also no asafoetida is used.

This is a real heart stealer.

Enjoy !!!