Meals · Andhra Pradesh

Mukkala Pulusu

A tangy-sweet tamarind stew of mixed vegetables, thickened with a little rice flour and fragrant with fenugreek.

Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min · Total 45 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 1 Drumstick, in 7 cm pieces
• 150 g Pumpkin, cubed
• 2 Small brinjals, quartered
• 8 Pearl onions, peeled
• 1 Tomato, quartered
• 2 Green chillies, slit

Pulusu

• 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
• 2 tbsp Jaggery
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• 1 tbsp Rice flour
• 1 ½ tsp Salt

Tadka

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 2 Dried red chillies
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida

Method

1. Temper. In a heavy pot heat the oil, add mustard and fenugreek, and when they darken add the red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
2. Soften the vegetables. Add the onions, chillies and vegetables except the tomato, with turmeric and a pinch of salt. Cook covered for 6 minutes.
3. Simmer in tamarind. Add 2 1/2 cups of tamarind water, the tomato, chilli powder, jaggery and salt. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
4. Thicken. Stir the rice flour into 3 tbsp water, pour it in and simmer until the pulusu coats a spoon.
5. Rest. It's best an hour later, when the vegetables have soaked up the tamarind. Serve with rice and a spoon of ghee.

Tips

Pulusu should taste sour first, then sweet, then hot. Adjust with jaggery and chilli at the end.