Waiting for the East Coast Express to take me for the first time to Hyderabad I was informed by my uncle that Andhra cuisine is a mix of spicy and sour and that I better be prepared for it. The words perhaps tinged with my bittersweet feelings of leaving home kept me away from the local cuisine for a while. However, in due course curiosity-as it always does-won out. And a good thing too, for the cuisine is my kind of spicy with lots of heat and just the right sourness to give the food a robust, full-bodied flavor. I mean, it is really full on.
Pulusu translated into English means sour or acid. The addition of tamarind along with fenugreek seeds to this gravy gives it the acidity that characterizes the essence of this cuisine. The egg, on the other hand, is one of my favored ingredients and the perfect partner for this marriage of flavors. So try this recipe of Egg Pulusu and prepare your taste buds for this adventure.
Mise-en-place
2 eggs.
Bring water and egg to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and de-shell eggs.
Ingredients:
2 eggs boiled
1tsp turmeric
2tsp red chili powder
1tsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp methi[fenugreek] seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
3 dried red chilies
2tbsp curry leaves
1 medium onion chopped
2 slitted chillies
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1tbsp tamarind
1/2cup water
salt to taste
oil as required
Method:
Heat oil. Add a pinch of turmeric and red chili powder. Fry the eggs till brown on all side. This should take two minutes. Remove.
Add the methi and mustard seeds, dried red chili and curry leaves. Stir everything together.
Add the chopped onions and cook till brown. This should be a few minutes. Meanwhile in a bowl mix the ginger-garlic paste with a little water to make a thick paste. Add the red chili powder, haldi, cumin and coriander powder. Mix.
Add to the golden brown onions and stir. Cook for five minutes. Add the chilies and infuse the heat into the masala for another five minutes.
Add the tamarind, water and salt. Simmer for fifteen minutes. Stir every five minutes so that the masala does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Adjust for seasonings.
Meanwhile cut cucumber into thick slices and sprinkle with some chili powder. Serve along with the pulusu curry with some hot Basmati rice.
