This pulusu along with dal is a typical combo in Andhra region especially in my maternal home. We, as kids used to enjoy it as it has both tangy and sweet ness in it.Moreover we used to mix plain dal (gatti pappu as it is called )with pulusu. This is my mothers recipe. I sill continued to prepare the same in my home also.This recipe is very simple and can be prepared with minimum simple ingredients.
Ingredients:
For Pulusu:
Arbi/ chamagadda ( Telugu )/ colocasia/ taro – 300 gms,washed throughlly and boiled in cooker for 3 whistles.Peeled and keep aside,
Salt,
Oil – 3 Tablesp,
Green chillies – 3,slit lengthwise,
Red chilli powder – 3/4 tsp,
Haldi – 1/4 tsp,
Peeled and crushed garlic cloves – 5,
Dhania powder – 1 Tablesp,
Jeera – 2 pinch,
Methi seeds – 1 pinch,
Hing – 2 pinch,
Onion – 2 medium, sliced fine,
Thick tamarind paste – 1 Tablesp, mixed with 200 to 250 ml.of water,
Tomato – 1,small sliced fine,( optional ),
Jaggery powder – 1 tablesp,
Mustard seeds – 2 pinch,
Curry leaves -few,
Urad dal – 1/4 tsp,
For gatti pappu:
Toor dal – 100 gms,
Method:
1).Wash the dal and keep it in a steel container along with 3 Tablesp of water. Arrange it in pressure cooker ( preferably 3 litres cooker )in the centre. Keep it covered. Arrange washed arbi around the steel container along with water sufficient to cook. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
2).Allow the steam to escape and remove the contents. Peel the arbi and cut them into 1 inch cubes or circles. Keep them aside.
3).Mash the dal with potato masher, add little salt and keep it aside.
4).Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, methi seeds, jeera, urad dal, hing, haldi, garlic, curry leaves one by one and fry till dal changes colour. Add green chilli, onion along with salt and fry till onion becomes soft. Add tomato,chilli powder, dhania powder, and cook till tomato becomes soft.
5).Now add arbi pieces and fry for 2 minutes and pour the tamarind water over the pieces.Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Check salt. Finally add jaggery powder, chopped coriander leaves and remove from fire.
6).serve this pulusu curry with hot plain rice along with a tsp of desi ghee and tasty gatti pappu.
Tip:
a).No need to cook arbi for long after adding tamarind water.
b).If you desire you can cook the arbi and dal separately.
c).You can mix a Tablesp of rice flour in 2 tablesp. Of water and add it to curry after cooking arbi.( to thicken the gravy).
d).If the arbi are small you can kep them as they are with out cutting.