Aanapakaya Thotakura Kadala Pulusu –Bottle Gourd and Amaranth stems stew

Anapakaya pulusu is a frequent lunch item growing up. It’s an easy to make side dish with simple flavors. Thotakura kadalu give added taste and texture along with nutrition. Bottle gourd and amaranth stems are cooked in tamarind water with blended onion and coriander powder. This pulusu is quite watery, it is just a little thicker than rasam. Tampering added at the end gives it a great aroma.

Ingredients:
3 cups 2 X 2 inch bottle gourd pieces
1 cup 2 inch length amaranth stems
1 small onion blended
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 green chilies slit (adjust to taste)
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric
Walnut sized ball of tamarind
1 X 1 inch cube of jaggery or 2 tsp of sugar
Salt to taste

Tampering:
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp fenugreek
1 dry red chili broken
1 garlic pod mashed
Spring of curry leaves

Soak tamarind and squeeze the pulp. Add water and make about 4 to 5 cups of tamarind water.

Place all the ingredients except the ones under tampering in a pressure cooker. Add the tamarind water and pressure cook just long enough for the bottle gourd pieces to cook. If the bottle gourd is tender one whistle is adequate.

Heat oil in a pan, add mashed garlic followed by the rest of the tampering ingredients. When mustard starts to pop, add it to the pulusu.

Goes well with rice n plain dal or rice n tomato dal.