Egg Pulusu --Eggs in tamarind sauce

My boys and many nephews and nieces are entering into their new phase of life at schools and new jobs. I have decided to post recipes that are very basic and easy to make for novice chefs. Most of the recipes will be of simple Andhra dishes for the days when these newbie cooks miss their home food.

The recipe today is Egg pulusu.

Boiled eggs cooked in sautéed onion and tamarind sauce. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion chopped into tiny pieces

1 heaped tsp of tamarind paste (adjust to taste)

1 inch cube of jaggery or 2 tsp sugar (reduce if you do not like sweet)

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

2 cups water

Tempering:

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

1 dry red chili broken

1 spring curry leaves

1 mashed garlic (optional)

Boil and shell eggs. Set them aside.

Heat the oil either in pressure pan or sauce pan.

When the oil is hot add the ingredients under tempering. When mustard starts spluttering add chopped onions and sauté till transparent. Add chilli powder, turmeric, salt followed by eggs and sauté for a minute. Add jaggery and tamarind paste and 2 cups water (add 1 cup of water and based on your desired consistency add more). If using pressure cooker, cook it until one whistle. If sauce pan cover and cook on medium for 10 mins.

This is a great side dish for white or brown rice. I recommend eating it with rice and plain or tomato dal. I will post the tomato dal recipe soon. 

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.