Mukkala Pulusu

I made this particular pulusu on Vijaya Dasami, and finally got around to posting it here. 🙂

Mukkala Pulusu is normally made as a combination with utti pappu, as this particular pulusu does not use any kind of dal.It is made as part of the special lunch for most Andhra festivals.

Ingredients:
Lime-sized ball of tamarind
Choice of vegetables: sorakaya (bottle-gourd), tomatoes, bendakaya (okra/bhindi), munakkaya (drumstick), or dosakaya (yellow cucumber)
3 green chillies, split lenght-wise
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar/jaggary
Curry leaves and coriander leaves to taste
2 tsp rice flour mixed in water

Tadka:
dry red chilli, menthulu (fenugreek seeds), aavalu (mustards seeds), jeera (cumin), inguva (hing/asafoetida)

Method:

• Soak the tamarind
• Boil all the vegetable pieces
• Squeeze tamarind juice into the boiled vegetables
• Add chilli powder, salt, turmeric, sugar, curry leaves and coriander to the vegetables.
• Add more water as required
• Mix a bit of rice flour in water and add to thicken
• In a small wok, add 1 tsp oil and add the tadka. Once the mustard seend pop, add to the pulusu.
• Set to cook till the pulusu becomes a little thick.

Serve hot with rice and utti pappu.

Bendakaya Kura

This is a  simple and tasty vegetable to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg okra
1tblsp sour curds
1tsp salt
1 tsp Chilli powder
1tsp turmeric
3 tsp oil

Tadka:

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chilly

Method:

• Soak the okra for 20 mins in a large pan, to ensure all dirt is removed. Drain and chop into moderately small round pieces.
• In a large wok, heat some oil and add the chopped okra
• Add salt, turmeric and sour curds and mix well. Be careful not to mash the pieces. The curd is meant to absorb the stickiness from the okra.
• set the lid on the wok and let it simmer.
• Keep checking in 10 min intervals to ensure the okra does not stick to the sides of the wok. Always be careful not to mash the pieces.
• Once all the water evaporates, add chilli podwer and mix well.
• Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes and set aside.
• In a small wok, heat 2 tsp oil and add the tadka.
• Add to the okra when the mustard seeds start popping and mix well.

Serrve hot with rice.