NELLORE CHEPALA PULUSU

hepala pulusu or fish pulusu is a spicy and tangy popular Andhra style fish curry, especially in the district of Nellore. The fish pulusu recipe is prepared with freshwater fishes, sesame oil, and ground masala which gives a unique traditional taste and flavour to the dish. It is an inviting treat for seafood lovers and can be a perfect side dish for white rice, appam, dosa, idli, roti, and similar dishes,” says Chef

Kailash.

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil: 6 tbsp Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp Dried red chillies: 3 Curry leaves: 5 sprigs Garlic: 8 cloves minced Green chillies: 4 Shallots (small onions): 15-20

Tamarind: Big lemon size Tomatoes: 6 very ripe Turmeric powder: 1 tsp Red chilli powder: 2 tsp Coriander powder: 3 tsp Salt: 1/2 tsp

Fresh water fish with bones: 500 gm

For spice powder

Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

Black pepper: 1 tsp

METHOD

Heat 6-8 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan. Be generous with the oil. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Fry until the curry leaves are crisp.

Add in the finely minced garlic, chopped green chillies and finely chopped shallots (small onions). Add green chillies according to your taste. Fry till they are lightly brown. The oil will bubble up if you are using oil. It’s fine.

Soak a big lemon size tamarind in 2 cups of water. Let it soak for 20 minutes. Make a pulp by squeezing the tamarind well. Strain the pulp to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.

Puree 6 tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.

Add in the tomato puree and the tamarind pulp. Add in 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 2 tsp of red chilli powder and 3 tsp of coriander powder. The ratio being 1:2:3.

Add in the salt. Add 2 more cups of water.

Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes covered on a low flame stirring every 5 minutes once. After 30 minutes the oil would start to float on

top. That is a sure sign that the gravy has been cooked.

Add in the fish pieces and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Fresh water fish works well for this recipe.

When the fish is cooking, let’s make a spice powder for the curry. Heat a heavy pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper on a low flame for 5 minutes. Low flame is key. Do not rush. Dry roast until everything starts to pop and starts to brown. Remove from heat and cool on a plate. Once the mixture is cooled, grind to a very fine powder.

Add the powder to the pan. Simmer for a minute. Remove off heat and serve hot with rice.