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Pachi pulusu
పచ్చి పులుసు: Telangana's raw tamarind 'rasam' with onion, chilli and roasted brinjal
Pachi pulusu, 'raw stew', is Telangana's summer cooler: a no-cook tamarind water stirred with jaggery, finely sliced raw onion and green chilli, finished with a hot mustard-seed tempering. In the heat of April and May in villages around Warangal and Karimnagar, families pour it over hot rice with a spoonful of dal or a spicy fry, and it wakes up appetites dulled by the sun. Some add a smoky roasted brinjal mashed in, which gives it body. Sweet, sour and sharp at once, it takes ten minutes. Chef's tip: rub the onion with salt and a little chilli powder in your fingers before adding the tamarind water, so it softens slightly and flavours the whole bowl.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pulusu
- 1 ⅜ oz tamarind (seedless block)
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 1 large brinjal (aubergine) (optional)about 250 g
- 1 red onionvery finely sliced
- 3 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tbsp jaggerygrated
- 4 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 pinch gluten-free asafoetida
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅜ oz tamarind (seedless block) in 2 ½ cups warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze it hard with your fingers and strain the liquid into a bowl, pressing the pulp through the sieve. Discard the fibres.
Step 2: If using 1 large brinjal (aubergine), rub it with a little oil and roast it directly over a gas flame for 10–12 minutes, turning, until the skin is black and blistered all over and the brinjal collapses. Cool, peel and mash the flesh.
12 minStep 3: In a serving bowl, rub 1 red onion and 3 green chillies with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp red chilli powder for a minute until slightly softened. Add the tamarind water, 1 ½ tbsp jaggery and the mashed brinjal, if using, and stir until the jaggery dissolves.
Step 4: Taste: it should be clearly sour with a gentle sweetness and heat. Add a splash of water if it is too sharp. Common mistake: boiling it. Pachi pulusu is meant to be raw; cooking it turns it into a different, duller pulusu.
Step 5: For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp black mustard seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds; when they crackle, add 2 dried red chillies, 3 garlic cloves, 10 curry leaves and 1 pinch gluten-free asafoetida and stir for 20–30 seconds until the garlic is golden and the leaves crisp.
2 minStep 6: Pour the hot tempering over the pulusu, stir in 4 tbsp fresh coriander and serve at room temperature with hot rice and dal.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pachi pulusu take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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