The dish I am going to present today is a type of sambar made in andhra.Pulusu is neither sambar nor rasam,it lies somewhere in between.Both sambar and rasam rely on a mix of spices to give them the characteristic taste.Pulusu is made without using any spice powder whatsoever.The speciality of this dish is that mustard paste is used to give it that extra dimension.So,here is the recipe:
Ingredients:For Pulusu- 
3 cups of chopped spinach(1 big bunch)
1 medium potato,chopped into chunks
1 medium onion,chopped into chunks
3-4 ladiesfingers cut into 1 inch pieces(Bhindi)
200 gms Anapakaya/sorakaya/dudhi/bottlegourd,chopped into chunks
1 whole drumstick cut into 3 inch pieces
3-4 green chillies
1 lime size ball of tamarind/2 tbsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup of cooked Tuvar dal/Arhar dal/Split pigeon peas
For Mustard paste-
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp Raw rice
For Tadka/Popu/Tempering 
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds
curry leaves
Hing/Asafoetida
Method:First thing,soak the mustard seeds along with the raw rice in 3-4 tbsp water for about 3 hours.
Meanwhile,prepare the vegetables.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a deep and thick bottmed pan,and add the mustard,methi/fenugreek, and curry leaves.As soon as they splutter,add the chopped onions and chillies and saute for 3-4 mins.Now add the other vegetables and saute for 5 mins.Now add the chopped spinach and let fry for 1 min,just till spinach starts wilting.Then,add 3-4 cups(750 ml to 1 litre) water ,add salt to taste, and turmeric to it.Add the tamarind to this.
Put the lid on and let it boil until the vegetables are cooked.This takes about 20-30 mins on medium flame.
Drain the water from the soaked mustard-rice.Make a fine paste using a mortar and pestle.The mix should be very fine ground.
Once the vegetables in the pulusu are cooked and soft,add the mustard paste and the cooked tuvar dal.
Donot keep on heat for longer than 2 mins, as the mustard will give the pulusu a botter aftertaste if it is heated for long.
Serve hot with rice and papad.
Note:I did not have anapakaya and bhindi,so I omitted them.Vegetables like carrot and pumpkin can also be added.
This is my contribution to Pooja's Veggie of the week.
November 29, 2006
PALAKOORA AAVA-PULUSU
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12 comments:
VINI looking nice.
one thing tell me why to soak mustard and rice?i have never did that.i grind them directly.is there any reason for this?
thanku......
wow vini, i wanted to try pulusu and here u have got perfect recipe:) me still busy doing last min packing. thought i will take quick peek;)
cheers
supriya
Hi Vini, never prepared this type of Pulusu, will next time , a nice healthy recipe with all those veggies.
This looks very nice. Very unusual combo of drumsticks and spinach. I will try this soon. thanks Vini
hey vini:
did i mention that i loveeeeee andhra food ...yup i very much do and i am surely gonna try this sambar too
Cheers
Seema
Hi Swapna,soaking the mustard makes it easier to grind.I generally make a paste using mortar and pestle.I learnt this method from my mother and grandmother(ammamma).:-)
Hey Supriya,
I envy you,dear..going on a holiday....mine is not due for another 6 months now...:(
Try this pulusu when you get back.It tastes very good and it is a single dish meal as it has everything-dal,veggies,vit c,what else do you need?Except for some hot rice ofcourse..
Wish you a very happy journey dear.
Love
Vini
hi Vini,
this one is a rocking recipe for my veg of the week. thanks for contributing . i am surely ginna try this . take care
thank you agian for your timely effort.
-Pooja
lakshmi,try this.It is very good and tasty.Actually we prepare this with thotakura(amaranth)leaves.But since that is so rarely available in London,I make this with spinach.
Hey Shilpa,I am glad you are here.For some reason,I simply can't get my comment thru to your recipes!I have tried three times today for the neerulli dosa but failed.Anyway,try this pulusu.I generally put whatever veggies I get for this.
Hi Seema,try this one for sure.It is simple to make and a complete food when combined with a bowl of hot steaming rice and some ghee on top.Ofcourse,some papad would add a nice twist to this too.:-)
This is different to me...have never tried authentic Andhra food before...I should try this for sure!
Regards,Trupti
Hi Pooja,do try this one,it is very tasty.and easy to prepare also.
Hey Trupti,how r u doing?I like this because this is among the one dish meals that I like to make when I want to take a break from cooking elaborate meals.:-)Try this,I am sure you will like it.
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