We lose by generalizing everything. Unity and showing strong front is
important but preserving the diversity and maintaining our own
uniqueness is also equally important, I think. Indian cuisine is such a
broad term. Can anyone say they know all the regional food varieties of
India? I guess not. If we don’t talk about our regional cuisine, who
will and how would anyone know about the difference in our cooking. I
see lot of new Indian food blogs coming up everyday. Generalize to your
heart’s content, but don’t be shy to highlight your regional
specialties. That would make the recipe more attractive to the readers
and give them the feeling they are trying out something unique, in my
view.
See, for example, from India - we go to Andhra Pradesh, my home state in India. Though the general term is Andhra cuisine, there are 3 regions (Rayalaseema, Kosta and Telengana) and each region has its own specialties. Lot of diversity out there, even in one state. Example is this recipe. Cooking vegetables like potatoes etc., in tamarind-chilli sauce is the specialty of Kosta (Coastal region) of Andhra. They call this Tamarind-chilli sauce “Pulusu“. It is the base sauce for all kinds of vegetables, in that region. The saying is, “give something to kosta people, particularly the Nellore district, they would find a way to add tamarind to it”.
The ‘pulusu‘ tastes like as if ‘old western’ kind of faction
war happened between tamarind and dried red chillies. To compensate the
sourness of tamarind, more hot chillies are added. Unbridled war wages
on between these two strong tastes and there is no mediator to calm it
down. Thickening agents like coconut or peanut paste are big no or
rarely used. The pacifier of course is the poor vegetable that is added.
How high this war can go on, which one dominates the taste of ‘pulusu‘
- it all depends on housewife’s mood that day. Imagine sucking on a
lime wedge and simultaneously eating a dried red chillie - that’s how
this pulusu tastes. You are alerted so prepare it at your own risk.
Recipe:
In a big pan or kadai - heat one teaspoon of peanut oil. Do the popu or tadka (toast mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves). Saute onions and tomatoes for few minutes until they soften. Stir in red chilli paste; saute it for few minutes until it leaves the raw smell. Add the tamarind juice and another cup of water. Stir in salt and turmeric and also the pricked potatoes. Cover and simmer them for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring in between. Wait until the sauce reaches the consistency of thick lava. Turn off the heat, and serve the pulusu with chapatis or with rice and ghee.
See, for example, from India - we go to Andhra Pradesh, my home state in India. Though the general term is Andhra cuisine, there are 3 regions (Rayalaseema, Kosta and Telengana) and each region has its own specialties. Lot of diversity out there, even in one state. Example is this recipe. Cooking vegetables like potatoes etc., in tamarind-chilli sauce is the specialty of Kosta (Coastal region) of Andhra. They call this Tamarind-chilli sauce “Pulusu“. It is the base sauce for all kinds of vegetables, in that region. The saying is, “give something to kosta people, particularly the Nellore district, they would find a way to add tamarind to it”.
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Baby Aloo in Tamarind-Chilli Sauce (Aloo Pulusu) |
Recipe:
Boil potatoes in water, just until tender. Remove them and strip the outer skin. Prick the potatoes in multiple sites with a fork so that they can absorb the sauce.8 to 10 baby potatoes
Baby Aloo in Tamarind-Chilli Sauce (Aloo Pulusu)
1 medium sized onion and 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes - finely chopped
For sauce:
1 cup of tamarind juice - (medium thick - home made version)
6 dried red chillies+3 garlic cloves+1 teaspoon of cumin - Make a smooth paste of them.
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and salt to taste
Popu or tadka ingredients:(1tsp of each, cumin, mustard seeds and few curry leaves)
In a big pan or kadai - heat one teaspoon of peanut oil. Do the popu or tadka (toast mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves). Saute onions and tomatoes for few minutes until they soften. Stir in red chilli paste; saute it for few minutes until it leaves the raw smell. Add the tamarind juice and another cup of water. Stir in salt and turmeric and also the pricked potatoes. Cover and simmer them for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring in between. Wait until the sauce reaches the consistency of thick lava. Turn off the heat, and serve the pulusu with chapatis or with rice and ghee.
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