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Telangana style Chepala Pulusu | Fish Curry | How to Make Fish Curry

| nonvegetarian

  • Prep Time 1 Mins
  • Cook Time 45 Mins
  • Resting Time 60 Mins
  • Servings 6

Ingredients

  • For the fish marinate:
  • 1 Kg Fish Pieces
  • 1/2 tbsp Turmeric (Haldi)
  • Salt (As per tatste)
  • 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • Pulusu Powder:
  • 1 tbsp Fenugreek (Methi seeds)
  • 1 tbsp Cumin (zeera)
  • 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds (Dhaniya)
  • 4 Cardamom (Ilaichi)
  • 5-6 Cloves (Laung)
  • 1.5 Inch Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
  • 1 tbsp Poppy seeds (Khuskhus)
  • 1/4 Cup Dry Coconut
  • 2 Pinches Carrom Seeds (Vaamu/Ajwain)
  • 1/2 tbsp Pepper Corn
  • For the sour gravy (Pulusu):
  • 60 gms Tamarind
  • 4 Onion
  • 2.5 tbsp Chilli Powder
  • Salt
  • 60 ml Oil
  • 1 litre Hot Water
  • 3 Sprigs Curry Leaves
  • Cinnamon Stick (Small Piece)
  • Kothmir (A little)

Instructions

  1. Smear Ginger Garlic paste to the pieces of fish and keep aside. (I have used roasted Ginger Garlic Paste. You may fry the fish pieces in oil).
  2. Soak the Tamarind in hot water and squeeze out thick pulp
  3. Roast all the ingredients of Pulusu Powder except Khuskhus on a low flame. Keep stirring. After roasting turn off the flame, add the Khuskhus. The heat is enough to make the seeds splutter.
  4. Cool the mixture and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.
  5. Dry roast the onions along with the skins on a direct flame. The onions will soften on the inside and the skin will get charred. Remove from the fire, peel the charred skins off and grind the onions to a fine paste with a little water.
  6. Mix the onion paste with the thick tamarind pulp along with Chilli Powder and salt.
  7. Heat oil in a Pan and fry curry leaves and Cinnamon stick. Now fry Ginger Garlic Paste here (since i have used roasted Ginger garlic paste to the fish in marination)
  8. Add the tamarind pulp-onion mixture into the fried seasoning. Without adding any water, let the mixture boil on medium flame, till oil floats to the top. Keep stirring all the time
  9. Once oil floats on top, add the Pulusu powder and 1 litre of water. Let the Pulusu boil for 5 minutes on high flame.
  10. When the gravy is boiling lower the fish pieces in, and let it cook till oil floats well on to the top. (Do not stir the pieces with a spoon or ladle, lest they should break).
  11. It took 25 minutes for the oil to float to the top when I was cooking. Sprinkle a little Coriander and take the curry off the stove. Let the Pulusu stand undisturbed for at least one hour for the fish to absorb the spices and sourness well. The Chepala Pulusu tastes even better if it is kept untouched overnight.