Bangaladumpa Pulusu – Potatoes in tamarind sauce
Speak of some specialities of Andhra cuisine and immediately one conjures up images of ‘pulusu’. Pulusu is basically a tamarind based sauce in which vegetables, meat and seafood are cooked and you will come across quite a few delicacies with that tangy and sweet-sour flavor being served in most authentic Andhra restaurants.
For JFI-Potato, I’m blogging a simple pulusu recipe made with potatoes. Usually baby potatoes go best with this recipe but since I didn’t have them on hand, I had to make do with the normal ones. They are many variations to the basic tamarind base with each region having their own methods and tastes and it sure does take some experience to master a good pulusu.
Bangaladumpa Pulusu Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 40 mts
Serves: 4-5 persons
Cuisine: Andhra
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1/2 kg potatoes, boiled and cubed
2 onions, make a coarse paste
1 slit green chilli
2 tomatoes, make a paste
pinch of haldi, turmeric
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
1 tbsp jaggery (adjust according to your choice)
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
small lemon sized tamarind, extract juice
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
For tempering/tadka/poppu:
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillis
3-4 crushed garlic cloves
few curry leaves
1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, once hot, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, add the garlic, red chillis and curry leaves, stir fry for a few seconds.
2 Add the slit green chilli and onion paste and fry till brown. You have to fry till the rawness of onions disappears. Add turmeric, red chilli pwd, coriander pwd and cumin pwd and combine.
3 Add tomatoes and cook further for 4-5 mts, till oil seperates.
4 Add the boiled potato cubes, jaggery and salt and cook for another 3-4 mts.
5 Add the tamarind extract along with a cup of water and let it cook covered on medium heat for another 10 mts.
6 Adjust salt, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatis.
Kitchen Notes:
Use baby potatoes to prepare this recipe. Ensure you prick a fork into the boiled baby potatoes before adding to the cooked onion-tomato base.
My entry to JFI-Potato hosted by Vaishali of Happy Burp.
By Sailu • Mar 1st, 2007 • Category: All Recipes, Andhra Recipes, Curry Recipes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Recipes
Excellent photo Sailaja. Looks delicious and simple too. Great entry for JFI. It is like South Indian Dum Aloo with baby potatoes,isn’t it? Yummy.
Yes, its similar to that, Asha.
This looks delicious Sailaja, I think I’ll try it out on the baby potatoes I have lying in my fridge.
Give me your feeback on the curry, Meena. Hope you like it..:)
hi sailaja garu,
nice recepie. nenu aloo grvay almost ilane chestanu but without tamarind. ee saari mee method try chesta. by the way mee recipies chala try chesanu n they came out very well. thnx for delicious recepies.
Chala santhosham, Aruna. Tappakunda try cheyyendi.
Hi Sailu, Looks soooo groovy! You know even after blogging for so long, I still envy u your delicious pictures and u’re style. Just love them! Lucky family of u’res
Lovely entry Sailu, keep them coming!
Love Latha
Latha, thank you for your sweet words..:). You sure are humble about your blog. I love its simplicity and the recipes in there.
Sailu, that curry looks absolutely Yumm. One of my friend from Andhra used to make a lot of pulusu, but she used to put so much tamarind that the taste of dish used to get affected. Her pulusu used to be tamarind water color. I simply hated it. So I thought all pulusu are same. After looking at your gorgeous picture, I am so much interested to try it. Looks absolutely awesome.
I know what you mean, Shilpa. You will find that in some homes, the methods and use of tamarind in a pulusu dish are to suit their palates. If one is not used to it, the flavor can really be too much to take..:). Do try out this sometime and I’m hoping you will not be disappointed.:)
Sailu, that is a yummy tasting and fantastic looking Potato Curry.
I like adding tamarind to any dish. The taste is simply good.
Tried your “Indian Broad Beans Tomato Curry” everybody loved the dish, thankyou.
I love a tart flavored pachadi or gravy curry with my meal if I don’t make rasam on an occasional day. I’m glad all of you enjoyed the curry, ISG.
this pulusu is definitely going into my recipe book.
Hoping you and Jai will relish it, Bee..:)
Sailu
what an interesting recipe..never heard potato pulusu..looks nice..
Am surprised, Swapna, its an andhra dish. I guess, each region again has its own variations. In the parts where I live (coastal andhra), its a regular in most homes.
Sailu, as usual, I want to pick up my spoon and come begging a taste
Begging?! No way, Linda. For someone who relishes and would put an experienced Indian housewife to shame, my kitchen is always open. Walk in and taste..:)
nice. i made something a bit similar to this, but i used sugar instaed of jaggery. i guess the latter would have been more appropriate, huh?
Not really, Jacob. I guess, jaggery is more healthy than white sugar. But it doesn’t make too much of a diff to the flavor.
i love using tamarind in all curries, it gives a nice tangy feel.
Your recipe looks amazing and i bet u’r family is so proud of you!!!
keep those wonderful recipes and u’r photos coming!!!
Padmaja, must say your a wonderful mom, the variety of foods you cook, your family is very lucky..:)
Hi Sailu,
Excellent entry for Potato-JFI. Inbetween i tried your pesarattu, it had come very well. Thanks. Its the first time i tried at home.
Am glad your family enjoyed pesarattu, Usha..:)
Sailaja
The “pulusu” looks so good. Though we don’t make tamarind based curries much, I am sure this going to be tangy and spicy, in my soon try list
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as you did the chicken masala balls..:)
Thank you !! I have heard of this pulusu but unfortunately never tasted it
I have been wanting to make this but did not have a good recipe. Ivale try chesthanu idi 
That’s the beauty of food blogs, Priya. Do let me know how it turned out.
Nice dish and beautiful presentation. Viji
Thank you, Viji.
Hi Sailu,
Curry Simply Superb!!!!!:-) Thanks for sharing.
Hi MT, I liked your entry too, Kadappa!
Sailaja, Ur dishes always look sooo pretty!!
Shn
Hi sailu – i love this easy and authentic recipe. Will be sure to try it and write about it soon.
Wow another potato curry, this looks simple and delicious.
the photo is very nice.
Wow, this looks so good. I miss my mom! God bless you women who still cook for their families. It is an inspiration to us take out or eat out folks.
i followed your recipe and the taste really surprised me.
thankyou.
hey its really nice..i tried it..my hubby like it very much..i am really inspired by ur work..i am trying each and every dishes of urs..
Sailu, I was looking for the Andhra style recipe for Chama/Arbi and I was wondering if I could use this one with boiled Chama/Arbi instead of Aloo?
I love your recipes and the way you present them!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My husband and I loved the taste and it was really awesome.
Hi Sailu,
Thanks for the wonderful and tasty recipe.
Cooked this last weekend when my frenz came for lunch. They just luved it.
And of course, v too njoyed it.
The photo and the recipe is awesome. Will try it this weekend