Chema Dumpala pulusu (Taro root/ Arbi in a spicy, tangy sauce)

Pulusu, the spicy and tangy sauce made using tamarind and chilli powder, is a very common preparation in Andhra. Taro root pulusu is something like a delicacy for me. When I was in Aachen, I didn’t prepare this so frequently as compared to now after coming here to Munich. Here we get very nice roots and so I buy them regularly and the good thing is that they stay longer than any other roots and come as a great rescue, when you have to prepare in large quantities for unexpected guests. Well... that’s my personal experience.

Ingredients:

Taro roots or Chema dumpalu – ¼ Kg

Onion – 1 large

Tomato – 1 large

Green chillies – 3 to 4

Tamarind – size of a small amla

Chilli powder – 2 Tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tea spoon

Mustard seeds – 1 tea spoon

Cumin seeds – 1 tee spoon

Curry leaves – 2 strands

Turmeric – ½ tea spoon

Grated jaggery – 1 tea spoon (optional)

Oil – 2 Tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

First boil the taro roots until completely cooked and peel them and keep aside. Soak the tamarind and squeeze out the pulp. Now heat oil in a saucepan and once it is hot, add the cumin & mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, now add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and fry for few seconds and now add the onions  and green chillies, cut lengthwise and let them fry till the onions are transparent. Now add the tomato puree (I have blanched the tomatoes in water for 5 min, peeled them and pureed them so as to have a thick sauce or else the regular canned tomato puree can be used). Add the turmeric, chilli powder, salt and the tamarind pulp and little water and close the lid and let it cook on  a low flame till the oil oozes out of the sauce. Now add the peeled taro roots and at this point, to have an extra flavour, add some fresh curry leaves and close the lid and cook for 5 more min. so that the roots absorb all the flavours. Now switch off the stove and add the grated jaggery and mix well. This elevates the flavour of the dish. Also, my friend, Lakshmi, who comes from telangana area, adds some sesame powder at this point to the pulusu and it gives a very nice added flavour and thick consistency for the sauce. But today I skipped it as I didn’t have the sesame powder ready with me.

Serve hot with rice and it goes well with Ragi sangati too.