Andhra Chepala Pusulu(Fish in Tamarind Tomato sauce) and Guntur Mirchi(Chilly)


(image source Wikipedia)
Guntur Mirchi(Hot pepper)
Andhra Pradesh(in South India) is home to one of the hottest chillies called Guntur Mirchi.Its hard to miss the red luscious bed of chillies drying in summer sun in while traveling to Guntur. Guntur is one the largest exporters of red chilly next only to Mexico! Andhra cuisine blossoms red with the flavor of these Chillies.Married to a Guntur Abbae(boy),I've acquainted myself with many andhra recipes.Chepala pesulu in Telugu translates to the Fish in Tamarind Tomato sauce is one such authentic Andhra favorites.This recipe brings out the best flavors of fish while preserving its nutritive value and tastes best when cooked in red hot peppers!


A secret of good memory ,eye sight and cardiovascular health is to include fish as part of your diet at least twice a week.Choosing the right kind of fish and cooking method is the key to get the most of its nutritive value.
Healthiest Fish are the oily fish(rich in Omega 3s) like wild Salmon,rainbow trout,pacific halibut and pacific cod.check out this page for an eco-friendly guide of selecting the right kind of fish.Important read ,Wild Vs Farm-raised fish.

Best Cooking Methods for Fish
Steaming,Cooking fish over simmering water until tender,good for salads or cutlets.
Poaching,gently cooking in simmering water or broth ,with vegetables for more flavor.
Stove Top Searing ,Cooking in a non-stick pan with some healthy oil (Olive oil)until crust is lightly crisp but not burnt.
Broil or Bake between temperature 350-375F ,requires less oil and cooks faster.
Recipe Chepala Pulusu(Fish in Tamarind Tomato sauce)
Ingredient
1 pound Fish Rainbow trout or Tilapia or any eco-friendly fish,fillets or slices with bones.
2 big Red Plum tomatoes,finely chopped
1 small onion,finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste or use freshly grated
1/2 cup tamarind\imli juice, soak tamarind in water and strain the pulp or use a teaspoon of tamarind paste
1 teaspoon Rasam or sambhar powder(available in Asian grocers) or use 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin(zeera) and coriander(dhania) powder.
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1 teaspoon turmeric\haldi
1 teaspoon salt
1 sprig curry leaves
3 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro\Coriander\Kothmir

Method
Marinate Fish:
Marinate the cleaned fish with 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric,chilly powder and ginger garlic paste.
Prepare the sauce
In a sauce pan, add the chopped onions and curry leaves,saute until lightly brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, sauce until aromatic and lightly brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and the spices. Cover and cook until tomatoes are tender. Add the tamarind juice and another 1/2 a cup of water and simmer.

Bake or Sear the fish.
To bake: Preheat oven to 350F and drizzle 2 tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the marinated fish and bake about 15-20 minutes until cooled through
To Sear: Heat Olive oil in a non stick pan and add the marinated fish. Let cook about 10 minutes each side. Remove and set aside. Add any pan juices in to the prepared sauce.

Simmer in the sauce.
Add the baked or seared fish in to the simmering sauce. Do not stir the tender fish,Cook for another 10 minutes until flavors infuse, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve on a bed of warm Rice.

Health Benefits of Chilly listed in this post.

Chepala Pulusu is off to SWC Andhra Pradesh event,hosted by Hari Priya Reddy.

Other Andhra favorites posted
Tomato Rasam
Sambhar
Lemon Rice with Egg Plant Chutney
Mirchi Ka Salan
Hyderabadi Biryani
Hyderabadi Haleem

Comments

Armina said…
Yasmeen.. urs is the coolest food blog I've ever seen.. very presentable and very healthy food.. guntur is certainly a hot place and the 'guntur abbaee' sure made me smile :) Fish in tamarind sauce sounds very delectable.. :)
raaji said…
great yasmeen that u have tried the most mouthwatering andhr recipe....i lov its taste more with the fishes found in India
Andhra Flavors said…
hey i lov this andhra chepala pulusu. sounds reminds my place.
Jaishree Iyer said…
You have tried the most mouthwatering andhra recipes...all r looking yum & nice:)
Pavani said…
thank u very much for visting my blog and for ur lovely comments,fish curry looks yummy....
Zee said…
Wow! Yummmm...We surely are gonna go for some fishing now...cause I am not gonna rest until I have this wonderful sour and tangy Fish in tamarind and tomato sauce..I may sound very gluttonous but cant really help it these days..
Malar Gandhi said…
Hello Yasmeen, Like ur healthy choice! All ur recipes are kool! I am crazy for Andhraa food! Will see u around!
I love sea food, this sure is a scrumptous dish... Wonderful post Yasmeen...
Recipeswap said…
Nice pulusu. I too learnt it from my friend and its just soooooo good with hot rice.
Anjum said…
Asak yasmeen...my husband loves fish,when ever we go out for shopping grocery.he asks me to buy fish!!!...hey i dint know u r frm guntur...the way u wrote guntur abayi...was really nice!!
Yasmeen said…
anjum,its my husband who is from guntur:)
Nazarina A said…
The picture of the fish soup is so heart warming and looks so soulful. I love fish! I feel that I so want to eat it at this very moment!
Your picture too of the chillies are just beautiful!
Andhra Recipes said…
Hai......

Chepala pulusu I like it.....
Its my Favourite dish its really good masalas smelled and keept one day and eat for the tast......
I like to see this post in yur blog......
Thanks for share........
vantakam said…
I love Indian non veg recipe. Especially sea food recipes like chepala pulusu. Thanks for sharing. Really watering in my mouth after seeing this recipe. Remembering my past days with recipe.

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