Nellore Chepala pulusu | Andhra style fish curry

Chepala pulusu is an Andhra fish curry, which is a famous spicy seafood recipe, prepared by cooking fresh fish pieces in tangy tamarind sauce with lots of hot spices.

I love to try different cuisines every time when I make a nonveg recipe. After all we Indians are so blessed with a variety of different delicacies around various parts of India.

This time my hubby wanted some spicy tangy fish curry for dinner and thus I ended up making this excellent Chepala pulusu …and like any other Andhra recipe, this one tastes great every time when I make this.

This method doesn’t require coconut milk or coconut paste hence it is tangier than other versions of fish gravies. I have already posted a Chettinad-style fish curry(Chettinad meen kulambu) in my blog that you may want to check.

Among other nonveg items, seafood is considered healthy and of course, fish is the top choice. I made this Andhra chepala pulusu with black pomfret today. But this chepala pulusu tastes good with freshwater fish.

Eating fish regularly benefits brain health and enhances the function of the nervous system. Gradually include fish food in your kids’ meal and make it a practice to eat fish once a week.

For other popular non-veg recipes:

Chicken dum biryani

Pallipalayam chicken

Tawa fish fry

Nattukozhi rasam

Chepala pulusu | Andhra chepala pulusu | Andhra fish curry

Sangskitchen

Chepala pulusu is an Andhra fish curry, which is a famous spicy seafood recipe, prepared by cooking fresh fish pieces in tangy tamarind sauce with lots of hot spices.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 4

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

To marinate:

• 1 kg fish
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ lemon

To dry roast & grind:

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds

Other ingredients:

• 3 tbsp gingelly oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek
• 12 shallots
• 3 green chillies
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tomato
• 1 tsp crystal salt
• 2 cups tamarind water

Instructions

 

Preparation:

• Wash fish pieces in lots of water two to three times.
• Drain water completely and marinate with turmeric powder, salt, and lemon.
• Lemon and salt give tenderness and turmeric powder helps in removing impurities if any.
• Keep this marination aside for 30mins to 1 hour.
• Peel and chop small onions.
• Soak tamarind in warm water for 15mins and after 15mins extract 2 cups of thick tamarind water. Discard the pulp.
• Make ginger garlic paste(8 garlic & 2 inches of ginger) if you don't have already.
• Rinse and chop tomato.

Recipe to make Chepala pulusu:

How to make pulusu masala:

• In a pan, dry roast pepper corns, cumin(jeera) seeds, and fenugreek (Methi) seeds for five minutes until a nice aroma arises. Transfer these ingredients to a mixer.
• Add poppy(kuskus) seeds with them and grind everything into a fine paste using little quantity of water. Our pulusu masala is ready. Keep aside.

How to make Chepala pulusu:

• Heat another large kadai, add gingelly oil and add mustard, fennel & fenugreek seeds.
• Let them splutter and add Chopped shallots, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Saute the onions nicely to light brown color.
• Put ginger garlic paste and saute well to remove the raw flavor completely.
• Now add Chopped tomato and cook until they become soft.
• Add in the spice powders, turmeric, and chilli powder.
• Pour the tamarind water, mix, cover and cook the tamarind for five minutes.
• After five minutes, the raw smell goes off completely & add the pulusu masala paste and mix well.
• Give the gravy a boil for five minutes.
• You can add the required salt for the Andhra fish curry.
• Drop the marinated fish pieces one by one into the gravy slowly.
• Make space by gently stir with a wooden ladle.
• Do not stir vigorously as fish pieces may break.
• Cover with a lid and cook not more than 5 minutes in low flame.
• Most of the fish varieties need very less time to get cooked.
• Once when you see the color of the meat changes to white color, switch off.
• Allow resting for one hour before serving with hot rice for extra taste.

Video

Notes

Tips: 1) Use fresh fishes for good taste and texture. 2) Never cook fish more than 5minutes. You will end up in bits and pieces instead of whole fish slices. 3) Moreover don't stir too much to avoid breaking the pieces. 4) Small onions (shallots) give the nice taste but you can use big onion also if shallots are not available.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal

Keyword Andhra chepala pulusu, Andhra fish curry, Andhra fish gravy, Chepala pulusu, Nellore chepala pulusu, Spicy fish curry without coconut

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Preparation:

• Wash fish pieces in lots of water two to three times.
• Drain water completely and marinate with turmeric powder, salt, and lemon.

• Lemon and salt give tenderness and turmeric powder helps in removing impurities if any.
• Keep this marination aside for 30mins to 1 hour.
• Peel and chop small onions.
• Soak tamarind in warm water for 15mins and after 15mins extract 2 cups of thick tamarind water. Discard the pulp.
• Make ginger garlic paste (8 garlic & 2 inches of ginger) if you don’t have it already.
• Rinse and chop tomato.

Recipe to make Chepala pulusu:

How to make pulusu masala:

• In a pan, dry roast peppercorns, cumin(jeera) seeds, and fenugreek (Methi) seed for five minutes until a nice aroma arises. Transfer these ingredients to a mixer.

• Add poppy (khuskhus) seeds with them and grind everything into a fine paste using a little quantity of water. Our pulusu masala is ready. Keep aside.

How to make Andhra fish gravy:

• Heat another large kadai, add gingelly oil and add mustard, fennel & fenugreek seeds.

• Let them splutter and add Chopped shallots, green chillies, and curry leaves.

• Saute the onions nicely to light brown color.
• Put ginger garlic paste and saute well to remove the raw flavor completely.

• Add in the spice powders, turmeric, and chilli powder.

• Now add chopped tomato and cook until they become soft.

• You can add the required salt for the Andhra fish curry.

• Pour the tamarind water, mix, cover and cook the tamarind well for five to ten minutes.

• After 10 minutes, the raw smell goes off completely, add the pulusu masala paste and mix well.

• Give the gravy a boil for five minutes of full boiling. By this time the oil starts separating on the top.

• Drop the marinated fish pieces one by one gently into the gravy.

• Make space by gently stir with a wooden ladle.

• Do not stir vigorously as fish pieces may break. Cover with a lid and cook for not more than 5 minutes on low flame.
• Most of the fish varieties need very little time to get cooked.
• Once when you see the color of the meat changes to white color, switch off.

• Allow resting for one hour before serving with hot rice for extra taste.

Tips:

1) Use fresh fishes for good taste and texture.

2) Never cook fish for more than 5minutes. You will end up in bits and pieces instead of whole fish slices.

3) Moreover, don’t stir too much to avoid breaking the pieces.

4) Small onions (shallots) give a nice taste but you can use big onions also if shallots are not available.