Thiyya Pulusu Recipe | Andhra style Pumpkin Stew

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Thiyya pulusu is a sweet and sour Andhra style stew that is made with tons of veggies and a simple stew base. Serve it over rice for a delicious meal.

Today I have a delicious Andhra style stew that is hearty and very comforting. The highlight of this dish is the vegetables used and any combination of them can be used. This dish is usually packed with a ton of veggies. So, it is perfect recipe to use up all the bits and bobs in the fridge.

Pulusu vs Sambar

Sambar aka pappu chaaru is made with a lentil base and toor dal (kandi pappu) is most widely used. It has a thicker consistency due to this. Whereas pulusu doesn’t have a lentil base and is more brothy. The broth is tamarind base. But pulusu might have lentil based spice powders added for flavor.

Pulusu in Andhra is similar to kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu. Green veggies like spinach can be used to make palakura pulusu or sundried lentil crisps can be used to make wadiyala pulusu or just plain pachi pulusu. So, basically anything and everything goes when it comes to this delicious Andhra style stew.

Ingredients

Thiyya pulusu literally means ‘sweet stew’. It is a little misleading because this stew is actually sweet AND sour. Main components of this dish are the vegetables and the stew base. This dish is sometimes called ‘Mukkala pulusu’ which literally translates to ‘veggie pieces stew’ because of the chunks of veggies used in the dish.

Recipe is from ‘Cooking with Pedatha‘ cookbook. Here is what you need to make this delicious South Indian stew:

• Vegetables: try to use a mix of vegetables that are sweet, sour and savory.
  • sweet veggies – pumpkin, sweet potato
  • sour – raw mango, tomato
  • savory – eggplant, drumsticks, bottle gourd, potato, raw banana, cluster beans etc.
  • other aromatics – curry leaves, green chilies, cilantro
• Stew base:
  • split black lentils (urad dal)
  • split pea lentils (chana dal)
  • sesame seeds
  • sambar powder – homemade or store bought
  • jaggery or brown sugar
  • tamarind paste
• Tempering ingredients:
  • mustard seeds
  • fenugreek seeds
  • asafoetida

Instructions:

• Start by making the stew base:
  • Dry roast dals and sesame seeds until lightly browned and fragrant. Let them cool for sometime before grinding into a fine powder.
  • Mix this powder with tamarind pulp, sambar powder, jaggery and 1-1½cups of water to form a thin, smooth gravy. This is the base that gives all the flavor to the pulusu.
• Next prep the veggies:
  • Chop all the veggies into large chunks. This gives the dish lots of texture and makes it hearty.
• Make Thiyya Pulusu:
  • In a heavy-bottom sauce pan, heat oil and add the tempering ingredients. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the chopped veggies and enough water to cook them. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender.
  • Alternately veggies can be cooked in the microwave or steamed until tender.
  • Once the veggies are cooked through and tender, add the prepared gravy, green chilies and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro leaves just before turning off the heat. Serve hot.

Print Recipe

Thiyya Pulusu | Sweet & Sour Andhra style Stew

Thiyya pulusu is a sweet and sour Andhra style stew that is made with tons of veggies ana a simple spice powder. Serve with rice and dal for a delicious meal.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: andhra

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Pavani

Ingredients

For the Stew Base:

• 1 tbsp Urad dal
• 1 tbsp Chana dal
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp Sambar powder
• 1½ tbsp Jaggery
• 3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
• 1~1½ cups Water

To make Thiyya Pulusu:

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp Asafoetida
• 4 Baby eggplants, chopped into chunks
• 1 Medium Potato, chopped into chunks
• 3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
• 1½ tbsp Jaggery
• 2 – 3 Green chilies, slit
• 8 – 10 Curry leaves
• 3 tbsp Cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish
• To taste Salt

For Tempering:

Instructions

Make Spice powder:

• Dry roast dals and sesame seeds until lightly brown and fragrant. Let cool for sometime before grinding into a fine powder.
• Mix the powder with tamarind pulp, sambar powder, jaggery and water to form a thin, smooth gravy. Set aside until ready to use.

Make Thiyya Pulusu:

• Heat oil in a medium-size heavy bottom sauce pan; add mustard seeds and when the seeds start to splutter, add fenugreek seeds. Once they start to change color add asafoetida.
• Next add the chopped veggies and enough water to cover them. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender. Alternately cooking of the veggies can be done in the microwave — this will speed up the process too.
• Once the veggies are cooked through and tender, add the prepared gravy, green chilies and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro leaves just before turning off the heat.
• Serve hot with steamed rice and dal.

Notes

• Use a combination of veggies you like: sweet potato, bottle gourd, raw mango, eggplant, raw banana, cluster beans etc.
• Instead of boiling the veggies, they can be either microwaved or steamed until tender. 
• Best served with steamed rice and a dal for a filling and wholesome meal.
• Leftovers taste even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm before serving.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

For a filling and wholesome meal, serve pulusu with steamed rice and a dal on the side. I love having leftovers of this dish because the flavors get a chance to mingle and it tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm before serving.