Puli curry in our household means only one thing.

It is prayer time. Growing up we very rarely ate puli curry, it’s a dish that requires slow cooking so that all the spices can infuse and it also requires a lot of ingredients.

And as soon as it is made, it has to put into a glass dish to prevent the tamarin from eating your metal pots.

My dad is known for his puli curry in our family, I tried getting this recipe out of him for I don’t even know how long, but his ability to give a recipe is another story all together. A little this a little of that… me on the other hand, I need precise ingredients when I am learning a new recipe.

I finally managed to get it out of him, painful and a very long task, but I did tweak it hear and then to make it suit my tastebuds.

Know when ever my dad sees me chopping up gem squash, he knows I am making puli curry and I have to hid the ingredients away lol.

Now puli curry is a regular dish in the house that when we actually make it for praying, there is no one fighting for the bigger share of the curry.

Yes there is never and I mean NEVER left over puli curry in our household.

I think my family loves my puli curry more… but shh don’t tell my dad lol.

Ingredients:

• 3 x gem squash, raw, halved and seeds removed.
• 10 x green beans, cut into half.
• 2 x garlic cloves.
• Curry leaves.
• 1 x butternut, peeled and cut into cubes.
• 1 x big brinjal cut into quarters.
• 6 x potatoes cut into quarters.
• 1 x 440g tin butter beans, drained.
• Salt to taste.
• 2 x tomatoes, blanched and liquidised.
• 1 x onion, finely chopped.
• 1 x tbsp Chowmans masala.
• 1 x tbsp. mixed masala.
• 1 x tbsp. Bombay delight.
• ¼ x tsp turmeric powder.
• 1 x tsp jeera powder.
• 1 x tsp dhani powder.
• ½ x tsp jeera seeds
• ½ x tsp mustard seeds.
• 1 x tsp white dhal.
• 3 x tbsp. cooking oil.
• 2 x cups boiling water.
• 2 x pieces of cinnamon sticks
• 1 x tsp seedless tamarid pulp.

Method:

• Heat the oil in a deep pot, over a low heat.
• Add all the seeds and the crushed garlic cloves.

• Once the seeds start to pop add the cinnamon stick, curry leaves and the onions.
• Saute till the onions become transparent.
• Add the masala, turmeric powder, dhania powder and jeera powder.

• Mix well.
• Add the liquidised tomatoes and mix so that the spices infused nicely.
• Let it simmer on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add the greenbeans and let cook for another 5 minutes.

• Do not be scared the food will not burn as the tomatoe will provide the water for now.
• Add the 2 cups of water and potatoes, cover with a lid and let cook for about 15 minutes.

• Add the butternut, brinjal and salt.

• Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
• Add the gemsquash and about half a cup of water.
• Add the tamarind pulp, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the drained butter beans and cover.
• Cook till the potatoes, butter beans, and butternut is soft.
• You can add more water, add a little at a time until the food is cooked.