Egg pulusu is a tangy, spicy stew like egg curry prepared with onions and tamarind. It is a quick recipe for rice and a comfort food. A rustic Telangana style recipe with step by step instructions.
This post was originally published in May 2008. Republished with new content and images.
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Iron Rich Food
Eggs are a power house of nutrients. A good source of protein and iron. It is also easy to incorporate it in all 3 meals of the day.
You can start the day with spicy Bombay toast ~ savory French toast, rolled Japanese omelet or with bread & Mumbai style egg bhurji.
For lunch and dinner, make a Danish curried egg salad, steamed egg curry or cook it with vegetables like cabbage egg bhurji or ridge gourd egg bhurji. Options are endless.
Eggs are an easy way to get daily required protein and iron through diet. For A-Z iron rich food series, it is E for eggs. Here are a few recipes from the series.
Pulusu
Pulusu is a common stew like curry from Telugu cuisine, prepared in both Andhra and Telangana states. Pulupu is sour in Telugu, hence the sour curry is pulusu, prepared with tamarind juice. The base for the curry is onions.
Pulusu is prepared with vegetables, eggs and fish. Few common vegetables are okra, bottle gourd, bitter gourd and pearl onions. We also make pulusu with leftover moong dal vada called garelu pulusu.
Vegetables and/or eggs are cooked with onion, spices, and then simmered in a tamarind juice. This is the basic recipe however, Telangana version has an extra step. Roasted onion paste is added when pulusu is simmering.
Egg pulusu or guddu pulusu is prepared with only eggs, eggs and pearl onion or along with other vegetables such as okra and bottle gourd. Of all the combinations, egg and pearl onions is the best combination. Today's recipe is has only eggs.
Ingredients
- Onions - one of the key ingredients for the base. Both chopped and roasted onion paste is used.
- Roasted Onion Paste - Roast onions with cumin and fenugreek seeds, grind to a paste and add to simmering curry. This gives the curry a thick consistency and also imparts a nice flavor. If pressed for time, skip this step.
- Tamarind - Tamarind is the key souring ingredient. Use tamarind or tamarind paste. When using tamarind, soak in water and extract a thick pulp. Pulihora pulusu is a good alternative and it also enhances the flavor of the curry.
- Fenugreek - This is a key spice that enhances the flavor of the curry. Use it in powder form or use liberally when roasting onions. Adding roasted fenugreek powder to simmering pulusu enhances the aroma and flavor.
- Sesame Seeds Powder - It is an optional ingredient. Use it to mellow down tanginess or to thicken the consistency of the gravy.
- Other Ingredients - Curry leaves, chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, yogurt, ginger garlic paste and cilantro.
- Boiled Eggs - Number of eggs depends on your preference. We consume more eggs than the gravy. Adjust the number to your requirement.
- Get detailed ingredient list in the recipe card.
Preparation
- Detailed recipe in recipe card.
- Onion Paste - Roast some onions along with cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds in some oil. Garlic is optional and if you like it, throw in a clove or 2 of garlic (iamges #1-2). Cool the mixture and grind to a paste (#3).
- If pressed for time, skip this step and saute all the onions when making curry and add some cumin and fenugreek powder when sauteing.
- Boiling Eggs in Instant Pot (IP) - If using IP to boil eggs, take ½ - 1 cup of water in the inner pot, place a trivet and arrange eggs in the trivet. In mini IP you can easily boil dozen - one half dozen eggs (image #4).
- Close the lid, seal closed, manual/pressure cook 5 minutes, quick release after 5 minutes and leave in ice cold water for 5 minutes. (image #5)
- Eggs - Boil on stovetop or in IP as mentioned above and peel eggs. Make 5-6 vertical cuts on the eggs or poke holes with a fork.
- Lightly roast the eggs in some oil, turning around the eggs frequently. Keep aside.(#6-7)
- Tamarind - Soak tamarind in water for at least 5-10 minutes or even longer. You can microwave tamarind along with water for a minute and let it soak in warm water.
- Extract thick pulp and keep aside. Alternative is to use homemade tamarind paste or pulihora paste. Check note in recipe card if using pulihora paste.
- Curry - Roast garlic, curry leaves, then roast onion until soft and brown (#8-9). Saute ginger garlic paste (#10) and ⅓ of onion paste until ginger smell dissipates. (#11)
- Add spices and mix well (#12). Add yogurt, mix, then add eggs and stir to coat the masala. (#13-15)
- Add tamarind pulp/paste, add water, cover and bring to a boil (#16-17).
- Add remaining onion paste, fenugreek powder if using and simmer until raw taste of tamarind is gone and gray is of required consistency (#18).
- Lastly add sesame powder if using, simmer for couple of minutes (#19).
- Garnish and serve with rice.
Serving & Storing
Serve with steaming hot rice. Mudda pappu is a good combination to serve with pulusu. However, with guddu pulusu sometimes people do not prefer pappu.
Kodi guddu pulusu stays good for days in the refrigerator. In fact, pulusulu (plural) always taste better the next day. Microwave for few minutes and serve. Although this does not require too much heating, heat guddu pulusu long enough to warm the eggs.
Expert's Tips
- Color - Color of pulusu depends on tamarind. Aged tamarind is darker in color and gives a dark color to the gray. To keep tamarind from darkening in color, store it in the refrigerator.
- Tanginess - Tanginess of the curry depends on how tangy the tamarind is. Use tamarind that is not too sour. In fact some people mix two varieties of tamarind; very tangy and mild tamarind for pulusu.
- Tamarind Paste - Homemade tamarind paste or store bought paste comes in very handy. I personally do not prefer store bought tamarind paste. Homemade pulihora paste is a good substitute.
- Prepare few hours before serving - Always cook at least few hours before serving for the flavors to blend into the gravy.
- Consistency - Adjust consistency to your liking. If the gravy is too thick, add some water to dilute and some sesame seeds powder if the gravy is too watery.
- Sesame Powder - is optional. If the pulusu is very tangy, add some sesame powder to mellow down he tang and also to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Sugar or jaggery also helps to cut down the tang.
- Fenugreek Powder - Always lightly roast fenugreek powder before grinding it to a powder.
More Egg Recipes
📖 Recipe
Egg Pulusu
Equipment
- Knife & Cutting Board
- Wide Pot to prepare pulusu
- Mixie or a Blender
- Saucepan to boil eggs
Ingredients
Onion Paste
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 medium Onion chopped or 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
Pulusu Ingredients
- 10 - 12 Eggs boiled add eggs per your requirement.
- ¼ cup Tamarind or 3 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
- 2 tablespoon Oil use 1 more tablespoon if needed
- 8 Curry Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- 1 medium Onion, chopped or ¾ - 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- Onion Paste
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon Yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Methi Powder
- 3 cups Water and more if needed. Includes water tp extract tamarind pulp.
- 2 teaspoon Roasted Til ~ Sesame Powder opt
- 1 teaspoon Sugar opt
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Onion Paste
- Heat oil in a pan roast all the ingredients listed under onion paste.. When onions turn golden brown remove from heat, let cool. Make a fine paste using little water.
Eggs
- Boil and peel egg. If using Instant pot (IP) to boil eggs, do 5-5-5.
- Take a cup of water in inner pot of IP, place eggs on a trivet, close the lid, vent sealed, pressure cook/manual mode for 5 minutes, quick release after 5 minutes and put eggs in cold or ice cold water for 5 minutes. Then peel the eggs.
- Make slight vertical cuts on the egg, do not cut very deep. Alternatively, poke holes around the eggs with a fork.
- Take oil in a pan in which you will be making the curry. Light roast the eggs and keep aside. This is an option step.
Tamarind (skip if using paste)
- Wash and soak tamarind in ½ a cup of water or enough water to soak tamarind. Soak for at least 10-15 minutes. Or microwave tamarind + water for a minute and soak.
- Extract pulp using another cup of water. You will need to do this 2-3 times to extract all the pulp.
- Keep tamarind extract aside until needed. For this gravy you will need 3-4 cups of water. This includes tamarind extract.
Pulusu
- Heat oil in a sauce pan, add curry leaves and garlic. (if you roasted eggs, use the same pan and same oil)
- Add onion and saute until translucent, add ginger garlic paste, onion paste and fry for a minute.
- Add boiled eggs, coriander powder, chili powder, salt and turmeric and mix well.
- Add yogurt and cook until oil separates.
- Add eggs and fry until all the spices coat the eggs.
- Add tamarind extract and another 2 cups of water to get the desire consistency. If using tamarind paste, add paste and 3 cups of water.
- Cover the pan with a lid, bring to a boil and let boil for couple of minutes.
- Add remaining roasted onion paste. Check the consistency and more water or hold back on some onion paste, if you feel it would thicken the pulusu.
- Continue to boiling for another 10 – 15 minutes on medium heat until raw smell of tamarind is gone, specially if you used tamarind and not the paste.
- Check the consistency and taste of the gravy. Adjust water for consistency and chili powder & salt to taste.
- Add sesame powder and sugar if you are using, and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and plain dal. Always prepare pulusu at least 2-3 hours before serving for a better taste.
Notes
- Pulusu tastes better at least 2-3 hours after preparation or the next day. Plan accordingly.
- Onion Paste - If pressed for time, skip preparing roasted onion paste. Instead add all the ingredients in step 2 of the curry preparation. Substitute fenugreek seeds with fenugreek powder.
- Tamarind - Tanginess of the pulusu depends on tamarind. Adjust the quantity per taste and also depending on the degree of sourness of tamarind.
- Tanginess – Tanginess of the curry depends on how tangy the tamarind is. Use tamarind that is not too sour. Some people mix two varieties of tamarind; very tangy and mild tamarind for a balanced taste.
- Tamarind Paste – Homemade tamarind paste or store bought paste comes in very handy. I personally do not prefer store bought tamarind paste/concentrate. Pulihora paste is a good substitute.
- Pulihora Paste - is a good substitute for tamarind. When using this paste, cut back on fenugreek powder. This paste already has fenugreek powder and can over power pulusu.
- Eggs - We consume more eggs than pulusu. So I add more eggs. Add number of eggs per your consumption. This recipe yields about 4 cups (1 liter) of gravy. Add eggs accordingly.
- Pearl Onions - Pearl onions and eggs are a good combination in this pulusu. You can also any of the vegetables mentioned below.
- Consistency – Adjust consistency of pulusu to your liking. If the gravy is very think, dilute it with. water. If it is very thin, add some sesame seeds powder to thicken it. Sesame powder also helps to mellow down the tanginess.
- Fenugreek Powder – Always lightly roast fenugreek powder before grinding it to a powder. If you do not have it handy, add some extra seeds, about ⅓ tsp when roasting onion for a paste.
- Eggs Substitute - Substitute eggs with vegetables such as okra, bottle gourd/lauki, pumpkin, arbi and bitter gourd. You can also use combination of vegetables.
- Nutrition - Servings mentioned has 2 eggs per serving and nutrition values are calculated based on that. Values are approximate calculation.
Nutrition
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Original publish date of the post is May 2008. Post updated with new content and images.
Padma Veeranki says
Egg Pulusu is totally my kind of comfort food....My version is slightly different...will try out this flavourful pulusu next time...Loved it!
Poonam Bachhav says
Egg Pulusu sounds very flavorful, especially with the methi powder going in. This is a very unique egg curry recipe I have come across.
Sapana says
I have started prepping eggs for my girls but they are mostly boiled or omelette. Need to try eggs in curry form for my elder one as she used to love it back in India at my in laws place.
I will try your recipe as I think she will love it💕
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love egg curry but sadly I am the only one who eats it. My boys eat eggs, but have not developed a taste for curries yet. I am making this tonight so I can make my boys get used to it. Love the flavorful masala!
Lata Lala says
Egg curry with methi powder and tamarind is so unique recipe Usha. The substitution for eggs is a nice idea. We love egg curries and this one sounds so good to try.
Mayuri Patel says
Usha would never have thought of pairing eggs with methi. Your egg pulusu recipe is not only interesting but super tempting too. I think my next egg curry is going to the this Andhra style.
Usha Rao says
Methi powder enhances the flavor of pulusu. It is one of the must ingredients. Please do try the recipe next time.
Seema Sriram says
I believe This is the first time I am on your blog and I love the simplicity of the way you explain the recipe. The images have so much clarity, love it all.
Bless my food by Payal says
This is such an interesting recipe made with eggs. Tamarind in eggs sounds awesome. Thanks for providing the substitute of eggs. Would love to try this one day.
Usha Rao says
Thank you Payal. Please do try it with other vegetables if you do not eat eggs.
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
I am always on lookout for different egg curries, especially because it becomes a handy dinner idea. I love how flavorful this pulusu... I must bookmark this to try...
Usha Rao says
Thank you Rafeeda.
Pavani says
What a delicious egg pulusu recipe. I am always looking for new egg recipes and this turned out perfect. My whole family enjoyed it. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Usha Rao says
Thank you Pavani. Glad your family enjoyed it.