Fish Cooked in Tamerind Sauce (Chepa Pulusu)

Difficulty Rating 2: Special Ingredient Needed

Fish  - 7-8 fillets

Onions, chopped - 1 cup
Green chilies, slit - 4
Ginger garlic - 1 ½  tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Chili powder- 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Tamarind, soaked in 2 cups water & extract juice - 4 tbsp.
Curry leaves - 10-12
Coriander leaves, fresh - 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Oil

Seasoning:
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
Methi/ fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.

1.   Heat oil in a wide vessel and add the mustard seeds until they splutter. Add the methi seeds and let them brown. Add the curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.

2.   Add the onions and fry till the onions turn transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes.

3.   Add the turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder and salt and fry for a minute.

4.   Add the tamarind extract and one or two cups of water and bring it to boil. Carefully place the fish pieces in the vessel and cook covered for 3 minutes.

5.   Add the green chilies. Turn the fish pieces over and cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Do not stir too much or the pieces will break. Let the sauce thicken and till the oil separates.

6.   Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

7.    Serve it after a couple of hours of cooking so that the fish pieces absorb the tangy flavor of the tamarind sauce and spices. Serve with rice.