Andhra Chepa Pulusu
(Fish Cooked in Tamarind Sauce)

Ingredients
7-8 fish fillets (mackerel, catfish or tilapia)
1 cup finely chopped onions
4 slit green chillies
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoons red chilli powder
4 tablespoons tamarind extract
1/4 teaspoons turmeric powder
10-12 curry leaves
1 big lemon-sized tamarind pulp (soak tamarind in 2 cups of warm water and extract thick juice)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 cup oil

Tempering
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon methi (fenugreek) seeds

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

Now add the chopped onions and fry on medium heat till the onions turn transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt and fry for a minute. Now add the tamarind extract and bring it to boil.

Carefully place the fish pieces in the vessel and cook covered for 3 minutes. Add the green chillies. Turn the fish pieces over and cook. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Let the sauce thicken and till the oil separates or leaves the sides of the vessel.

Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note: Do not stir too much lest the fish pieces break and be gentle while stirring the fish pieces. Serve after a couple of hours of cooking, so the fish absorbs the tangy flavour of the tamarind sauce and spices.

In Andhra, we generally dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin and dry red chillies and make a powder for this dish. You can use readymade powders to save time, but making the powder is always best.