Majjiga Pulusu

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Curd
2 tbsp Besan
handful Bottlegourd Pieces
3 to 4 Green Chillies
2 to 3 Curry Leaves
Turmeric
Red Chilli Powder -- optional, if the spice from the green chillies isn't enough
Salt
Water
Oil


TADKA

Mustard Seeds
Urid Dal -- optional
Channa Dal -- optional
Jeera
2 Red Chillies
Methi Seeds
Hing -- optional

PROCEDURE

In a small bowl, add the besan and whisk it with a little bit of water until it gets a paste like consistency. Approximately a 1/4 cup of water.
In a separate bowl, beat the curd until it gets to be like buttermilk. You can also directly use buttermilk, if you don't have curd handy.
Mix the beaten curd with besan and let it sit.
In a large cooking pan, add the bottlegourd pieces (and any other pieces you want to use) and enough water to soak the pieces. Boil the pieces until they are well cooked.
Add the curd mixture and mix everything well. Let it come to a boil.
Mix in the turmeric and salt.
In a small tadka pan, add about 2 tbsp of oil and add all the tadka ingredients, green chillies and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add this to the boiled curd mixture.
Serve hot or cold with steamed rice.

NOTE: Be sure not to add too much water as this will make your pulusu too runny. Start off with about 2 cups of water. You can always add more after the water has evaporated.