Sweet potatoes are not only a good source of carbohydrates but also in B vitamins. Different varieties of sweet potatoes available in which each having their own nutrition value. I have seen purple, white, orange.  Today, lets try tangy and sweet stew of sweet potato which we called Chilakada dumpa Pulusu in Andhra. I took orange coloured variety. When I made the stew with Orange variety one of my friend thought that it was carrot 🙂 (because of its orange colour one may think so). This stew tastes better when we had the stew with kandi mudda pappu (cooked red gram). Awesome combination!

Ingredients:

• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Red chillies – 2 ( break into two halves)
• Chana dal – 1 tbsp
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric – a Pinch
• Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp
• Green chillies – 8  (slit, depending on your taste you can adjust the hotness)
• Onions – 2 (Big, chopped)
• Curry leaves – few
• Kasoori Methi – 1 tbsp
• Sweet potato – 2 (Big)
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Tamarind paste – 1 1/2 tbsp (very thick paste)
• Jaggery – 1/4 cup (grated, depending on your taste you can adjust the sweetness)

How to make Sweet Potato Ready to make the Stew: 

1. Wash sweet potatoes in water and then peel off the skin, its an optional. lnfact, I usually cook with skin as its a source of fibre (Soak for 10 minutes in salt water).
2. Cut off the ends and make into two equal halves.
3. Then cut into rounds or squares. (you can cut into any shape and size).

How to Prepare Tangy Sweet Potato Stew or Chilakada dumpa Pulusu: 

1. Heat oil in a pan and prepare tadka with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, red chillies, kasoori methi (or you can make tadka at the end by heating oil and add green chillies and onions)

2. When the dals gets roasted add chopped onions, green chillies and saute it for 10 minutes on simmer.

3. Add cut sweet potatoes. Mix well and place a lid on it and cook for 10 minutes, stirr ocassionally.

4. Mean while, take  small bowl and prepare tamarind mixture with tamarind paste, Jaggery, salt, red chilli powder.

5. Pour the  tamarind mixture into the pan and cook for 7 minutes on high flame.

6. Mix gently and place a lid on it and cook till the sweet potatoes gets cooked completely. Here the stew becomes thick.

7. Sweet Potato Stew or Chilakada dumpa Pulusu is ready, switch off the flame. 

8. You can make tadka with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, chana dal, urad dal and add on to the top of the stew and mix gently with spatula. (you can add sambar powder to the tadka at the end for different flavour).

Notes:

• Depends on the size of sweet potatoes pieces, the cooking time varies, Like if the pieces are bigger needs more time and vice versa
• Adjust the Jaggery and Tamarind paste according to your taste.
• Adjust the thickness of the stew by increase or decrease the amount of water at 4 step and flame at 5 step.
• Sweet Potato, Brinjal, Drum stick Pulusu:  Add Drum stick pieces, brinjal pieces, sweet potato pieces at step 3 in the above process to make sweet potato, brinjal, drumstick pulusu.
• Squash Pulusu : Squash is similar to Pumpkin and you can make squash stew by following the same procedure. I ll share the squash recipes and stew soon.