Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu | Amaranth Leaves Stew with Mustard Paste

Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu is a traditional Andhra recipe in which the tangy Amaranth leaves (Thotakura) are paired with a sharp mustard-based paste to make for a fabulous pulusu that we eat with rice.

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Thotakura (Amaranth or Chinese Spinach in English, Safed Maath in Marathi, and Chaulai in Hindi) is absolutely one of my favourite leafy vegetables. It is very versatile and can be cooked in so many different ways to make a variety of curries and stews such as:

• this dal that we call Thotakura Pappu
• this stir-fry called Thotakura Vepudu | Maath ki Bhaji | Chaulai ki Sabzi

Today, I am writing about Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu, a stew that we eat with rice.

Why Should You Eat Amaranth, the Superfood

In recent years, the western world has recognised Amaranth to be a superfood. Amaranth leaves are rich in a whole host essential nutrients such as iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, and zinc. They are also among one of the few vegetables loaded with Vitamin K as well as a high concentration of Vitamin C and the range of Vitamin B including Vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, folates, and thiamin.

In India, Amaranth seeds and leaves are widely used in cooking, and so you can find many traditional recipes that make great use of these ingredients.

Read more about the benefits of Amaranth Leaves and why they are classified as a superfood.

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Ava Pettadam: The Andhra Technique of Using Mustard Paste for Flavour

The classic Andhra technique of Ava Pettadam uses a mustard seed paste as flavouring a variety of dishes including curries and stews.

To make the mustard paste, we soak equal amounts of mustard seeds, called Avalu in Telugu, and rice for about 30 minutes. When the ingredients are soaked, we then grind the two soaked ingredients with either a red chilli (as we do in my home) or green chilli to a coarse paste.

The rice in this paste serves three purposes:

• It serves as a bulk builder and helps in grinding the mustard seeds to a paste.
• The rice helps mellow down the spicy flavour of the mustard, and make the flavour palatable. 
• In a stew, the ground rice acts as a thickening agent and gives the dish a nice body. In the absence of rice, the pulusu would be watery.  

Tips to Make a Good Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu

• For this dish, use the green Amaranth leaves, and not the red ones. The green Amaranth has a tangier flavour profile.
• We always add the mustard paste to the dish at the end of the cooking. Otherwise, the dish may turn bitter or then mustard paste loses its punch.   
• Do not reduce the amount of mustard seeds; if you do, this pulusu will lose its flavour.
• Do not replace the mustard paste with mustard powder + rice flour, the flavour profile will change a bit.

How to Make Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu

1. To Make the Mustard Paste (Ava)
   1. In a small bowl, soak 1.5 tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp raw rice in 4 tbsp water for about 1 hour.
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   2. Grind the 1 or 2 red chillies, the soaked mustard seeds and rice with the water they were soaked to a smooth paste. 
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   3. Set aside.
2. To Make the Thotakura Pulusu
   1. Mix together 3 cups of finely chopped Amaranth leaves and 1/2 cup of 1/2″ bottle gourd pieces.
   2. Add 1 cup water. You need just enough water to cover the mix.
   3. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
   4. Let the pressure cooker cool and then take out the cooked amaranth and bottle gourd.
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   5. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt, and the ground mustard paste to the cooked mix.
   6. Mix well.
   7. Add a little water, if needed, and bring to a boil.
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   8. Turn off the heat.
3. Adding the Tempering
   1. In a tempering ladle, heat 1 tsp oil.
   2. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
   3. Now, add 2 split red chillies and fry for a few seconds.
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   4. Finally, add the tempering to the Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu and mix well. 
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   5. Serve warm Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu with hot rice or as a side dish to Mudda Pappu Annam.

This recipe was first posted in 2013 and is now being updated with new pics and a recipe card.

Recipe for Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu | Andhra Amaranth Leaves Stew with Mustard

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Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu | Amaranth Leaves Stew with Mustard Paste

Aruna

Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu is a traditional Andhra dish in which cooked Amaranth Leaves are flavoured with tamarind and a mustard paste. The result is a spicy, tangy stew that we eat with rice, or then serve as a side to Mudda Pappu Annam.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Andhra, Gluten Free, India, Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed vessel (750 ml litre capacity)
• Tempering Ladle
• Grinder
• Small Bowl

Ingredients

  

• 3 Cups – Finely Chopped Amaranth Leaves Thotakura, Chaulai, Maath
• 1/2 Cup – Bottle Gourd Cut into 1/2″ pieces – 100 gms
• 2 tbsp – Thick Tamarind Paste

For the Mustard Paste

• 1.5 tsp – Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Rice
• 2 Red Chillies

For Tempering

• 1 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 Red Chillies

Other Ingredients

• Salt to Taste

Instructions

 

To Make the Mustard Paste (Ava)

• In a small bowl, soak 1.5 tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp raw rice in 4 tbsp water for about 1 hour.
• Grind the 1 or 2 red chillies, the soaked mustard seeds and rice with the water they were soaked to a smooth paste.
• Set aside.

To Make the Thotakura Pulusu

• Mix together 3 cups of finely chopped Amaranth leaves and 1/2 cup of 1/2″ bottle gourd pieces.
• Add 1 cup water. You need just enough water to cover the mix.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• Let the pressure cooker cool and then take out the cooked amaranth and bottle gourd.
• Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt, and the ground mustard paste to the cooked mix.
• Mix well.
• Add a little water, if needed, and bring to a boil.
• Turn off the heat.

Adding the Tempering

• In a tempering ladle, heat 1 tsp oil.
• Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
• Now, add 2 split red chillies and fry for a few seconds.
• Finally, add the tempering to the Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu and mix well.
• Serve warm Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu with hot rice or as a side dish to Mudda Pappu Annam.

Notes

If You Need to Make Tamarind Pulp

1. Soak a 2″ ball of tamarind in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Using your fingers, mash the tamarind well and then squeeze it to extract the pulp.
3. Discard the tamarind.

Keyword Amaranth Leaves Stew, Ava Pettina Thotakura Pulusu, Thotakura Pulusu

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!