Naga Chaitanya cooks Chepala Pulusu on Thandel set for local fishermen; here’s the recipe of his delicious fish curry
Naga Chaitanya recently put on the chef’s hat on the sets of Thandel, impressing locals with a mouth-watering fish curry. Here’s how you can make it!
Apart from being an actor, Telugu star Naga Chaitanya is also a foodie. So much so that for his first date with now wife Sobhita Dhulipala, Chay flew all the way to Mumbai for lunch with her. Not only does he enjoy eating delicious dishes but also admires the art of cooking. Well, recently during the shoot of his upcoming film Thandel, Chay turned into a cook for the local fishermen. Keeping the promise he made when he first met them, the actor cooked traditional Chepala Pulusu, also known as Andhra fish curry, on set. For the uninitiated, Chay will be seen as a fisherman in Thandel, which also stars the gorgeous and talented Sai Pallavi. Well, the film will release on February 7, so we will have to patiently wait for reviews of his performance. But Chay’s cooking skills managed to receive a lot of love. Here’s how you can make it at home!

Ingredients:
For Marinade: 1 kg fish cut into thick pieces, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Apart from these you would require: 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 cup finely chopped onions, 2-3 green chillies slit open, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. 8 stalks coriander leaves, 4-5 tablespoons oil, 1/2-1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 2-3 tablespoons tamarind, 10 cashew nuts, 1 bay leaf, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 green cardamom

Method:
This recipe has been shared by Swasthi's Recipes. Begin by marinating cleaned fish pieces with lemon juice, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Set it aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in hot water until it is soft. Squeeze it with your fingers in order to extract the juice. Grind cashews with 1/4 cup water to a smooth puree. Set this aside as well. Heat oil in a pan and add your whole spices. As it sizzles, add curry leaves, chillies and onions. Saute until the onions turn golden before adding the ginger garlic paste. Place the fish and fry it on medium-high flame for 3 minutes. Turn it around and cook the other side for 3 minutes too.
Sprinkle the garam masala, salt and a little more chilli powder along with the tamarind juice on the fish pieces. Now cover the pan for 2-3 minutes. Partially cover the pieces by pouring water into the pan and bring it to a boil. Cover for 4-5 minutes on medium flame and let the fish cook. Add the cashew and tilt the pan. Swirl the pan and let it cook until the broth bubbles. Now add the coriander and cover. Some time later, turn off the gas, remove the coriander and serve with either rice or chapati. Enjoy!
