Why Anglo-Indian Puli Fry Tastes Better the Next Day

This recipe for tangy meat fry is a classic Anglo-Indian favourite. It is a complex curry that, as a rule, always improves when allowed to rest. It is typically made the night before, and eaten for breakfast the following day. With a good twelve hours window in between, the flavours marry and mellow, coming together in a rich and satisfying dish. It pairs as easily with roti and bread, as it does with idli or dosa. More on Anglo-Indian cuisine and culture here.

Recipe for Puli Fry

Ingredients
250 g fatty beef, cut into small cubes
3 medium-sized onions sliced
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 bunch coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped
4 green chillies slit in half
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 lime-size ball of tamarind soaked in hot water
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 tablespoons oil
1.5 teaspoon sugar
Salt, to taste

Method
In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick, and saute for a minute.
Add slit green chillies and saute for a minute or so.
Add onions and saute till golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder and saute till the raw, pungent smell of the ginger-garlic paste mellows down.
Add tomatoes and finely chopped coriander stems and saute till oil separates from the masala.
Add tamarind pulp extract and stir.
Add sugar.
Add salt to taste.
Add beef and pressure cook on a low flame for 3 whistles.
Boil further if the gravy is too thin.

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