Perugu Charu (Andhra Style Curried Buttermilk) is a delicious side dish made by tempering buttermilk with onions, green chilies, and a few more simple ingredients (vegetarian, can be easily made gluten-free).
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About Perugu Charu
Perugu Charu (Andhra Style Curried Buttermilk) is a light and delicious side dish where thick buttermilk is tempered with lentils, curry leaves, dry red chilies, onions, and green chilies.
It is very similar to Kerala Style Seasoned Buttermilk, but the tempering ingredients differ a little. Perugu Charu is spicy, cooling, and perfect to give instant relief on a super hot day.
Enjoy it with simple steamed rice for a comforting summer lunch.
Here are a few more Andhra recipes that you may like
- Andhra Chicken Curry
- Andhra Style Peanut Chutney
- Andhra Style Peanut Chutney Powder
- Avakaya
- Mirchi Ka Salan
Ingredients
Yogurt (Dahi) – This dish was traditionally made using slightly sour homemade yogurt. You can, however, use any plain yogurt that is easily available to you.
To temper the buttermilk, you will need vegetable oil, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), brown mustard seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves, Bengal gram lentils (chana dal), split-skinned black gram (white urad dal), onions, green chilies, turmeric powder, and salt.
Avoid adding asafetida (hing) to make it gluten-free.
Adjust the green chillies as per your taste.
How To Make Perugu Charu
Add 1 cup plain yogurt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk using a wire whisk until smooth and creamy.
Add ½ cup water and mix well.
The consistency of perugu charu is like that of kadhi. If it’s thick, add some more water to thin it down.
Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 10-12 curry leaves
and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Add 1 teaspoon chana dal and 1 teaspoon urad dal and fry until they turn slightly brown, stirring continuously.
Add ¼ cup chopped onions and 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies and fry until onions turn light brown in color. Stir frequently.
Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and cook for 4-5 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the whisked yogurt.
Add ½ teaspoon salt to the bowl and mix well.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Cover the bowl and keep it on the counter for an hour for the flavors to come together.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Storage Suggestions
This dish tastes best when made fresh. If you have leftovers, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a pan over low heat until it just starts to boil.
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Recipe Card
Perugu Charu Recipe (Andhra Style Curried Buttermilk)
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt (dahi) (slightly sour (tangy) homemade yogurt is preferred.)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 10-12 whole curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 1 teaspoon split and skinned black lentils (white urad dal)
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Add yogurt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk using a wire whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Add water and mix well.
- The consistency of perugu charu is like that of kadhi. If it's thick, add some more water to thin it down.
- Heat vegetable oil in a small pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, asafetida, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, and curry leaves, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add chana dal and urad dal and fry until they turn slightly brown, stirring continuously.
- Add onions and green chilies and fry until onions turn light brown in color. Stir frequently.
- Add turmeric powder and cook for 4-5 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the whisked yogurt.
- Add salt to the bowl and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Cover the bowl and keep it on the counter for an hour for the flavors to come together.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Vandna
I loved it
Neha Mathur
Thanks