Monday, June 30, 2008

Pappu(Telugu style dal)

Pappu means dal or lentil in telugu language. This curry is very aromatic and tastes wonderful with rice. Goes well with roti or Indian bread. You could prepare this curry with or without green leafy vegetables like spinach/dill/. My friend Avani who hails from Hyderabad taught me how to prepare it. The very look at this dish makes you feel like you're eating something nutritious.

Time Taken: 25-30 minutes
Serves about 4 people.
Ingredients Used:
4 handfuls of tuvar dal
a small handful of chana dal(optional)
1 bunch of spinach /or a little bit of dill and/or any other greens you use(optional)
1 medium sized tomato.
4-5 spicy green chillies
1 medium sized onion
one big garlic pod
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp oil/ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of jeera/cumin seeds
1-2 dry red chillies
3/4 tsp tamarind concentrate/paste.
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:
Wash both the dals in a pressure cooker container and add chopped onion, half the garlic quantity mentioned (thinly cut) and finely chopped leafy veggies, tomatoes and green chillies in it. Add the turmeric powder and enough water to soak the ingredients. Take 1 cup water in the cooker and place the container in it. Close the lid and pressure cook the dal well. While the cooker cools down, take a cooking pot and warm up some oil/ghee(whichever you prefer). Sputter mustard seeds and cumin in it. Add red chillies and stir for a few seconds until they turn dark red/brownish. Then, grate the remaining peeled garlic into it. Stir it a couple of times until it turns pinkish. Next, add the cooked dal mix to this along with some salt. Boil well for 5 minutes. Add tamarind as per your requirement and cook for another couple of minutes. Tasty Dal is all yours now!!

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