Andhra Style Palak Pappu
A spicy, tangy, pungent and flavourful spinach dal made in Andhra style
Ingredients
- ½ cup Toor Dal
- 300 grams Spinach or Palak roughly 1 large bunch
- 2 large Onions
- 1 large Tomato
- 6-7 cloves Garlic
- 3 large Green Chillies
- 5-6 Dry Red Chillies
- Tamarind gooseberry sized, soaked in water
- ½ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 3 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tsp Dhaniya Powder
- 2-3 tbsp Groundnut Oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 tsp Urad Dal
- 2 tsp Jeera
- ½ tsp Fenugreek or Methi Seeds
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker, add half cup washed toor dal, 1 roughly chopped onion, 1 roughly chopped tomato, 3 large green chillies and 3 cloves of garlic, 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1.5 cups of Water
- Pressure cook the dal for 6 to 7 whistles
- Once the pressure is released, using a wooden masher, mash the dal thoroughly. Keep the dal aside.
- Heat a kadai, add groundnut oil, and for first tempering add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera and fenugreek seeds and fry till golden brown.
- Next add asafoetida, 3 red chillies broken in half, 2 sprigs curry leaves, and 1 large onion roughly chopped. Sauté until the onions turn pink.
- Next add 300 grams chopped palak or spinach. Saute and cook till spinach shrinks in volume
- Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhaniya powder and cook for couple of minutes
- Extract pulp from tamarind soaked in water. Add the pulp to spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until raw smell of tamarind is gone
- Add the cooked and mashed dal. Add salt to taste and add some water as required.
- Bring to boil.
- For the final tadka, in a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee. Add 3 to 4 roughly crushed garlic. Fry till golden brown, and then add 2 red chillies broken in half. Fry till chilli changes colour.
- Add this tadka to dal. Mix well. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Be generous with garlic and chillies in this recipe
- Addition of Methi seeds in the tempering adds a nice aroma and taste to dal.
- Cooking palak separately and not including in the pressure cooker, helps retain its colour and nutrition
- You can also make Methi Pappu by replacing palak with methi. It tastes equally delicious.
- Do not skip the final tadka of garlic and red chillies in Ghee. The golden fried garlic and red chillies add a distinct flavour and taste to this dal.
- This dal is usually served slightly thick.