Pappu charu (andhra style dal/lentil medley)

Name: Pappu charu (andhra style dal/lentil medley)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: En
Ingredients: Tuar dal/kandi pappu – 1 cup; Water – 2 cups.; Tamarind- a small lemon sized ball; Tomatoes – 2 medium sized; Turmeric – 1/4 spoon; Hing: one pinch; Sugar – 1 teaspoon(optional); Salt – 1 teaspoon(optional); Rasam powder/Charu podi – 2 to 3 spoon tsp; Ghee – 2 to 3 tbsp; Bengal gram dal/senaga pappu/chana dal : 1 teaspoon; Urad dal/minappa pappu :1 teaspoon; Mustard seeds : 1/2 teaspoon; Cumin seeds/jeera : 1 teaspoon; Fenugreek seeds/methi : 1/2 teaspoon; Dry red chillies : 2 to 3 broken.; Hing/asafotida: a pinch; Garlic pods : 5 to 6; Curry leaves : a few; Coriander leaves: a few sprigs

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Main Dish

Very Easy

55 min

Preparation

Preparation15 min

Cook time40 min

Cook the dal with water in a pressure cooker till the dal turns soft. Once the dal comes back to room temperature, mash the dal with the back of a round spoon or an egg beater to a soft consistency as shown in the pic and keep aside.
Place the tamarind in a little water and boil for a couple of minutes. Once this is cooled, extract the tamarind juice by mashing the pulp together with water.
Save the tamarind water and discard the pulp. The tamarind water would be a little thick in consistency. Keep this tamarind jiuce aside.
You can use a steel vessel that you normally use for boiling milk or water to prepare this dish or any copper bottomed vessel.
Pour 3 cups of water in the vessel and turn on the stove. To this water add a pinch of hing, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, some turmeric and chopped tomatoes and allow to bring to boil.
Once the water starts boiling and you feel that the tomatoes are cooked a little, add the tamarind jiuce that we just extracted to the vessel.
Allow to boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the mashed dal and mix well till all the contents mix with each other and get to an even consistency. Allow to boil for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt at this stage and mix well. Check seasoning and add more if required.
Now add the rasam powder and mix well. Check for the taste and add more rasam powder if you feel that the taste is a little bland. Now turn off the stove. Prepare the seasoning.
At any stage if you feel that the taste is too strong or the conisistency is too thick, add some water till you get the required consistency and taste.
For this heat ghee in a small kadhai. Fry the chana dal. When it slightly changes colour add the udad dal. Let it fry for half a minute. Now add the mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add the jeera and allow to fry. Add the broken red chillies and fry. Add a couple of pinches of hing and stir well. Add the curry leaves.
Add the garlic pods and keep stirring. You will see that the garlic starts changing colour. Now add the curry leaves. Turn off the stove. Add a little turmeric and mix the whole seasoning well.
Add this mixture to the dal preperation we already made. Mix well and boil for a couple of minutes. Add chopped coriander for garnish. Remove from stove. Serve hot with rice.