Name: Pappu varieties with non-tangy green leaves in Telugu cuisine recipe by Tanuja G at BetterButter
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 bunches of pala koora or palak; 2 cups of toor dal; A pinch of turmeric powder; Salt to taste; Oil for tempering; 1 teaspoon each of mustard and cumin seeds; 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds; 1 cup of water; 3-4 whole dried red chillies; 4-5 green chillies; Marble sized tamarind soaked in enough water

ABOUT Pappu varieties with non-tangy green leaves in Telugu cuisine RECIPE

Non-tangy greens are palak, bacchali koora (malabar spinach), gangavaila koora (purslane) etc. Since these are not tangy, we generally add tamarind extract to make it sour and tangy. I am posting the recipe for palak dal. The same recipe can be followed for any of the greens mentioned earlier. When raw tamarind is available in the season, this extract replaces the regular/ripe tamarind. The taste is definitely sour/tangy yet different. One needs to taste it to relish it.

Ingredients Serving: 4

2 bunches of pala koora or palak
2 cups of toor dal
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering
1 teaspoon each of mustard and cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds
1 cup of water
3-4 whole dried red chillies
4-5 green chillies
Marble sized tamarind soaked in enough water

Instructions

Clean and wash the dal. Soak it in water for half and hour. Also clean and wash the pala koora. Chop the leaves into 1/2 inch length.
Pressure cook the soaked dal, chopped chukka koora along with turmeric. Let it cook till one whistle blows. Then let the pressure release by itself.
In the meanwhile, extract the tamarind juice. Discard the veins, seeds and pulp. Add salt, tamarind extract and mash the dal a little. (This step can be skipped if one doesn't like mashed dal.)
Note to check the consistency, the dal shouldn't be too thick or too runny. If it is too thick, add in some water. Then let it simmer for 5-10 minutes and turn off the flame.
Heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add cumin seeds, methi seeds and fry for 5 seconds.
Add green chillies and fry for another 10 seconds. Next add curry leaves followed by whole dried chillies and fry for 10 seconds. Then turn off the gas.
Add this tadka to the dal and serve it hot alongside rice.

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