Thotakura pappu (Amaranth leaves Dal)

• Thotakura pappu is a very common dal in the Andhra house holds. I remember my mom making this dal at least twice a week. After moving to U.S Amaranth leaves have become like a childhood memory for me. I don’t see them that often in the Indian grocery stores here. But when i do find them, I don’t miss a chance in making this dal.

• Pappu (dal) with some kind of greens or veggies is very common in Andhra. Pappu with hot rice, a dollop of ghee and avakaya (mango pickle) on the side are sure to please your taste buds. Simple and clean flavors which takes me down the memory lane.

• Preparation is very simple. Take the amaranth leaves with toor dal, onion, green chille and tomato to a pressure cooker. Cook until soft and finally do the tempering. It can’t get any simpler than this.

Recipe:

• Toor dal: half cup
• amaranth leaves- a bunch
• onion- 1/2
• Red juicy tomato- 1
• Green chille- 3 to 4
• Tamarind paste- 2 tsp
• and salt.

Procedure:

Cut the onion, green chille and tomatoe into small pieces. Wash the Amarath leaves, drain the water and chop them. Now take the toor dal, amarath leaves, green chille, onion and tomato with a pinch of turmeric in a vessel. Cook it in the pressure cooker till soft.

Once cooked, mash a bit and do the tempering with a tsp of oil, few mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.

Add the tempering to the cooked dal mixture. Now add the salt and tamarind and return the dal mixture to the stove and cook for another five minutes.

Serve the pappu with hot rice.

Tomatillo Pappu(Dal)

Tomatillo which is of Mexican origin is found in abundance in Texas. The tomatillo is surrounded by a thin husk as the outer layer. When you buy, make sure the husk is light brown and fresh. Avoid the ones where the husk is dry.

Tomatillo is a good source of vitamin C. I make a dal with tomatillo. Moong dal (which is milder) combined with chillies, coconut, onion and the sour tomatillo goes well together. Once the whole thing is cooked you find the texture of the dal very creamy. Goes great with chapathi and rice.



Ingredients:

Small Tomatillo: 6 to 8 (addjust acc to how much sourness you can take)
Moong dal: half cup
Small onion: 1 (Cut into thin half inch slices)
A handful of spinach leaves (frozen spinach works great)
Green chillies: 3 to 4
Dry/fresh coconut- 2 tbsps

For talimpu/tempering:

Oil- 2tsps
Few mustard seeds
Cumin(jeera)- ½ tsp
Few curry leaves
And few pinches of asafetida (hing)

In a pot put some water and cook the moong dal till soft. Keep it a side.

Now do the tempering: In a vessel add oil and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop add the jeera, curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Fry for few seconds then add the onion and asafetida and cook till onion becomes little soft. Then add the cubed tomatillo and salt and cook till tomatillo becomes soft. Then add the chopped spinach and coconut.

Just cook for a minute and to this add the cooked moong dal . Add somemore salt and a quarter cup of water bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for good ten minutes till everything is well incorporated.

Let stand for few minutes, and serve with chapathi or rice.



Note: Tomatillo is not green tomato.