Andhra Style - Palakura Pappu

 Andhra Style - Palakura Pappu

Palak/Spinach - 2 cups ( 1 big bunch)

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind or Tomato OR lemon juice  - Berry size or 1 no (Do not chop the tomato)/ few drops

Salt & water - as needed

Big onion - 1 no

Green chillies – 4 nos ( I used 2)

Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Sugar – a pinch

Oil - a drop

 To temper

Cooking oil or ghee - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Garlic cloves - 5 nos ( crushed with skin)

Red chillies - 2 nos ( I used guntur chilli)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Hing/Asafetida - a big pinch

 METHOD

Wash and chop the palak leaves finely.In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal and add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. 

Add turmeric powder,roughly chopped big onion, one full tomato(optional) slitted green chillies ginger, ,salt, sugar and chopped palak ( some uses tomato.But I read its not good to add palak & tomato together. 

So If uou don’t want to use tomato, use 1 tsp tamarind extract after cooking the dal and boil well}

Let it pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.After the steam is released,open the cooker and mash everything well using a thick ladle or whisk. 

Boil it to bring its right consistency.( If you don’t want to use tomato, add tamarind extract after opening the cooker now and boil the mixture  for a minute)

In a kadai, heat ghee or oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal,  cumin seeds, red chilli and crushed garlic cloves. 

Saute well for a minute and add them to the boiling dal.

Add tamarind extract if uing. Boil for a minute. 

After the dal becomes slightly thick and pourable, remove it and serve hot with rice adding a drop of ghee. Enjoy ! 

(Note : You can also add few drops of lemon juice instead of tomato or tamarind).

Palakura pappu

 Note

I read in Vahchef’s site by readers that palak & tomato should not be cooked together. I am not sure about the reason. 

So if you want to skip tomato, add thick tamarind extract only after cooking the dal palak mixture. 

You can also use lemon juice instead of tomato or tamarind. 

If using tomato, do not chop it and add to dal. Dal won’t be cooked well n mushy. 

So add it as whole tomato.

Make sure the dal is mashed well after cooking else the mixture will look watery and separate.

You can replace toor dal with moong dal too.

This palakura pappu can be done in another way, also 

ie. Heat oil in a cooker. Temper all the spices given above and then add onions, green chillies, ginger. 

Saute them for a while and now add the moong dal and washed palak leaves.  

Add required water and salt. Pressure cook everything for one whistle in low flame.

Easy, healthy Palakura Pappu is ready to relish with hot rice n ghee !