Chintha chiguru pappu (Toor dal with tender tamarind leaves)

This is a very tasty and tangy dal preparation with tender tamarind leaves.Almost all telugu people are femiliar with this recipe.But only during summer months and some times rarely after a rain fall we may get the leaves.

This dal is served as side dish for hot plain rice with a spoonful of desi ghee.It can also be served with chapathi/poori/jonna rotti.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 200 Gms,

Tender tamarind leaves – 6 Tablesp,

Green chillies – 4,cut into 3 to 4 pieces,

Red chilli powder – 1 Tsp,

Haldi – 1/8 Tsp,

Tomato – 1,medium,chopped into four pieces,

Onion – 1,Small,sliced fine,

Hing – A pinch,

Brinjal – 1,medium,chopped into 4 pieces,(optional),

Red chillies – 2,broken into pieces,

Mustard seeds – 1/2 Tsp,

Peeled garlic cloves – 6,

Jeera – 1/4 Tsp

Curry patta leaves – 10,

Sambar powder – 1 Tsp,(optional),

Salt,

Oil – 2 Tablesp,

Method:

1).Wash dal and keep it in cooker(preferbly 3litres cooker) to one side.

2).Pick and Wash tamarind leaves in a collander to remove dust particles (if any),

3),Keep the tamarind leaves in a tall round steel container along with tomato and brinjal,(Tamarind leaves delays proper cooking of dal if combined with it as it is sour and tangy),

4).Keep the container to one side of the cooker,Sprinkle little water into the container,(image of the cooker with contents is given),

5).Add green chillies,red chilli powder,haldi and sambar powder to the dal,

6).Pour 400ml of water over dal and pressure cook for 4 whistles,

7).Let the steam escape and remove the lid,

8).Add the contents of the steel container to dal and mash it with a wooden laddle (pappu gutti in Telugu),

9).Add salt and mix well.Heat oil in a pan ,add hing,jeera, mustard seeds,red chillies and curry leaves.Fry till the seeds splutter,add onions and crushed garlic cloves.Fry till onion becomes pink and soft.

10).Pour mashed dal over tadka and mix well . Keep it for a min. on fire and remove.

Tip:

1).I prefer to pour dals/liquidy preparations over tadka/thalimpu instead of pouring tadka over them.This will definitely enhances the taste of that dish.

2).Whenever these leaves are available in plenty,they can be cleaned and dried under sun with out any moisture.You can preserve the leaves from few months to a year if kept in fridge.Before using in recipes required quantity is soaked in water for few min. and used.These leaves are a good combination with some of the non vegetarian dishes especially with dry prawns.