This is a dal recipe in which I used juicy purple coloured tangy sepals of gongura flowers. These sepals enclose pods with seeds. I have already posted recipes using these sepals to prepare yummy jam and delicious drink .You can check these recipes in my recipe list.
Ingredients:
Toor dal – 200 Gms,
Tomato – 1 medium,cut into pieces,
Red chilli powder – 1/4 Tsp,
Haldi – 1/4 Tsp,
Green chilli – 7 to 8, slit into two, ( increase chillies and omit chili powder if you desire ),
Pappu masala / sambar powder – 1 Tablesp,
Gongura sepals – 30 Gms, ( sepals picked and washed ),
Oil – 2 Tablesp,
Peeled garlic cloves – 5 to 6,
Salt,
Mustard seeds – 1/4 Tsp,
Curry leaves – 6 to 8,
Hing – 2 Pinches,
Chopped coriander leaves – 1 Tablesp,
Onion – 1 small, chopped fine,
Red Chilli – 2, break into pieces,
Tamarind paste – 1/4 Tsp ( optional ),
Method:
1).Wash, cook toor dal with tomato, haldi, chilli powder, chillies, pappu masala and 400 ml water in pressure cooker till 3 whistles.
2).When the cooker is cool, add tamarind paste and mash the cooked dal with back of laddle into a course paste.
3).Take small pan ,heat oil and fry mustard seeds, hing, chillies, curry leaves, garlic cloves for 1/2 minute. Add onion, gongura sepals and cook till they become soft.
4).Add mashed dal and salt. Stir well and let it cook for a minute Under low heat.
5).Add chopped coriander leaves and remove. Serve with chapathi/ poori/ any roti / hot plain rice with a tsp of ghee.
Tip:
Pappu masala is an important secret ingredient that gives an unique taste to an ordinary dal. This is typical of any dal preparation from Rayalaseema with lot of green chillies.