Govinda Dasu Cookbook : Tomato pappu

Ingredients:

• Arhar ka dal – 1 cup
• Water – 3 cups
• Salt 1-2 teaspoons
• Tomatoes – 2
• Imli (Tamarind) – a tiny lemon sized ball
• Green chillies – 2 small
• Coriander leaves – 2-3 strands
• Red chilli powder – ½ spoon
• Turmeric – ¼ spoon
• Hing – ¼ spoon
• Jeera – ½ spoon
• Mustard (avalu) – ½ spoon
• Red chiilies –  2 or 3

Steps:

1. In a vessel, add 1 cup arhar ka dal (kandi pappu or toor dal) and 2 cups water. Either cook it slowly in medium heat while adding water as needed until dal (pappu) is completely cooked and soft. Or place vessel in a rice cooker with 2-3 steam whistles.
2. In a pan, add 2 table spoons of oil. Warm the oil in medium high heat. Add a quarter spoon methi (menthulu). Add a ½ spoon jeera and 1 big or 2 small red chilles. Add ½ spoon of mustard. Add a sprinkle of hing powder. Wait till mustard (avalus ) splutter. Add cut tomatoes and green chillies. Add 1 spoon of salt and a sprinkle of turmeric. Let it stir fry /cook.
3. In a bowl soak a small ball of tamarind (3-4 tamarind leaves) in warm water. After 5 minutes, squeeze tamarind leaves and prepare tamarind essence/juice. Add tamarind juice (¼ cup) to the boiling tomatoes. Let it all cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the cooked dal to the oooked/sauted tomatoes. Taste and add ½ spoon of salt if needed.
5. Let the above mixture simmer. Stir occasionally with heat in medium high heat. If it boils over, reduce heat to medium to medium low. Add a sprinkle of red chilli powder if needed after tasting the dal.
6. Garnish it with finely cut corriander leaves (kothamalli).
7. Switch off heat and cover the dish with a lid.
8. Serve with steamed rice or chapati or roti.