Pappu is one of my most favorite and the best comfort foods. When I am felling down or not so well, all I need is a small cup of Mudda Pappu – it is one of the simplest yet most comforting and tastiest foods available. Making Mudda Pappu is quite simple. Cook Toor/Tuvar dal in a pressure cooker with enough water for 3 whistles. Add salt to taste and viola! Its ready! With hot rice and ghee on top, it tastes oh-so-heavenly. To make it further better, a spoonful of Avakaya pickle on the side takes it to another level. In fact, any andhra meals would be incomplete without Pappu/Dal. There are different varieties of Pappu we make and every household would have their own versions of it.
Today, I am posting one of my favorite Pappu recipes – Tomato Pappu. Unlike the Muddha Pappu, this is a spicier version with tanginess from ripe tomatoes cooked along with the Toor/Tuvar Dal. Again, this is super easy to make and tastes wonderful with hot rice and ghee. Authentically, any Pappu is served with Oora Mirapakayalu/Mor MoLaga/ Yogurt Soaked Chillies. If not that, anything crunchy would go really well too.
To Prepare Andhra Tomato Pappu
What I used –
- Toor/Tuvar Dal, 1/3rd cup
- Ripe Tomatoes, 2 large
- Green Chilly, 1 or 2
- Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder, 1/4th tsp
- Oil, 1/2 tsp
- Mustard Seeds, ½ tsp
- Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp
- Dried Red Chilly, 1
- Asafoetida/Hing, a generous pinch
- Curry Leaves, a few
- Salt, as required
- Water, as required
How I made –
1. In a pressure cooker, add washed toor/tuvar dal along with diced tomatoes and green chilly (cut in half). Add enough water so that everything is covered. Pressure cook it for 3 – 4 whistles.
2. After the pressure has dropped, open the lid of the pressure cooker and mix the dal/pappu well. The tomatoes would be cooked and the dal – neither too pasty/mushy nor too grainy. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
3. Let this mixture be on slow boil. Add some water if it’s too thick.
4. In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds along with the dried red chilli (cut in half). As the mustard and cumin splutter, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry for ten more seconds. Add the tempering to the boiling pappu/dal. Remove it from heat.
5. Serve hot with rice and ghee/clarified butter on top. Any vegetable side dish would be apt along with some fryumps or oora mirapakalayu.
Note –
- If you don’t want a spicier version, you can skip green chilly.
- Instead of adding red chilli powder, sambar powder can be added as well.
- Adjust the spice levels as per your preference.
Dal is looking awesome, now only If I can have some rice and papad:)
hahaha 🙂 thanks Freda!
looks delicious 🙂 blog s too good on the whole..chk out my page too – https://clicksnbites.wordpress.com
Thanks a lot Gouthami 🙂 Welcome to my blog! Hope to see you around here 🙂 Checking out yours now 🙂
I like the spicier version 🙂
hahaha done! 😀
Very comforting. I like plain dhal too. We called Thove in kannda.. Love it with ghee and pickle
Plain dal is one of my favs too 🙂 Thove – love this name 🙂
Mouth watering! This looks perfect
Thank you so much Kushi 🙂
This s simple and comforting.. With rice and ghee, heaven s the word
Thanks Vidya 🙂
Comforting….
🙂 🙂 Yes absolutely!
yum yum! these pics are making me hungry again and I just had dinner 🙂
Aww thanks a lot 🙂