I am a lentils and rice girl. This is one of my go to everyday lentil. I make this at least once a week.I used masoor dal/red split lentil today. You can use toor dal or moong dal too. Tomato pappu is red lentils that is cooked until fall apart tender and simmered with a ginger, tomato and spice sauce. Its to die for. It has that much protein to compete heavily against a steak. Rice topped with dal and a teaspoon of Ghee – I can have it everyday. If you are vegan, omit the ghee.
The red lentil/masoor dal when cooked, turns into yellow. I use this as a magic tool with my son still today. Abracadabra – make the orange lentil turn into yellow! It works. Try it at home.
I have a neat tip for cooking dal in a pressure cooker. I always had a problem with Indian pressure cookers. The water from inside the cooker will leak out of the whistle opening while cooking and make a whole mess on the gas stove. By placing the dal and water in a bowl and keeping the bowl in the pressure cooker filled with water easily solved the problem. No more mess.
Boil the dal in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes until fall apart tender. For every half cup of dal use 1.5 cups water if you are cooking in a pressure cooker. If you are going to be cooking dal in a pan, soak the dal for an hour and boil it with 2.5 cups of water for every half cup of dal for 1 hour in low flame. Soaking the dal will help in cooking faster. Do not add salt while cooking lentils. They tend to cook faster without the salt.
Heat oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds, minced ginger, curry leaves and a dried red chilli. Once the curry leaves are dry and crisp, add asafoetida/hing. If you do not like the flavor of asafoetida, omit it. Asafoetida aids in digestion. Add in the onions and salt, cook until soft and translucent.
Once the onions are cooked, roughly puree the tomatoes in a food processor/blender and add it to the pan. Add in the turmeric and chilli powder to the tomato mixture. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery. Jaggery helps in rounding out the flavor. If you do not have jaggery, use brown sugar. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer in low flame for 20 minutes. Saute in between so the masala doesn’t burn. Once the tomato mixture is cooked and dry, Add in the dal and briefly simmer for a minute. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice. Don’t forget the ghee. If you are vegan, omit the ghee.
- 1/2 cup masoor dal/red lentil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 dried red chilli
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida/hing (optional)
- 1 medium onion,chopped
- 3 tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- Boil the dal in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes with 1.5 cups water until fall apart tender.
- Heat oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds, minced ginger, curry leaves and a dried red chilli. Once the curry leaves are dry and crisp, add asafoetida. If you do not like the flavor of asafoetida, omit it.
- Add in the onions and salt, cook until soft and translucent.
- Once the onions are cooked, roughly puree the tomatoes in a food processor/blender and add it to the pan. Add in the turmeric and chilli powder to the tomato mixture. Add in a teaspoon of jaggery.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer in low flame for 20 minutes. Saute in between so the masala doesnt burn.
- Once the tomato mixture is cooked and dry, Add in the dal and briefly simmer for a minute.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.