Recipe for Andhra style Palak Pappu. Lentil curry made with spinach, dal and spices. Perfect side dish for rice. With step by step pictures.
This is my style of everyday comfort food. Palak dal / pappu, rice and a little drizzle of ghee. Its easy, delicious and we south Indians can have this every single day with rice. Just this and an appalam/papad on the side makes it a complete meal. Here is how to do it.
Boil the dal with water and a little turmeric for 4 whistles in a pressure cooker. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. Set aside.
Tip: I always faced the problem of the water spewing out of the cooker whenever I cooked dal or rice. I easily overcame the problem by using the pot in pot method. In this method, pour little water in the cooker and then place a bowl inside the cooker with the dal and water in it. By cooking in this method, the problem of water spewing out of the whistle and making a whole mess of the stove area can be easily avoided. Do give it a try. This helps in keeping the work area very clean.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter.
Add in the finely chopped onion and garlic. Saute till the onions are slightly brown and the garlic is browned as well.
Once the onions are slightly brown, add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the salt at this stage. Add in the sambar powder and the coriander powder. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.
You can use home made sambar powder or store bought sambar powder.
Add in the chopped palak and saute for 2-3 minutes until the palak is wilted and cooked well.
Add in the cooked dal and simmer for a couple of minutes. If the curry is very thick, dilute with little hot water.
Serve hot with rice and ghee.
- ½ cup moong dal
- 1.5 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame/gingely oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 dry red chillies
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (half a cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped (half a cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sambar powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 cups palak, chopped
- Boil the dal with water and a little turmeric for 4 whistles in a pressure cooker. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and asafoetida (hing). Let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Add in the finely chopped onion and garlic. Saute till the onions are slightly brown and the garlic is browned as well.
- Once the onions are slightly brown, add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the salt at this stage. Add in the sambar powder and the coriander powder. Saute till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.
- Add in the chopped palak and saute for 2-3 minutes until the palak is wilted and cooked well.
- Add in the cooked dal and simmer for a couple of minutes. If the curry is very thick, dilute with little hot water.
- Serve hot with rice and ghee.
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