Beerakaya pappu

Beerakaya pappu ingredients:

1. Toor dal -1/2 cup
2. Ridge gourd - 1 (peel and cut into 1 inch cubes)
3. Tomato - 1 chopped
4. Onion - 1 chopped
5. Green chillies - 4 to 6
6. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
7. Tamarind – small lemon size
8. Salt - to taste

Popu or thiragamatha ingredients:

1. Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
2. Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
3. Fenugreek or methi seeds - 10
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Asafoetida - a pinch
6. Onion - ¼ finely chopped (optional)

Ridge Gourd Dal Preparation:

Clean and wash the dal.

Now add ridge gourd pieces, toor dal, onions, tomatoes, green chillies, and tamarind (clean and wash) and turmeric powder in a cooking vessel and cook till the dal becomes tender. (If you want you can do this in a pressure cooker also. 2 to 3 whistles are enough)

Switch off the stove.

Then mash the cooked items and keep aside.

Now take a separate pan and heat with 4 tsp of oil.

Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.

When they start to crackle adds the cooked and mashed dal and adjusts the salt.

Serve with plain white rice or roti.