Mamidikaya pappu / Raw mango dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
Raw mango pieces : 2 big cups
Red chili powder : 1 tsp (adjust to ur taste)
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp or to taste

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the mango pieces and red chili powder along with cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice. Tastes heavenly when served with ghee, papad and pickle.

Bachali koora pappu / malabar spinach dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
Bachali koora / malabar spinach leaves : 2 big cups
tamarind : small lemon size
green chillies : 10 (adjust to ur spice level) cut into pieces
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp or to taste

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the leaves and cut green chillies along with tamarind and cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice.

Menthu koora pappu / Methi dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup

menthu koora / methi leaves : 2 big cups

tamarind : small lemon size

green chillies : 10 (adjust to ur spice level) cut into pieces

onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces

turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

cumin : 1/2 tsp

garlic cloves : 3

dry red chillies : 2 or 3

curry leaves : few

turmeric : pinch

salt : 1tsp or to taste

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the methi leaves and cut green chillies along with tamarind and cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice.

Usirikaya pappu / Indian gooseberry / Amla dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
tomatoes : 1 cup chopped into big pieces
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
amla / indian gooseberry / usirikaya : 10 no
red chilli powder : 1 tsp
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

chana dal : 1 tsp
urad dal : 1tsp
mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp

Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the tomatoes, amla along with red chilli powder and cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the chana dal, urad dal, cumin, garlic cut into small pieces, red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal . Mix well and serve either with roti or rice.

Dosakaya pappu / Yellow cucumber dal

Ingredients :

Dosakaya / round yellow cucumber : 1

onion chopped into big chunks : 1/2 cup

toor dal / kandi pappu : 1 cup

red chilli powder : 1 tsp

turmeric : 1/4 tsp

tamarind : key lime size (optional)

salt : to taste

for tempering :

Oil : 1 tbsp

mustard seeds : 1 tsp

cumin seeds : 1 tsp

dry red chillies : 4

turmeric : 1/4 tsp

curry leaves : few

First wash and peel the cucumber. See the taste. It should not be bitter. Cut into big pieces . (Remove the seeds if u do not like. But if u remove u should compulsorily add the tamariind.). Keep aside. Now wash the toor dal and put in a pressure cooker. Put in the cucumber pieces and onions. Now add the red chilli powder, tamarind and turmeric. Pour in sufficient water for the dal to get cooked. Keep on the stove for three whistles. Cool down and mash the dal adding salt as per ur taste.

Now heat oil in a small pan and when hot add in the mustard seeds and allow them to crack. Add the cumin, turmeric and broken red chillies. add in the curry leaves aslo and switch off the stove. Pour this over the dal and give it a nice mix. Dal is ready to be served with rice or chapati.

Mudda pappu / Plain dal

Ingredients :

toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup

garlic pods : 2 big

cumin 1/4 tsp

turmeric : 1/4 tsp

salt : 3/4 tsp

for tempering :

Oil : 2 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

cumin : 1/2 tsp

dry red chillies : 3

curry leaves : few

Cashewnuts : 6 (optional for garnishing)

Wash and pressure cook the dal along with garlic, cumin and turmeric, adding little less amount of water. Cook for 3 whistles and cool down. Now mash tha dal. It should be thick only then it tastes good . So keep an eye while pouring water to pressure cook. Add in the salt and mix well.

Now heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. Allow them to crackle and add in the cumin seeds, broken dry red chillies, curry leaves and the turmeric. Now pour this hot mixture over the dal. Garnish with fried cashewnuts.

Tastes heavenly when served with plain rice, ghee and pickle.

Tamata pappu / Tomato dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup

Tomato : 1 big

onion : 1 small

tamarind : key lime size

dry red chilli powder : 1 tsp

turmeric : 1/4 tsp

salt : 1 tsp

for tempering :

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

cumin : 1 tsp

garlic pods : 5 or 6

dry red chillies : 3

curry leaves : few

oil : 1tbsp

turmeric : pinch

Wash the dal and keep it in a pressure cooker. Put in the diced tomatoes and onions along with the tamarind. Now put in the red chilli powder and turmeric . Add some water and pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles so that the dal becomes smooth when mashed.

Cool it for some time, mash the dal and put in the salt. Adjust the salt .

Take a small pan, pour the oil and heat it. Now add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the cumin and garlic pods. Immediately add the broken dry red chillies and curry leaves along with a pinch of turmeric. Pour this hot mixture over the dal.

Mix well and serve hot either with chapati or rice.

Note : Instead of tamarind you can also use 1 tsp of amchoor powder if u like.

Paala koora pappu / Spinach dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal (kandi pappu) : 1 cup
spinach (palakoora) : 2 big cups
tamarind : small lemon size
green chillies : 10 (adjust to ur spice level) cut into pieces
onion : 1/2 cup chopped into big pieces
turmeric : pinch

For tempering:

mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
cumin : 1/2 tsp
garlic cloves : 3
dry red chillies : 2 or 3
curry leaves : few
turmeric : pinch
salt : 1tsp


Wash and place the dal in a pressure cooker. Now add the spinach and cut green chillies along with tamarind and cut onions. Add some water and a pinch of turmeric and cook till the dal becomes soft and mushy.It takes about 3 whistles in the pressure cooker. Let it cool down and then remove the lid and mash it with the masher. Add the salt and adjust it to ur taste.

Now take a small pan and heat some oil and when it becomes hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, now add the cumin and garlic cut into small pieces and red chillies and curry leaves along with little turmeric and pour it over the dal .

Mix well and serve either with roti or rice.