Verdolagas Dal / Payalaku Pappu

'Paayalaku' or 'Goli koora' is one of the greens which are available in our native state, Andhra pradesh. They grow wildly near any water source. They are slightly sour when cooked and are considered very beneficial for nursing mothers.

Recently I came across the same greens sold as Verdolagas, here. After some googling, I came to know that they are native to North America and are also called as purslane. They are used in Indian, Greek, Middle Eastern cuisine.

Back at home, the greens are mostly used to prepare 'Pappu', the Andhra style dal.

Ingredients:

Toordal - 1/2 cup

A bunch of verdolagas

Thick tamarind extract - 4 tbsp or adjust the amount to suit your taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder

Salt

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - A few pinches

A few curry leaves

Preparation:

Roughly chop the leaves. Chop the stems finely if they are tender or else discard them. Wash toordal thoroughly once or twice with plenty of water and throw away the water used.

Add the toordal, chopped leaves & stems, turmeric powder and sufficient water to a cooker or a thick bottomed vessel. Cook till you hear 2-3 whistles or till the dal reaches a fall- apart stage. (If using a cooker, 1 to 1.25 cups of water is enough.

Use only the amount of water needed to cook the dal. It should be not watery.)
After the dal is cooked, add tamarind extract, chillie powder and salt according to your taste and let it simmer for a few minutes on medium heat. Then turn off the stove.
Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, turn off the stove. Add this tempering mixture to the cooked dal / paapu. Stir once and close the lid.
Serve hot with plain rice and a tsp of ghee.

"Verdolagas Dal' - My entry to Nupur's A - Z Indian vegetable cooking series.

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