Menthula Pappu / Andhra Style Lentil Preparation with Fenugreek Seeds

I being an Indian and vegetarian, eat legumes in one form or another on a daily basis for my protein quota. And I  therefore keep showcasing 'traditional' dals (Indian lentil recipes) regularly here. When I peeked recently at the 'dals' category in my blog, I realized some needed tweaking in terms of content and some posts needed better images. Here is one such post which needed some fixing and was originally posted in July, 2010. This dal used to be a regular one in my mother-in-law's kitchen and now loved by even my kids at our home.

Today's dal is a healthy and rather an uncommon one from Rayalaseema area of Andhra Pradesh, called menthula pappu. As the name suggests, menthulu or fenugreek seeds is the star in this traditional recipe. It should not be confused with the dal prepared using fenugreek greens / methi leaves. Unlike most of the dals, this does not require any vegetables and gives the fenugreek seeds an opportunity to shine. 

And no, the dal is not bitter because of the fenugreek seeds used. The fenugreek seeds soften once they are cooked and it is hard to notice them while eating. If you are one of those who soak their lentils before cooking, just remember not to soak the fenugreek seeds as well as they lend bitterness to the dal. The taste of the finished dal is uniquely flavorful and refreshes your taste buds. 

Ingredients:
1 cup pigeon peas / yellow lentils / toordal
3 tbsp. fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp, spicy variety chili powder or to taste
1/4 cup watery tamarind puree (Soak 1/4 cup tamarind in water for an hour or place in a microwave with little water for about 3 minutes. Then squeeze the juice adding a little if needed. The leftover tamarind puree can be refrigerated and used within 2 days.)
Ingredients for tadka: 

1 or 2 tsp. oil

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

A sprig of curry leaves

2 pinches of ground asafoetida

Cooking:
1. Wash the lentils and fenugreek seeds with two exchanges of water and throw away the cloudy water. Then transfer the lentils and fenugreek seeds to a container. Add about 2 cups of water and turmeric to it. Place the container in pressure cooker, close the lid and put on the valve. Pressure cook the lentils until 3 whistles or until done.  
Alternatively, the lentils can be cooked in a pan on stove top, stirrng frequently. Add water as needed and cook until the lentils turns mushy.
2. Remove the dal from cooker and mash it slightly with the back of a ladle. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and asafoetida. (This tempering can be done at the end and added to the cooked lentils.) 
4. Then add the mashed lentils, salt, chili powder and tamarind puree to the pan and mix well. Add some water if the mixture appears too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. 

5. Cook  on medium heat setting until it starts to boil and then turn down the heat setting to low. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.

* Serve it warm with some hot steamed rice and a tsp of ghee.

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