Potlakaaya Pindi Miriyam / Andhra Style, Spicy Snake Gourd Dal

Pindi miriyam is a traditional dish from the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a lentil based preparation flavored with the addition of a freshly ground spice paste. The paste includes 'miriyam' or black pepper as well which gives a spicy kick to the dish. The dish has a thicker consistency compared to the regular sambhar dish. There is another version called paala pindi miriyam that do not use any lentils but prepared with milk and the spice paste and that recipe is found here.

This had become almost like a forgotten dish though it was a favorite dal of mine while growing up. This is my maternal grandmother's recipe which I got from my aunt as my mother has almost stopped preparing this in the recent years and had forgotten the recipe. It seems that it was one of my grandfather's favorite dishes and so, my grandmother used it prepare it now and then. My mother on the other hand hated the dish and would be in tears whenever she saw the dish. It is hard to visualize the scene as I have never seen my mom disliking any food prepared at home. And guess what, this is one of the dishes she used to prepare regularly while I was growing up and had become one of my favorites over the years. 

We usually use snake gourd in this recipe but any vegetables on hand can be used. My mother used to add coconut in this recipe while my grandmother's recipe does not include it. I prepare it nowadays without adding coconut but I highly recommend it as coconut enhances the flavor of pindi miriyam. I have started making this dish recently and thought of posting today this comfort meal of mine.

Ingredients for dal:

3/4 cup yellow lentils / toordal

1 heaped cup of chopped snake gourd pieces

1/8 tsp. ground turmeric

Salt to taste

1 lime sized tamarind ball

Ingredients for the spicy paste:

1/2 tsp oil (I didn't use any.)
1 heaped tsp. rice 

1 heaped split chickpeas / chana dal

1 tsp. black gram / urad dal

1 heaped tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. peppercorns 
A pinch of fenugreek seeds 
3 / 4 dried red chilies
2 pinches of asafoetida (I added it in tadka instead.)

1/4 cup fresh / frozen shredded coconut 

Ingredients for tadka:

1 tsp. oil

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Few curry leaves

Directions:

* Rinse yellow lentils / toor dal with water and drain. Pressure cook the lentils adding snake gourd pieces, turmeric and 1 and 3/4 cups of water, for three whistles. If the lentils takes longer to cook than three whistles, cook the snake gourd separately as the pieces may turn mushy if cooked longer. Lightly mash the cooked dal with a back of a ladle.

* Soak the tamarind in water for about an hour to soften it or cook the tamarind with water in a microwave for two minutes. Squeeze the tamarind paste and keep it ready.

* Meanwhile, toast the ingredients mentioned under the list. Add oil to a small pan and add rice, split chickpeas, and black gram. Saute until dals start changing color and add coriander seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, and red chilies. Saute on low flame until coriander seeds and  fenugreek starts changing color. Add asafoetida and turn off the stove. 

* When the toasted ingredients cool down to room temperature, grind them along with coconut to a thick paste, adding water as needed.

* Add a tsp. oil in a kadai / pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves. (I added asafoetida here.) Immediately add the cooked dal with the snake gourd pieces, the ground paste and salt to the pan. Add tamarind water to your taste. 

* Mix the contents in the pan with a ladle, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Add extra water if it appears too thick. (Pindimiriyam's consistency is on a thicker side compared to sambhar and so add water accordingly.) 

* Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove and serve warm with rice / roti.

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