Mamidikaaya Pappu / Andhra Style Green Mango Dal / మామిడికాయ పప్పు

(This was originally published on 9/ 9/09.)

Pappu is a signature lentil based dish from the south Indian states of Andhra and Telangana. The preparation is a simple one using the basic ingredients from an Indian kitchen and usually brings out the flavors of the vegetable being used. However, it should be noted that all vegetables are not used to make a pappu. Some are absolute classics if a list of pappus is being made. Mamidikaya pappu (green mango dal), and the ones prepared using leafy greens like gongura and chukka koora are mouth watering and flavorful dals. Today's recipe is for mamidikaya pappu, which is one of our family favorites. Mango dal, the protein rich dish with the tart mangoes and a flavorful seasoning of asafoetida and curry leaves would make a pleasing meal when served with rice, drizzled with ghee.

Pick the tartest kind of green mango you can, for this dal. See that it is very firm to touch and green in color. The signature flavor of the dal is lost with out the sourness. The requirement of tamarind in this recipe depends upon the sourness of the mango being used. If the mangoes are really sour as back in India, tamarind may be omitted. I get sour mangoes but not that mouth puckering variety and so I happen to use tamarind. 

Ingredients needed:
1 cup pigeon peas / toor dal

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 small firm, green mango - peeled, seeded and chopped into cubes (I had about a cup.)
About 2 tsp. salt or as needed
1/2 tsp. spicy chili powder or as needed
Thick tamarind puree (I used about 3 tbsp. See note below.)

Ingredients for seasoning / popu: 

2 tsp oil 

1 tsp. mustard seeds 

1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)

A pinch of fenugreek seeds (optional)

2 pinches of asafoetida

Few curry leaves

Directions:
* Wash pigeon peas / toor dal with water twice and throw away the cloudy water. Pressure cook the dal adding 2 cups of water and turmeric powder for 3 whistles or until done. (The dal can be cooked in a thick bottomed pan on stove top in lieu of a pressure cooker. Soak dal for a couple of hours in that case to fasten the cooking process. Cook until the dal softens adding water as needed.)

* Cook mango cubes in another container in the cooker (while cooking dal) or cook separately in a sauce pan or in a microwave adding about 1/2 cup of water. (It is done because the tartness of mango interferes with the cooking of toor dal.)

* Mash the cooked dal with the back of a ladle and keep aside.

* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add the mashed dal, cooked mango cubes along with the water used to cook, salt, chili powder and tamarind if using. Mix all the ingredients well with the ladle. Add extra water if the dal appears thicker. Check the taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Let the dal simmer for about 5 minutes for all the flavors to mingle and turn off the stove.

How to serve:
Serve this with a small mound of rice and a tsp of ghee. Serve along with a pickle, koora (a vegetable preparation), and yogurt for Andhra style lunch.

Notes:

Soak about 1/4 cup of tamarind in water for about an hour or microwave for about 3 minutes adding water. Squeeze thick tamarind puree using your fingers or passing through a sieve. Discard the seeds and fibre. Use the puree as needed and refrigerate the rest. The amount of tamarind puree used depends upon the tartness of mango being used. I used about 3 tbsp. of tamarind puree but the quantity may vary for the same amount of pigeon peas cooked depending upon the mango used. If using the ready made tamarind paste, the quantity mentioned above varies.

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Mixed Dal - Spinach Vada ~ Palakoora Vadalu

A fritter of some kind commonly called vada / bajji is usually included in festive menus among south Indians. Pakodas don't figure in the menu as they contain onions, at least in our family. Vadas usually involve soaking and grinding the lentils whereas bajjis are made with vegetable slices dipped in a batter of spicy chickpea flour. The latter is easier as no grinding is involved but both involve deep frying which I usually avoid. These vadas happened because of the thaali theme or otherwise I would have been content with some microwaved papad. My husband needs to thank Valli for sure. 😀
These vadas are made along the lines of masala vadas / chana dal vadas which happen to be my favorite among the vada category and used to be a 'must to have dish' on my birthdays while growing up. Why not include something I like if I am going to fry anyway? was my thought process when I made these. I made it with a mixture of pulses / dals as we sometimes do and also added some spinach instead of onions as it was a festival day. BTW Kannadigas call the masala vada/ vade made without onion as ambode and it is a popular festival snack among Brahmin community. Add some minced onion for extra flavor if not serving on auspicious days. These cripsy vadas make a great addition to any festival meal like this one which I made for Navratri / Dasara or a party platter, when served warm. They also make a great afternoon snack. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup split chickpeas (pachi senagapappu / chana dal)
1/4 cup skinned black gram (minapappu / urad dal)
1/4 cup pigeon peas (kandi pappu / toor dal)
2 spicy green chilies / or as needed 
Salt as needed
1 cup washed and finely chopped fresh spinach
A handful of cilantro, roughly minced
2 stalks of curry leaves, roughly minced
Oil to fry vadas

Directions:
* Rinse the dals / lentils with water and drain. Soak them in water for about 2 to 3 hours. 

* Drain the lentils in a colander until all the water is completely gone. Portion out a handful of soaked lentils and keep aside.
* Grind the rest of the lentils along with salt and green chilies to a slightly coarser batter, without adding any water. (I usually grind it in my food processor.)
* Transfer the batter to a wide bowl and add the saved lentils which were not ground and chopped greens. Mix well to combine.

* Meanwhile, heat oil for frying a in a thick bottomed pan or a kadai. The oil should be hot enough to fry but not reach a smoking point. When one drops a pinch of vada batter into the hot oil, it should immediately swim to the surface of the oil which means the oil is ready for frying. If not then heat the oil for some more time. 
* Take a small lemon sized portion of the batter onto your non dominant hand and pat it into a thick disc. (I forgot to click for these steps.)
* Drop it into the hot oil from the sides carefully. Add as many discs as the pan holds without over crowding. Fry them on low medium flame until they turn golden brown on both sides, flipping them now and then. Don't fry them on high heat since they would be under cooked inside while getting brown faster from the outside. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on a plate covered with paper towel.
* Repeat the steps with the remaining batter. 
* Enjoy vadas as part of a festive meal or as an evening tea time snack.
 

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Dal Pakwan ~ A Classic Sindhi Breakfast

The Sindhi breakfast happened because the Sindhi thaali couldn't happen.😀 Dal pakwan is basically where cooked chana dal topped with spices, chutney and minced onion is served with deep fried bread called pakwan. I was glad that I picked this particular mini combo platter of dal pakwan though I was initially skeptical about the dal's role here. I should not have harbored any doubts considering that this is a very popular and traditional breakfast among Sindhis. I just hopped through a few authentic Sindhi food blogs for dal pakwan recipe and created this. Everyone at home enjoyed this meal and mentioned that it's delicious enough to be on a rotation. The daughter who is not great on experimenting with Indian food loved it and while eating the dinner, (Yes I made it for dinner and we ate it like a chaat) requested for a repeat the next day. That is like a super duper hit from my family's standards. 😋

Dal pakwaan is a classic breakfast combo from the Sindhi cuisine. It is so popular and delicious that it is made during festivals and on special occasions including in wedding breakfasts. I can completely understand why after tasting the dish though it is a calorie laden  dish. However the combo is tasty enough to indulge occasionally for a weekend brunch / lunch to break the montony of the daily grind. 
 
Did you just glance at the long list of ingredients and my lengthy post? Just don't go running as this recipe is not a complex one. If you are used to the Indian cooking then you realize that the side dishes are quick ones to make, a simple dal that can be pressure cooked and a green chutney which needs just grabbing the ingredients and grinding them in a blender. The toppings are the most commonly found ingredients in any Indian kitchen. The pakwan aka crisp flour pooris can be made in advance and that's what I did. 

It is not served in the way I have shown above but bits of pakwan are broken and dipped into spicy, yummy dal and enjoyed. Crisp pakwan, laden with dal and the spicy toppings that can be adjusted to one's preference, the sharpness lend by the onions, flavorful cilantro = yum.

Dal pakwaan preparation involves three steps. Preparation of pakwan which can be done in advance if busy, preparation of dal, and preparing the green chutney. Let us first deal with the preparation of pakwan. Pakwan are crisp, fried breads with all purpose flour or maida based dough. The dough can be used after a short resting period or can be covered and refrigerated for about two days. They are rolled into thin roundels and deep fried. The pakwan can be prepared in advance as they can be stored for a few days.

Ingredients for pakwaan: (Yield 12)
2 cups maida / all purpose flour + extra for dusting
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. carom seeds / ajwain 
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee or hot oil
Oil to fry

Step 1 - Preparing pakwan
* Combine flour, cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt and ghee in a mixing bowl. 

* Add water little by little and form a soft, pliable dough. The dough should not be sticky as it would be hard to roll. (I used a little over 3/4 cup water to prepare the dough.)

* Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes. (I could not prepare it immediately and refrigerated the dough for 2 days. I thawed it before using by nuking it in the microwave, covered for 20 seconds.)
* Divide the dough into 10 to 12 portions and roll them into balls. Work with one ball at a time while keeping the rest covered.

* Roll into a thin roundel of about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if needed. Prick it all over with a fork, to prevent them from puffing up while frying. I made them smaller in size. (One can simultaneously roll and fry them or if one is new to this, a few can be rolled out first and then can be fried.)

* Heat oil for frying a in a thick bottomed pan or a kadai. The oil should be hot enough to fry but not reach a smoking point. When one drops a pinch of dough into the hot oil, it should immediately swim to the surface of the oil which means the oil is ready for frying. If not then heat the oil for some more time. Drop a the roundel into the hot oil, taking care to drop it from the sides gently. Cook on low medium flame.

* Fry it for few seconds, pressing downwards and flip it. Again let the other side turn golden brown as well and remove.

* Use a slotted spoon and transfer the fried pakwan onto a plate lined with paper towel. The fried pakwan should be light golden in color and crisp. 
 
* Repeat the rolling and frying steps. Use them immediately or store them in an air tight container once they reach the room temperature. They stay fresh for a few days.

Step 2 - Green chutney preparation
The green chutney is runny and on a spicy and tangier side. I am just mentioning the process since the ingredients can be added according to one's own tastes. Grind mint and coriander leaves along with green chillies, salt and tamarind pulp / lemon juice adding water as needed.
I didn't have mint leaves on hand the day I made dal pakwan. I used 2 cups of tightly packed cilantro / coriander leaves, 3 green chilles (or to taste), salt and tamarind paste and ground them adding some water.

Step 3 - Dal Preparation
Pakwan are served with a dal made with chana dal aka split chickpeas. Some versions are plain simple with a light seasoning and some use onions and tomatoes as well. I went with the simpler version. The dal needs to be cooked until soft but they should still hold their shape. The below mentioned toppings are sprinkled while serving the dal. Fried green chilies can be added as well if  chilies were not added to the dal in the tadka.

Ingredients for dal:
1 and 1/2 cups of split chickpeas / chana dal
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 green chilies, chopped
1 sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Toppings for dal:
Dry mango powder / amchur powder
Chili powder
Garam masala (optional)
Cilantro / coriander leaves
Green chutney and / or tamarind chutney
Minced onions

Directions:
* Soak chana dal in water for about 2 hours or more. They can be soaked overnight if not using pressure cooker so that they can be cooked faster. Drain the water after soaking and rinse the dal again.
* Pressure cook the dal adding about 3.5 cups of water and turmeric. The dal should be cooked soft but it should still hold the shape.
* Heat a pan and add ghee / oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add green chillies and sprig of curry leaves. Saute them for few seconds and pour into the cooked dal.
* If the dal appears dry, add extra water. Add salt as well to the dal, mix and let the mixture simmer for about 7 to 8 minutes, with intermittent stirring. 
* Sprinkle dry mango powder, chili powder and garam masala if using over the dal. Drizzle the chutney and sprinkle with onions. Serve hot with pakwan.

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A 'Simple' Tamil Nadu Thaali

As I mentioned in my yesterday's post, it is time for mega marathon this month with the theme of Indian thaalis and platters. I reserved this week for everyday style mini thaalis. I chose to go with the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu for today's mini meal platter aka saapadu. It is a simple, traditional style, vegetarian meal platter. A typical Tamil Nadu or for that matter, any south Indian style lunch menu revolves around rice and is always a balanced meal of carbs, proteins and vegetables. Each side dish is eaten in a specific order, mixed with a small portion of rice and drizzled with ghee. A vegetable preparation is eaten as a side dish while rice is eaten first with a lentil and vegetable based gravy, followed by a thin, spicy broth called rasam and the meal is rounded off with a serving of yogurt and rice or buttermilk. There would be a pickle or an instant chutney or a spicy powder (podi) to perk up the meal. It may be a chutney / thogayal prepared that day with a vegetable or lentil base or a pickle / oorkaai scooped out from a jar, that was made and preserved during summer months for the year long usage. And then there may be some fried popadums / sun dried fritters that every one enjoys but are optional for everyday meals. Ghee, salt and water are of course part of the meal. Sweets and snacks are usually reserved for special occasions at homes. One can even add a banana to the thaali if it is not an every day meal.

Though people still practice this regimen, one cannot forget that the word 'traditional' is the keyword here. People in the modern day hustle bustle may not have enough time to cook all the side dishes and may opt for one or two side dishes or sometimes even just a wholesome, one pot meal. Now let's come back to our traditional style meal. The vegetable preparation typically can be a dry saute called poriyal or a fry that is common across the south Indian states. Or preparations with regional touches or those ones unique to the state. The tamarind based lentil / gravy preparations typically fall under sambhar, kuzhambu, kootu, paruppu varieties. The food never gets boring taking into consideration how a typical housewife injects variety into everyday cooking rotating the recipes from repertoire.

This was one of those meals I wished I could serve on a plantain leaf but had to manage with my steel plate which is what typically used back home to eat everyday meals (at least these past few decades.) No cutlery is used in the traditional style of eating. And also the side dishes are not served in cups either since each item is individually eaten. For example rice and sambhar is mixed in a plate using the tips of the right hand fingers, scooped up and eaten. There may be a small serving of some chutney, curry or a papad on the side. Once the sambhar - rice is finished, rice and rasam are again added to the plate and so on.

We almost always have a chutney / pickle, curry, sambhar, rasam, yogurt to go with our rice. I therefore included those varieties in the meal and had kootu as an extra as it is a personal favorite and usually part of a traditional spread . Hop over here for the recipe of cucumber kootu.  I had a sago kheer prepared for neivedyam that day and so it went into the platter as well. This is a Tamil Brahmin aka tambram style mini thaali without the usage of onion and garlic. My lunch platter had the following items along with rice. (Usually we would place the pickle next to curry, I realized later.)

Avakkai - Mango pickle in powdered mustard base
Appalam - Papad (Microwaved)
Vazhakkai poriyal - Plantain curry with addition of coconut and simple seasoning 
Varutharacha kuzhambu - Mixed vegetable gravy
Vellerikka kootu - Cucumber and moongdal stew
Rasam - Lentil and tomato broth
Thayir - Yogurt
Javvarisi payasam - Sago kheer / Tapioca pearl pudding

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Recipe Index ~ Indian Dals, Kadhis & Raitas (Legume Dishes & Yogurt Based Dishes)

ANDHRA DALS / PAPPU

• Beerakaya Pappu ~ Ridgegourd with Lentils  
• Chinta Chiguru Pappu ~ Lentils with Tender Tamarind Leaves
  
• Chukkakoora Pappu ~ Lentils with Greens
  
• Dosakaya Pappu ~ Lentils with Cucumber
• Gongura Pappu ~ Lentils with Sorrel Leaves
• Gongura - Mamidikaya Pappu ~ Lentils with Sorrel & Green Mango
• Kobbari Pappu ~ Coconut Dal
• Lemony Tomato Dal
• Mamidikaya Pappu ~ Green Mango Dal
• Menthikoora Pappu ~ Lentils with Fenugreek Greens
• Menthula Pappu ~ Lentils with Fenugreek Seeds
• Muddha Pappu / Otti Pappu
• Okra Dal ~ Bendakaya Pappu
• Palakoora Pappu ~ Spinach Dal
• Pappu Urumindi / Pappu Urubindi
• Payalaku Pappu ~ Verdolagas Dal
• Payalaku Tomato Pappu
• Potlakaya Pappu ~ Lentils with SnakeGourd
• Spinach - Green Mango Dal
• Spinach-Tomatillo Masoor Dal
• Split Green Pea - Methi Dal
• Thotakoora Pappu ~ Lentils with Amaranth Greens
• Tomatillo-Tomato Pappu
• Tomato-Minapappu Vadiyala Pappu
• Vankaya-Tomato Pappu
• Zucchini Tomato Pappu

ANDHRA PULUSU

• Alasanda - Vankaya Pulusu
• Dappalam
• Genasugadda Pulusu
• Mamidikaya Theeya Pulusu
• Onion Pachi Pulusu
• Rubbina Pulusu
• Sivangi Pulusu / Stuffed Eggplant Sambhar
• Vadiyala Pulusu with Lentils
• Vadiyala Pulusu / Wadiyala Pulusu 

SAMBHAR / SAARU / HULI / KOOTU

• Avarekaalu Saaru
• Beetroot Sambhar
• Chayote Kootu
• Chayote - Masoordal Sambhar
• Hitikida Bele Huli
• Kala Chana Sambhar
• Keerai Kootu
• Kohlrabi Sambhar
• Masoor Dal Sambhar
• Masoordal-Chayote Sambhar (Microwave)
• Moongdal Sambhar
• Mysore Saaru
• Peanut Sambhar
• Radish Sambhar
• Sundakkai Vathal Kuzhambu
• Sweet - Tangy Cowpeas
• Vellarikka Kootu / Cucumber Stew

GOJJU

• Bendekaayi Gojju
• Drakshi Gojju
• Ginger Gojju
• Hagalakayi Gojju (Version 1)
• Hagalakayi Gojju (Version 2)
• Lemon Gojju
• Limbe Hannina Gojju / Lemon Gojju
• Pineapple / Ananas Gojju

MILK / YOGURT BASED SIDE DISHES

(KADHI / MAJJIGA PULUSU / RAITAS)

• Aviyal
• Bangala Dumpa Majjiga Pulusu
• Cabbage Majjiga Pulusu
• Chana Madra
• Doddapatre Thambuli
• Kaalan 
• Keera Majjiga Pulusu
• Khattu Mag
• Pindi Miriyam 
• Punjabi Kadhi
• Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
• Magori Palak Ki Kadhi
• Mambhaza Kaalan

• Aloo Raita / 
• Bendakaya Perugu Pachadi / Okra Raita
• Boondi Raita
• Carrot Raita 
• Chayote Raita / Seemonkaya Perugu Pachadi
• Cucumber Raita
• Cucumber Raita - 2 
• Greengram Sprouts Raita
• Kumaoni Raita
• Onion - Tomato Raita
• Peanut - Carrot Raita
• Pomegranate - Cucumber Raita 
• Potlakaya Perugu Pachadi / Snakegourd Raita
• Rajgira Kadhi / Amaranth flour Stew
• Spinach Raita

RASAM / CHARU

• Batate Thoy
• Carrot Rasam
• Moongdal - Green Mango Rasam
• Munagakaya Charu
• Mysore Rasam
• Pineapple Rasam

REGIONAL SPECIALS

• Amti Dal
• Bengali Cholar Dal
• Bhatt ki Dal
• Bihari Kaddu aur Chane Dal
• Chana Madra 
• Chana Ni Daar (Parsi Style Chickpeas)
• Chole / Chana Masala
• Chole Panjim
• Dahiwali Toovar Dal
• Dhaabay Di Dal
• Dalcha
• Dal Makhani
• Dal Tadka
• Danedar Dal
• Gujarati Dal
• Himachali Mah ki Dal
• Hitakida Bele Huli
• Khattu Mag
• Lucknowi Dal
• Magori Palak Ki Kadhi
• Masoor Dal (Parsi Style)
• Mati Mahor Dali
• Mixed Dal Fry
• Panchmel Dal/Panchratan Dal
• Parippu Dal
• Potlakaya Pindi Miriyam
• Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
• Rajma Masala
• Simple Chole
• Sindhi Style Tuvar Dal
• Tadka Moongdal
• Toi Dal

 FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

•  Nepali Dal

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