TELANGANA PALAKURA PAPPU – DAL AND PALAK CURRY – SPINACH AND LENTIL RECIPE

Palak (spinach) is a good source of vitamin A and K, calcium, iron and minerals. This green leaf vegetable is also a constituent of anti-oxidant and anti-cancer. Toor dal provides essential nutrients, fibre and protein. Thus this recipe is a combination of both palak and toor dal which is highly nutritious and delicious. Palakura pappu is a traditional south Indian dish of both Telangana and Andhra states.

Today I am posting Palakura Pappu in Telangana style with slight variations from the Andhra style.

Let’s go thru the process of preparing Palakura Pappu:

Ingredients:

Toor dal                               1 cup

Palak (Spinach)                   3 bunch

Water                                    2 cups

Tamarind                              lemon-sized

Turmeric powder                ½ tsp

Red chilli powder                 1 tsp

Onion                                    1

Curry leaves                        1 strand

Dry red chilli                        2

Garlic                                    6 cloves

Mustard seeds                     1 tsp

Cumin                                   1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil                                         3 tsp

For garnishing:

Coriander leaves                3 tbsp

Procedure for preparing Telangana Palakura Pappu:

1. Wash and chop the palak (spinach).
2. Chop the onion and garlic lengthwise.
3. Soak lemon-sized tamarind in 1 cup of lukewarm water and after 10 minutes squeeze out the juice.
4. In a pressure cooker cook toor dal with 2 cups of water till 1st whistle and sim and cook for 5 minutes. Put off the flame.
5. In kadai heat oil add mustard and cumin seeds and when they splutter, add chopped onion, curry leaves, dry red chillies, chopped garlic, salt and turmeric powder and sauté on low flame for 3-4 minutes then add red chilli powder and sauté for 1 minute. Add chopped palak and sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium flame and close the lid and keep stirring occasionally, palak gets cooked in its own water content.
6. Add the tamarind juice to palak and cook on high flame till it boils and low the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the dal and mix well and cook on high flame till it boils i.e., it takes almost 3-4 minutes and keep stirring in between to avoid the dal from burning at the bottom. Put off the flame.
7. Transfer the contents into a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Telangana Palakura Pappu is ready. Serve with plain rice, chappati or roti.

Note:

• U can increase or decrease the spice level according to ur perference.