Amaranth Dal/ Thota Koora Pappu

Today, as I am cleaning the weeds in my garden, my little boy (Pravan, 14 month old) thought of lending a hand and he pulled some amaranth (Thota Koora) leaves.  As i am cleaning the garden, he came from my back giggling, to show me what he been doing and clapping happily. I was shocked and laughed immediately to see him wanting to help me. He gave me the ones he plucked and went to pull more, then I said, ok let’s make Amaranth Dal (thota koora pappu) today. I cut some stems, put it in a little garden basket and asked him to carry it inside. It is so cute to look at him walking with the basket. When I said, good job!! He clapped to himself happily and got busy with his toys.

While he was occupied with his toys (doesn’t last long), I can make this dal which is easy to fix.

Tip- Adding crushed garlic cloves enhances the flavor of any dal.

Ingredients-

• 1 bunch of Amaranth / Thota kura leaves washed and chopped
• 1 cup Tor dal / Kandi pappu
• Green chilies at least 6
  1 medium sized onion chopped
• Key lime size tamarind
• ¼ tsp of turmeric
• 2 Garlic pods
• 1 tsp each of mustard seeds and cumin.
• 3 Red dry chilies
• Pinch of Hing
• Few Curry leaves
• Salt and chilly powder according to taste

Directions

1. In a pressure cooker, wash Toor dal and keep it to one side of pressure cooker.
2. Add amaranth leaves,chilies, onion, tamarind juice, salt and chilly powder to the other side of the pressure cooker (If you add salt to toor dal,it takes longer to cook.)
3. Add water(1dal:2 water ratio ), turn on the stove on medium high.
4. Let it whistle for 3 times. Wait until the pressure is released, remove the lid.
5. if any water is left drain it into a separate bowl and mash Dal with a masher or pappu gutti.
6. Now, in a sauce pan, over low medium heat, do the popu or tadka (means toasting the mustard, cumin seeds, garlic, red chili pieces and curry leaves in one tablespoon of ghee or oil). Add this tadka or popu to the mashed dal.
7. Check the taste. Mix everything together, cook it for a min and serve.

Tastes great with rice or jowar roti. Dals can be served with rice, ghee and papad.

A typical andhra daily meal with one vegetable fry/vepudu, dal, curry, pickle and yogurt served with rice.