Paasi Paruppu Sambar/ Green gram dhal sambar

My mom makes this dhal variety as a side-dish for rotis, and I always enjoyed eating left-overs the following day with rice. Later when I started trying out recipes myself, I tweaked it a little to go well with rice and realized later that it’s a popular Andra recipe by name “Pappulusu” and my friends love my version of it. I love this simple and tasty sambar and hope you all like it too.

Ingredients

Paasi paruppu (green gram dhal/moong dhal) - 2 cup

Red onion – 2 cups (finely chopped)

Tomato – 2 (diced)

Green chilies – 5 (slit)

Garlic cloves – 10 (peeled and crushed)

Curry leaves - a sprig

Coriander leaves - a handful (roughly chopped)

Tamarind - a small lime-sized ball (microwaved for 2 mins in 2 cups of water)

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Asafoetida – ½ tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Oil – ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Wash and soak dhal with ample water for about an hour.

2. Heat oil in a wok and splutter mustard seeds and add the cumin seeds and asafetida.

3. Now add chopped onion, curry leaves, garlic and green chilies.

4. Once onions turn translucent add diced tomatoes and cook covered on low heat till tomatoes turn pulpy.

5. Now add soaked dhal with just enough water to cover it.

6. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste and cook covered till dhal is half done.

7. Extract pulp out of the soaked tamarind and add it to the dhal mixture.

8. Cooked covered till dhal is well cooked (a little cracked but not pasty).

9. Add more water if required.

10. Check for salt, remove from stove, and garnish with coriander leaves.

11. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Happy cooking J