Dals | Pappu | Lentil Soups

Menthi soppu tovve/Menthi kura pappu

Ingredients

• Toor dal - 1 cup
• Methi/Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup
• Rasam powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
For seasoning
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 2, slit and cut into halves
• Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation method

1. Cook the toor dal and keep it aside. If you are pressure cooking, then cook it until 3 whistles.
2. Clean the leaves, wash them thoroughly and finely chop them.
3. Add oil to a pan/vessel, add the cumin, mustard seeds and green chillies. Wait until it splutters. Then, add the methi leaves to it. Close it with a lid and cook it until the leaves are soft.
4. Add turmeric powder, rasam powder and finally add the cooked dal.
5. Mix it well and finally add salt and cook for a few seconds.
6. Add a few drops of oil, to enhance the taste of this delicious dish

This is how ready to serve dal looks like.

Dal tadka

When there are no vegetables in hand, this is one delicious and nutritious dal which can be eaten with rotis or rice.

Ingredients

• Toor or Masoor dal (red gram) - 1/2 cup
• Chana dal - 1/4 cup, soaked for 15-20 minutes
• Moong dal (yellow) - 1/2 cup
• Water - 4 cups, for cooking the lentils
• Crushed garlic, ginger - 1 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
For seasoning
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 2, slit
• Ghee - 1 tsp

Preparation method

1. Wash, drain the lentils and pressure cook them together with turmeric and water. Cook until 3 whistles.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait until it splutters.
3. Add crushed ginger-garlic, asafoetida and saute for a minute.
4. Add finely chopped green chillies and add this to the cooked lentils.
5. Add salt and mix well.
6. Cook on a low flame until you get the desired consistency. Add very little water, if required.

7. Serve hot with rotis, jeera rice or plain rice.

Gangavailu kura pappu

Like any other leafy vegetable, Purslane leaves, as it is called in English, is a wonderful green leafy vegetable, which is low in calories. However, the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin A is abundant when compared to the other greens.

It is known as Kirugoonni soppu in Kannada

Ingredients

• Toor dal - 1 cup
• Raw mango - 1 cup
• Gangavailu/Purslane leaves - 1 cup
• Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
For seasoning
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tsp

This is how fresh purslane leaves look like.

Preparation method

1. Cook the toor dal and keep it aside. If you are pressure cooking, then cook it until 3 whistles.
2. Clean the leaves, wash them thoroughly and finely chop them.
3. Wash, peel and cut the raw mango to biteable cube size.
4. Add oil to a pan/vessel, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Wait until it splutters. Then, add the raw mango and the finely chopped leaves to it. Close it with a lid and cook it until the mango is tender.
Do not over cook, this will make the mango mushy.
5. Add turmeric powder, sambhar powder and finally add the cooked dal.
6. Mix it well and finally add salt and cook for a few seconds.
7. Add a few drops of oil, to enhance the taste of this delicious dish

This is how ready to serve dal looks like. This picture is not very clear, I will put up a better one, the next time I cook this.