Mamidikaya Pappu

Ingredients

• - 1 cup toor dal
• - 250g raw mango
• - 2 tbsp ghee
• - 5 garlic cloves
• - 1 tsp mustard seeds
• - 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• - 2 dried red chillies
• - 1 sprig curry leaves
• - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• - Salt to taste
• - Juice of half lemon

Method

1. Cook toor dal: Wash half cup toor dal. Pressure cook with 1.5 cups water and half tsp turmeric for 4 whistles. Mash partially.
2. Prepare raw mango: Peel 1 medium raw green mango. Cut flesh into small cubes — about 1 cup.
3. Cook mango with dal: Add raw mango cubes directly to the pressure cooker dal after cooking. Cook together in the remaining heat for 5 minutes until mango softens.
4. Mash together: Mash the dal and softened mango together. The mango dissolves into the dal beautifully.
5. Add water and spices: Add half cup water, 1 tsp red chilli powder and salt. Simmer 5 minutes.
6. Taste sourness: The raw mango provides sourness — adjust. If too sour add a pinch of jaggery.
7. Make ghee tadka: Heat 2 tbsp ghee until very hot and shimmering.
8. Add tadka: Add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop add 3 dried red chillies, a pinch of asafoetida and curry leaves.
9. Pour tadka: Pour sizzling ghee tadka over mamidikaya pappu.
10. Serve: Adjust salt. Mamidikaya pappu should be tangy and golden. Serve with steamed rice, a dollop of ghee and papad.