Tomato dal recipe|Andhra style tomato pappu

Andhra food is one of my personal favourites.Dal is called as 'Pappu'(in Telugu) plays an essential role in every day meal of many Andhra households.The preparation of dal also varies from one region to another
Tomato Pappu mixed with a dollop of ghee and rice with Mango Avakai is a  loved combination and an integral part of everyday Andhra vegetarian food culture.
 Simple, earthy, soulful food!
There are two ways to make this dal , while some pressure cook the dal along with the tempering  others separately temper the dal after cooking the dal.
i hv followed the second method .check out my notes at the end.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Toor dal
2 large ripen Tomatoes,chopped
1 big Onion,finely chopped
5-6 Garlic pods,slightly crushed
1/2 inch ginger chopped
2-3 green chillies,
2 red chillies
1 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Dhaniya powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
a sprig of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste




Method

1.pick, rinse and soak the arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils for 15-20 mins.Pressure cook it with a pinch of turmeric powder of drop of oil for 3 whistles until soft.


2.Remove extra water from the dal(reserve it for later use) and mash it using pappu-gutti(a wooden ladle used to churn buttermilk traditionally) to a uniform soft mixture.
3.Heat a big kadai and heat oil and ghee together and crackle mustard seeds.
4.Add green chilli,red chilli,curry leaves,ginger and slightly crushed garlic pods and fry for 1 minute .Now add finely chopped onion and fry until translucent.Add chopped tomatoes and fry well until the mixture is totally pulpy.Cover it and cook for 2-3 mins and make sure the tomatoes are cooked completely.



5.Add red chili powder,coriander powder to it and fry well.
6 Add cooked and mashed dal ,tamarind pulp and salt and mix well.If the consistency is very thick add little water(strained from cooked dal).Cover it and cook for 8-10 mins until dal is thick and nicely done.Check the seasoning and adjust according to your taste buds.


Tips
Once the dal is cooked strain the extra water and mash it nicely to get a smooth mixture which adds a nice taste to dal
This dal is simmered for long to achieve the desired thick consistency and texture.
Can add 1 tsp chana dal in tempering (tadka)