PALAK PAPPU(SPINACH DHAL)

alak pappu (Spinach Dal) Recipe is very famous down south. Ultimate comfort food is a bowl of hot Rice, Pappu and unapologetic amounts of ghee. If you are one of those people who makes trips to an Andhra restaurant to tuck into this pappu and rice , now do that from home whenever you please with this restaurant style pappu recipe.It can be served for lunch or dinner.

Palak pappu (Spinach Dal) Recipe can be served with hot bowl of rice, Boondi Raita and any vegetable, papad for a complete meal.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Toor Dal (Split)
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)
1-2 tablespoons Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
Curry leaves , few
1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
25 grams Tamarind , fresh pulp extracted
1 cup Tomato , chopped
2 cups Spinach Leaves (Palak) , cleaned and chopped
5-6 Green Chillies , finely chopped
2 tablespoons Garlic , finely chopped
1/2 Onion , sliced
Salt , as required
Cooking oil , as required

Method:
First pressure cook the toor dal with a pinch of turmeric and a teaspoon of oil until soft and mushy. While its still warm, mash the dal with using a masher until completely soft. Set aside.
In a wide pan, heat the oil, add the mustard let it splutter, now add jeera, fenugreek and channa dal and cook in a low flame until channa dal and fenugreek change colour. Be carefull with the fenugreek as they can burn quickly.
Now add the curry leaves, hing, green chillies and garlic and cook until garlic changes colour, now add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook briefly on high flame. See to that onion retains its crunch.
now add the tomatoes and cook until soft, add the spinach and cook until it's wilted.
Reserve a little tamarind extract and add the remaining with the turmeric and cook until it starts to bubble and until you can see the tamarind get a shiny glossy surface.
Add the mashed dal , salt and 1/2 cup of water and mix well until the dal is combined into the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the salt and add the remaining tamarind if required.
Cook for atleast 8-10 minutes on a low flame for the flavours to mix with the dal.
Your Palak pappu (Spinach Dal) Recipe is ready, transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.
Palak pappu (Spinach Dal) can be served with a bowl of hot rice, Boondi Raita and some ghee on top, any vegetable and some papads.