Authentic Gongura Pappu Recipe Andhra Style
Gongura Pappu Recipe or Ambadi Baji dal is one of the famous South Indian Andhra Dal recipes. Instead of making plain dal recipe, South Indians prefer making it more nutritious by adding leafy vegetables. Gongura(Telugu) or Ambadi (Hindi) is called as sorrel leaves.
Adding red sorrel leaves to the dal will make this recipe taste sour. This recipe goes well with chapatti or plain rice accompanied with mango pickle and pappad. Our version of the recipe is purely made in Andhra Style.
Plucking gongura leaves will consume time, so it’s better to finish this process before beginning this recipe. I often pluck and keep leaves during night time and make this recipe for lunch.
You may also like to check Gongura pulusu and Andhra Gongura Pachadi recipe.
Tips to make a perfect Gongura Pappu Recipe:
Choose Fresh Gongura Leaves
Select fresh green or red-stemmed gongura leaves; they can be either based on the variety available in your place. The leaves with red stems are quite sour and give a deeper taste to the dish, whereas the green ones make it a bit milder. Select tender leaves, which should not be withered.
Toor Dal for Right Flavor
The two main ingredients that are classically used in this preparation are toor dal; this has a very subtle creamy flavor that goes pretty well with the tanginess of gongura, and a mix of both moong dal and toor dal can also be taken.
Cook the Dal and Gongura Separately
Cooking the dal as well as the gongura leaves separately helps you monitor the sourness and even the consistency to some extent. Pressure cook the toor dal until it becomes a soft, mushy kind of paste, and cook the gongura leaves with minimal water so that they release their juices and get crushed easily.
Pour in generous amounts of Garlic
The primary ingredient used for the dish is garlic. The strong aroma of garlic helps bring out the flavor. Add garlic in oil while tempering to have the best flavor. If you prefer a more garlicky taste, crush the garlic and add it to the dal directly.
Temper with Authentic Spices
Temper the dish in hot oil or ghee with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, green chilies, and curry leaves to give it authentic Andhra flavor. The dish is more flavored, and the aroma is enhanced that makes it richer in taste. If desired, you could add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) to deep it further.
Cook Gongura with Green Chilies for Extra Heat
Gongura Pappu is typically little spicy. The green chilies that have been added during cooking leaves bring in the proper quantity of heat, hence cutting through the tartness. Put as much as your tongue will bear.
Optional Tomatoes Balance
One need not put in the tomatoes; yet this step gives a flavor by creating a faint sweetness. Balance out the gongur leaf sour taste using one small tomato or its juices during cooking.
Be cautious to alter Consistency
Gongura Pappu should be a little thick. If it is too thick, add a little water after mixing the cooked dal and gongura. Remember that the pappu thickens as it cools, so add accordingly.
Simmer After Mixing Dal and Gongura
Let it boil for a few minutes as the flavors start getting in and let the gongura taste infuse into the dal. The tanginess and spiciness intensify, and the dal is able to absorb the special taste of the gongura.
Final Tadka or Tempering
Add a final tadka of mustard seeds, cumin, dry red chilies, garlic and curry leaves. Pour over the cooked pappu to enhance its aroma and flavour. This step is completely optional but highly recommended for authenticity.
Serve hot with rice and ghee.
Gongura Pappu should be served hot along with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee on top. The richness of buttery ghee balances the tang and spice of the dal, thereby making a great pair.
Accompaniments for Extra Flavor
Serve Gongura Pappu with pickle (mango or chili pickle), papad, or fried chilies on the side of an authentic Andhra meal for added texture and taste. These accompaniments enhance the experience and add balance to the tangy pappu.
Authentic Gongura Pappu Recipe Andhra Style
Gongura Pappu Recipe or Ambadi Baji Dal is one of the famous South Indian Andhra Dal recipes. Instead of making plain dal recipe, South Indians prefer making it more nutritious by adding leafy vegetables.
Ingredients
- Sorrel leaves – 1 large bunch
- Kandipappu/ tur dal – 1 cup
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tbsp.
- Oil – 2 tbsp.
- Mustard seeds – ½ tbsp.
- Cumin/ jeeera – ½ tbsp.
- Garlic cloves – 15 no. crushed
- Green chilies – 14 no. small size
- Dry red chilies – 2 no. sliced into two halfs
- Curry leaves – 2 tbsp.
- Salt – 3 tbsp. as per your taste
- Turmeric powder – ½ tbsp.
- Red chili powder – ½ tbsp.
- Water – to boil to add in dal
Instructions
- Pluck gongura leaves and clean them with plenty of water.
- In a pressure cooker add tur dal and clean with water.
- In the same pressure cooker add 2 glass water, 1 tbsp oil and turmeric powder.
- Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, garlic cloves and cumin seeds.
- Add both green and red chilies and saute for a while.
- Put few curry leaves along with gongura leaves and cook further.
- Add turmeric powder and 2 tbsp. salt.
- Pout this mix to dal and mix well.
- If you like thick version, then its almost done or else you may add little water and dilute it.
- But you need to adjust salt and spiciness by adding them extra as per your taste.
Recipe Video
How to make Gongura Pappu Recipe:
- First, pluck leaves of sorrel leaves and clean them in water.
- Add 1 cup dal in a pressure cooker and wash dal with adequate water.
- Pour 500 ml (2 glasses) water in dal, turmeric powder, 1 tbsp. oil and pressure cook.
Note: Pressure cook at high temperature for the first whistle blow and then lower the flame for the next 2 whistle blows.
- On another hand, heat 2 tbsp. oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and garlic cloves.
- Add green chilies and sauté for a while and then add dry red chilies.
- Add curry leaves, gongura leaves and cook for a while by keeping the lid.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp. salt and turmeric powder, mix well.
- Add cooked dal to sorrel leaves.
- Pour 1 glass of water into the pressure cooker and pour that water into the dal.
- Sprinkle 1 more tbsp. salt to compensate for sourness. (salt quantity needs to be adjusted as per your taste)
- Add ½ tbsp. red chili powder. (adjust the spiciness as per your taste)
- Serve Gongura Pappu hot with plain rice accompanied with papad.
