Pappu charu

Ingredients

• ½ cup toor dal
• Lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 1 drumstick, cut into pieces
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp jaggery
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves, a pinch of hing

Method

1. Pressure-cook the dal with turmeric until soft. Mash well.
2. In a pot, boil the onion, drumstick, tomato and green chillies in the tamarind water with 1 cup more water until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the mashed dal, chilli powder, jaggery and salt with enough water to make a thin soup. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the tempering in hot oil and pour it into the charu.
5. Serve hot with rice.