PAPPU KURA పప్పు కూరా

PAPPU KURA.......(Greens and Lentil curry)


INTRODUCTION

Leafy vegetables are an essential ingredient of Indian food. They provide Minerals,Vitamins and Fibers. Combination of Fibers and cellulose acts as a powerful combination to keep the intestines clean.
A lot many greens (Kirai) are available in Southern India. I am posting "PAPPU-KURA " a combination of redgram dal and Amaranth/ Spinach or any tender greens of your choice.This is an Andhra Pradesh variety

PAPPU KURA




INGREDIENTS
(2 servings for a family of four)

Greens of your choice 1 bunch
Pigeon pea dal (toor dal) 175 gms.
Onion 1 large
Garlic 6 to 8 cloves
Tomato (optional) 1 large
Tamarind extract 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Jaggery/Sugar a little

SPICES
Coriander seeds 1 Tb Spoon
cumin seeds 1/2 tspoon
Red chilies 4 to 5 nos.
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Oil for frying 1 spoon
Green chillies 2 nos (medium hot)

TEMPERING
Cooking oil 2 ladles
Mustard seed 1/2 spoon
split garbanzo (Bengal gram dal) 1/2 spoon
Black gram dhall 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves 1 sprig.


METHOD OF PREPARATION

Wash the greens thoroughly after plucking the leaves. Ensure that no sand or grit is left.
Cook Toor Dal in a pressure cooker. Cut onion in Long slices, make large pieces of Garlic. Set them aside.
Once the dal is cooked, pressurecook Onion , Garlic and Greens and Green chillies after finely chopping.
Please avoid cooking Dhall and greens together as it somehow spoils the taste of Dal and the mashing it results in improper mixture.
When pressure cooked greens along with onion and Garlic is cold, Mash using a blender, just roughly mash so as the greens do not become a homogeneous mixture.
You may instead use flat underside of the spatula to mash the greens.
Similarly remove excess water from cooked dal and mash the dal to rough pulp.

Take little oil in a kadai/wok and add coriander,cumin and Red chillies when hot. fry them just for about ten second at the maximum , remove and powder when cold. Set aside

Take two ladles of oil in a kadai/wok and add tempering except curry leaves when oil is hot.
When mustard starts splattering, add curry leaves and immediately add extract of Tamarind.
Cook tamarind extract for two to three minutes till it loses raw Tamarind smell.
Now add mashed Greens first and after a minute, add mashed dhall. Mix thoroughlly. Now add ground spices and Turmeric powder. If you like it hot, you may add more green chillies.
Cook for about further five to seven minutes. (If the water is less, add a little dhall/Kirai water. Make sure that PAPPU KURA is not watery. It should have a thick consistancy.
Now add salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and after a minute, switch off the stove.

By now, a heavenly curry Aroma would have spread all aroung.
Serve hot with steaming rice or Rotis/Parathas.
But this goes best with steaming rice cooked in Southern Indian style (each grain seperate)

Enjoy!!!