Ridge Gourd Dal – Andhra Beerakaya Pappu Recipe

• Ridge gourd – 1 no ( medium)
• Toor dal – 1/4 cup ( 50 gms)
• Moong dal – 2 tbsp
• Big onion – 1 no ( Sliced)
• Green chillies – 2 nos ( add 4 nos for more spicy taste)
• Tomato – 1 no ( chopped finely)
• Tamarind paste – 1/2 tsp ( optional, I din’t use)
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
• Dhania powder/Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
• Water – 1.25 cups
• Salt – as needed

To temper

• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Red chilli – 1 no
• Crushed garlic cloves – 5 nos
• Curry leaves – few
• Asafetida / hing – 1/4 tsp

• Wash and soak the toor dal, moong dal till you chop the veggies.Wash and remove the ridges and then peel the skin of ridge gourd completely. Use it for making chutney/thogayal if you wish or discard it. Chop the ridge gourd into slices.

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Saute the onions, slitted green chillies, gg paste, curry leaves. Saute tomato pieces and add the ridge gourd slices too.Saute for a minute.Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder and salt. Mix well and add the soaked dal, required water. Mix well. Pressure cook in low flame for one or two whistles.

• Remove the lid after the steam is released. Mash the dal and vegetables well. Check for taste and add more salt or red chilli powder if needed. Add some tamarind paste if necessary. Let it boil for sometime if the gravy is watery. Bring it to desired thickness.
• Heat oil/ghee in a kadai and when it gets heated , splutter the mustard seeds, urad dal, hing, crushed garlic, red chilli and curry leaves.Add this to the boiling dal. Switch off the flame and serve hot with rice. Don’t forget to add a tsp of ghee while serving.Enjoy !

• U can use masoor dal along with other dal.
• You can temper with cooking oil instead of ghee.
• Adding red chilli powder is optional. Its not mentioned in the original recipe. But I added red chilli powder and used less green chillies. If you wish, u can skip red chilli powder and add more green chillies.
• Adding Ginger-Garlic paste is optional.