Endu Mirapakaya Pappu or Dry Red Chilli Dal is a simple dal with Toor Dal, Dry Red Chillis from the Rayalaseema region, Andhra. Endu Mirapakaya Pappu is a comfort food with regular pantry ingredients that you can serve with Rice, Sangati or even Chapati
Originally Published on Jul 26, 2007
When I started this blog, one of the main attraction was my Lunch Box Series, where I used to feature everyday lunchboxes I used to pack for Hubby Dear. It was during 2007 period and this series was a hit with my readers. After nearly 17 years, I no longer pack a lunch box, however, the concept is still very close to my heart!
Endu Mirapakaya Pappu with Rice is our comfort food. It gets featured in many lunchbox series. The main ingredient difference in making this dal is the use of dry red chilies. While Pachi Mirapakaya Pappu as name says, we use fresh green chilies, this one has at least 12 dried red chilies boiled and churned.
The colloquial term used to refer this dish in our home is Pappu Pulagora, which means a mess. When I have to explain the level of comfortness this dal gives us, well when as travel worn, we get back home, this is the dal Amma makes to rejuvenate everybody to perk up and gear up to their routine schedule again. Though we always serve this with rice, I love this with Chapatis as well!
A simple dal to make and I am sure you will enjoy this!
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Ingredients you will need!
To make this dal, you will need:
Toor Dal - Split Red Gram, Kandi Pappu (Telugu), Tuvaram paruppu (Tamil) Arhar Dal (Hindi)
Dry Red Chillis - We use regular dry red chilies along with the stalk
Tomatoes - Ripe juicy tomatoes make all the difference.
Tamarind - Tamarind is a must for this dal, though only an inch is used.
Other ingredients would the tempering ingredients.
Instructions with Step by Step Pictures
We can make this dal in regular pan or a pressure cooker. Most times, I resort to using pressure cooker for the ease it gives in quickly making this dal. However, you can saute all the ingredients in a kadai or a pan. Pressure cook or continue cooking in a pan to make the complete dal.
In a pan or a cooker, heat oil, temper with urad dal, mustard curry leaves, garlic cloves.
Next add onions and saute well. Add the dry red chilies and mix well. You can add washed toor dal and saute well.
Now add chopped tomatoes along with tamarind, turmeric powder and mix well.
Mix everything well, add water as required. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or until done.
If using a pan, cover with lid and simmer under the dal is cooked well. I would surely recommend a pressure cooker as it cooks the lentil faster.
Once the pressure falls down, remove atleast 6 to 7 dry red chillies, using a churner or a pappu gutti, mash everything well together with salt added.
Add back the removed the chillies, with required water, bring to a boil to get a thick dal.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a simple dal where there is not much scope for substitutions or variations. However, you can try using Yellow moong dal or Masoor dal instead of Toor dal.
Rest of the ingredients will have to be used.
Another variation you can do is to temper the dal after boiling the dal.
Equipment
Making this dal in Pressure cooker is the fastest one. However, you can use a regular pan or a kadai to make the dal.
Storage
Cooked dal stays good for a day when refrigerated. Rest of the ingredients are used or stored as such.
Expert Tips
Making this dal is a tricky one as we don't churn all the dry red chilies used in the dal. We remove some of the chilies, churn the dal with the chilies, adjust the spice levels, add back the boiled chilies and bring to a boil. This way, you can control the spice as per your choice.
FAQ
We get varieties like Teja, Guntur or Byadgi. We don't Kashmiri chilies as its not spicy.
Yes, though this dal is very simple to make, the art of mixing the right amount of tomatoes and tamarind is required. The right amount of sourness gives the taste to the dal.
Dry Veggie Sautes to pair with this dal!
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Endu Mirapakaya Pappu and Rice:
A simple Andhra Lunch Thali!
Other dishes you can serve this dal and Rice:
Recipe
Endu Mirapakaya Pappu ~ Dy Red Chilli Dal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Toor Dal
- 12 Dry Red Chilies
- 1 small Onions
- 2 medium Tomatoes
- 4 pods Garlic
- 1" Tamarind
- A Pinch Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- Water for cooking
For Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Urad Dal
- Curry Leaves few
Instructions
How to make Endimirapakaya Pappu ~ Red Chilli Dal
- Wash the toor dal and keep aside. Chop onions and tomatoes. Crush the garlic with the skin.
- Heat cooking oil in cooker. Add seasoning, curry leaves. Once it splutters, sauté onions, red chilies and garlic. Once onion is brown, add dal and fry for few mins.
- Then, add tomatoes, tamarind, turmeric powder, and water for cooking. Cover it with lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles till the dal is cooked well.
- When the pressure falls down, open the lid. Remove about 6 dry red chilies, with the dal masher or pappu guthi, mash the dal well with the red chilies. Add salt,
- Add the rest of the red chilies, mix well, cook on high flame for 2 mins.
- Dal is ready to serve.
Nutrition
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Lakshmi says
Hi Srivalli, Wowwwww so many andhra recipes. Fantastic dhal dear. I make it too so can say it tastes wonderful with rice/roti.
SeeC says
Nice presentation.
My MIL prepares this. I love this a lot.
Thanks for the post
Poonam says
Looks delicious!! I loved your paneer parathas the most...cannot stop peeking there again and again!
Padma says
Hey this is always made in my kitchen too when I am out of stock for tomatoes, leafy greens or so....I learnt this from my SIL...I think this is very famous dal in southern andhra, where do u belong?
Nice post and pics thanks for sharing
sra says
Never heard of this pappu, Srivalli, I guess we would call it tomato pappu extra hot 🙂
Asha says
Gorgeous color Sri!:))
Looks like a great comfort food with rice.Thanks girl.
Sharmi says
chodadanike chala baga undhi. I can feel the kammati smell of the pappu from ur pics. lovely post.
anusharaji says
dal looks abs. delicious srivalli
though i just had my lunch, feeling hungry cuz of it.
Coffee says
This sounds good to try! 🙂 nice variation of dal! 🙂
Linda says
This one looks like something I could manage. I shall give it a try this week. As you can imagine, the local supermarket is appalling here but fortunately a small specialty store has opened near me that sells out of the ordinary herbs, spices and pulses . Your instructions are very user friendly. Thanks
Srivalli says
Thanks for the nice comments SeeC
Poonam I am so glad that you liked this and my parathas...Very nice of you to take time to comment
Glad to know that Padma..we are from chittor district and my hubby from Anatapuram district
Could sra..it is very common in southern andhra
Thanks Asha
Thanks for dropping by Lakshmi
So glad Sharmi..responding in telugu feels very nice
hah...very glad raji
Thanks Coffee
Srivalli says
Please do try and let me know how it comes out Linda
Nandita says
Srivalli,
Thanks for the traditional recipe from Rayallaseema, i can imagine how fiery it can get with 12 chillies.
Catch you at the round up!
Linda says
This afternoon I made this dish and am as pleased as can be. Not only does it taste great - it looks appetising (sometimes I find the two things hard to co-ordinate). I really was surprised how well it turned out!!! Thanks, Linda
Srivalli says
Am so glad it turned out great Linda...
Suma says
Never heard of such a dal before so gave it a try.....it turned out lip-smacking!! Thanks for sharing.
sri says
I was so bored of dals - tomato, palak and raw-mango are the ones I used sofar. I never used garlic or never fried toor dal.
Friday night; so thought of trying something different. Boy o Boy!! My taste buds came to life again. This is what I call pure-authentic-prestine andhra dal!! The aroma is just great. I think it accentuated because of fried toor dal!!?!
Waiting for my wife to be back from india so that I could show-off my new culinary skill. 😉
Thank you so much Srivalli garu.
Srivalli says
Suma, Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it
sri, good that you tried it. This is a regular at our home and is the most wanted one. Glad you tried and liked. Am sure you wife will be very pleased. Yeah the frying adds to the taste along with crushed whole garlic!
bunny says
Hey! That was an amazing recipe. I'm a 15 year old and since my parents went out, I wanted to make something for them by the time they came back! They were always favourites of pappu so I made it and it was an instant success. I'm glad u took ur time to make something like this and post in on ur website so that we could take help of it! Once again thank u very much. 🙂
Srivalli says
Bunny, So glad this came out well for you..thanks for taking time to write about it..you are welcome