Pesara Pappu Kura for Poori is a simple comforting side dish made with Split Yellow Moong Dal. My bond with this simple dish goes back to my growing up years.

Pesara Pappu means Yellow Moong Dal in Telugu. As in Hindi, Dal refers both to the dish and the lentil. Kura in Telugu refers to any liquid side dish served with either Rice or Indian Bread.

It was the year 1993, could significantly be said as the year I started cooking on my own. Parents used to host a lot of parties and it was always me who did all the setting and ad hoc things. Amma was the chief chef and me her assistant. Amma used to spellbound our guest with the items she used to dish up and I used to get appreciated just for the simple reason that I was her daughter. I used to wonder if I will ever be able to dish up so many items if I ever try. But that was a time when I had not even started cooking on my own.

Then came the Khana Khazana. And the world changed. I guess for many that were the period that drastically changed one's attitude towards cooking. Sanjeev Kapoor used to make everything sound so simple. And we were hooked to the TV. Everything he showed was repeated at home and much to the joy of all, they used to taste heaven. I used to amuse myself with Soufflés, Mousses or Cakes.

Simple dals were way beneath me!. I used to have my nose tipped at the sky each time somebody appreciated my cooking skills and used to think that regular cooking would be a cake walk. Then, it happened one fine Sunday morning. Sunday Mornings are always Poori mornings at home, even now too. The side dishes that Amma used to make varies from Channa to Potatoes or the simple Moong Dal. That morning it so happened that we didn't soak channa or had potatoes at hand. So I thought making Pesarapappu or Yellow Moong Dal for Poori would be a breeze.

Little did I know then what a trepidation it would be. Even that simple dal proved to be the testing task for me. I thought what a big deal, just put everything in cooker put it on for some whistle and then tamper it...boy was I wrong! After my ordeal with this simplest one, I realized the dal should not be over cooked, should not add all onions nor should I add tamarind. What else goes into this? the smallest measure of onions, with just one tomato and the tadka...great. Never did I realize I would get such a bowing to what cooking was. That was a humbling experience. After that incident, my recreations of this dish has come out with flying colors. But I have never forgotten that learning experience.

My liking to this dal has increased now more because my daughter eats this without much complaint. So here is the dish for a lazy Sunday brunch.

On the subject of favorite breakfast, I love all breakfast items, with dosa topping the list, of course maybe next to Pooris. But anything Tiffen is to my liking. In fact, wanted to have series on Dosa varieties. Will be coming out with that!

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Step by Step Pictures for Making Dal
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recipe

Step by Step Pictures for Making Dal

Ingredients

For the Dal

3/4 cup Split Yellow Moong Dal / Pesera Pappu
2 medium Tomatoes
3 nos Green Chillies
A pinch Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

For Tempering / Tadka

2 tsp Cooking Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Dry Red Chillies
Few Sprigs Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions

Wash the moong dal couple of times. In a pressure cooker, take the dal, along with turmeric powder, cumin seeds, chopped tomatoes, green chillies. Add enough water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Let the pressure fall down.
Transfer the dal to a bowl, wash the cooker and heat with oil. Temper with cumin seeds, dry red chilies, then add the cooked dal and salt to taste. Add enough water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Pooris.

Notes

We used to make this dal with onions and curry leaves. Amma still does that way, however I no longer add onions or curry leaves.
If you want you could add 2 tsp of chopped onions both to the dal and during tempering along with curry leaves.

Recipe

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