Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Chappidi Pappu (Plain Toor Dal Rasam)

The recipe for this lentil soup comes from the kitchens of my amma and ammamma. During the summer months in Rayalaseema, when temperatures reach 100F* and above, my mother prepares this watery rasam (soup) with toor dal, to calm our stomachs from summer heat.

Recipe:
4 fistfuls of toor dal (half cup)
2 garlic cloves peeled,
½ teaspoon of red chilli powder & turmeric
Salt to taste
2 glasses of water
popu or tadka ingredients: 1 tsp each of cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves

Toordal, garlic, red chilli powder

Take toor dal in a pressure cooker, add a glass of water, garlic, red chilli powder and turmeric. Close the lid and pressure cook them until 3 whistles. (Or simmer them in a saucepan until they are very tender and beginning to breakdown.) Once the valve pressure is all released, remove the lid and mash the dal to smooth paste. Add another glass of hot water and salt. Bring this diluted rasam to a boil.

Meanwhile, do the popu or tiragamata(frying mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves in one tsp of oil) in a vessel, add this popu to the rasam. Because of extra glass of water addition, we’ve to cook the rasam for 10 more minutes on medium heat, partially covering the vessel. This simmering process brings out the richness of toor dal. Turn off the heat, let cool little bit, and serve warm.

Toordal Rasam

This cream less creamy toor dal soup is great on its own, or you can have it with rice and ghee – a light meal any day of the week.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Dals (Lentils & Legumes),Toor Dal (Thursday June 2, 2005 at 8:09 am- permalink)
Comments (14)

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14 comments for Chappidi Pappu (Plain Toor Dal Rasam) »

  1. oooh this looks good 🙂

    if you dont have a pressure cooker can you soak the lentils during the day first to decrease the cooking time?

    I have been trying to have more dishes with pulses 🙂

    Comment by Clare Eats — June 2, 2005 @ 11:45 am

  2. Yes, it decreases the cooking time considerably. But you must buy a pressure cooker if you are seriously interested in cooking with pulses. Its a good investment and cooking will be easy. Checkout this site for cookers, some models are priced at as low as $20.

    Comment by Indira — June 2, 2005 @ 12:17 pm

  3. Hey, thanks Indira (and Clare eats!). I was just going to ask about pressure cookers…

    Comment by Stephanie — June 2, 2005 @ 2:41 pm

  4. Stephanie, I use Hawkins cookers 1.5 and 3 liters and I never had any problems with them, check them out.

    Comment by Indira — June 2, 2005 @ 3:33 pm

  5. Good recipe, but few questions.. DO u have to boil the garlic with the pappu and can i substitute pepper for chilli powder.

    Comment by kaleidoscope — June 2, 2005 @ 4:53 pm

  6. Yes, you have to pressure cook garlic along with dal. I never substituted chilli powder with pepper. Try it and you have your own recipe.

    Comment by Indira — June 2, 2005 @ 6:36 pm

  7. Indira,
    will try and let you know. Can you put some recipies for pachadi that can go with rice like kandi pachadi(which i already have).
    thanks

    Comment by kaleidoscope — June 3, 2005 @ 10:54 am

  8. Hmm,
    yep I should just bite the bullet and get one. now to convince the boy…

    btw I love your site :)!

    Comment by Clare Eats — June 4, 2005 @ 11:45 am

  9. Clare eats, thanks.

    Comment by Indira — June 4, 2005 @ 4:51 pm

  10. Indira- I tried this recipe while you were away and it came out so great and creamy. Had it with rice, yum!

    Comment by mika — September 5, 2005 @ 8:22 pm

  11. I am glad Mika, I make this atleast once a week. Best with lime pickle.

    Comment by Indira — September 5, 2005 @ 9:00 pm

  12. hi

    nice website

    Comment by jyo — March 16, 2006 @ 3:27 pm

  13. I like this recipe, can you please tell me if the chili powder has to be boiled with the dal too.
    Thank you for this great website, I have learnt a lot from here.

    Indira replies:
    Hi Keerti, I’ve added more details to the recipe after reading your comment, please check the recipe again.
    Do let me know how you like this rasam (my mom’s recipe). Thanks.

    Comment by keerti — April 25, 2006 @ 9:23 pm

  14. Amazon.com offers one of the best pressure cookers I have found. It is by Fagor and if you order the duo, you get a 4-qt and a 8-qt with glass lid and steamer basket. It was the best cooker the the price. Cooks Illustrated recommends the Fagor.

    Been using mine for 3 months and I am very happy with it.

    Indira replies:
    Thanks for the suggestion Cheryl.
    Sounds good to me and what a deal. I will add this product to my Amazon store. Thanks.

    Comment by Cheryl Valentine — January 16, 2007 @ 4:14 pm

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