Dosakaya Pappu

Name: Dosakaya Pappu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Toor Dal; 1 medium Yellow Cucumber, peeled and diced; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 2 Green Chili, slit; 1 Tomato, chopped; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder; salt, to taste; 2 cups water; 1 tablespoon oil; 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seed; 1/2 teaspoon Cumin, seeds; 1 Chili, dry red; 1 pinch asafoetida; 1 sprig Curry Leaf; Cilantro, fresh, chopped for garnish

Veg Vegan

Yellow cucumber dal — small, round, pale-yellow dosakaya (Indian yellow cucumber or lemon cucumber) peeled, diced, and cooked together with toor dal, water, tomato, green chilli, and turmeric until the dal and cucumber both mash to a thick, unified consistency, then tempered with mustard seeds, dried red chilli, garlic, and curry leaves in sesame oil. The dosakaya has a crisp, slightly sour flavour when raw; it breaks down during cooking and adds a gentle fruity acidity to the dal without the sharpness of tamarind. Distinctly Telangana and Andhra: the dosakaya is rarely used as a cooking vegetable outside this region. The pappu's characteristic quality is the blend of the cucumber's natural sourness with the toor dal's nuttiness; no tamarind or lemon is needed. Eaten mixed into rice with ghee and papad.

Cuisines

Rayalaseema Andhra Telangana

Best for

Lunch Dinner

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Recipe

Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 min Total: 40 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

	1/2 cup	Toor Dal
	1 medium	Yellow Cucumber , peeled and diced
	1	Onion , finely chopped
	2	Green Chili , slit
	1	Tomato , chopped
	1/4 teaspoon	Turmeric powder
	—	Salt , to taste
	2 cups	Water
	1 tablespoon	Oil
	1/2 teaspoon	Mustard Seed
	1/2 teaspoon	Cumin , seeds
	1	Chili , dry red
	1 pinch	Asafoetida
	1 sprig	Curry Leaf
	—	Cilantro , fresh, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1 Wash the toor dal thoroughly and soak it in water for about 15 minutes.
2 In a pressure cooker, add the soaked dal, dosakaya pieces, chopped onion, green chilies, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, and 2 cups of water.
3 Pressure cook the mixture for 3-4 whistles until the dal and dosakaya are cooked well.
4 Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and mash the dal mixture slightly.
5 Add salt to taste and mix well.
6 In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat.
7 Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
8 Add cumin seeds, dry red chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves, and sauté for a few seconds.
9 Pour this tempering over the cooked dal mixture and mix well.
10 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Tips

Adjust the number of green chilies to suit your spice preference. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.