Tomato Dal Andhra Style Tomato Pappu Recipe

★★★★★“Amazing instant pot version of tomato Dal! 10/10 so easy but doesn’t skimp on flavor! Nisha does it again 🔥.”– Kati T. My best friend, Anu, is originally from Andhra Pradesh, and after meeting her in college I’ve been able to experience delicious Andhra cuisine. Prior to meeting my bestie, I assumed South Indian food was just idli, dosa, sambar… that’s so not the case. South Indian curries and dals are beyond delicious. The combination of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and curry pata in practically every dish adds depts of flavors to the curries. In all the years I’ve known Anu, I have never left her home hungry. Over the years, I managed to snag some delicious Andhra recipes from my bestie’s mom, including this Andhra Tomato Dal which is light, delicious, and so comforting.

What is Tomato Dal or Andhra Style Tomato Pappu Recipe

Pappu is a Telugu word that means dal, thus Tomato Pappu is essentially Andhra Tomato Dal. This is one of the easiest dals to make as it only requires chopping tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro. Tomato Pappu is comfort food and is prepared with simple ingredients such as lentils, tomatoes, and a delicious South Indian tadka which includes curry leaves, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, and tons of garlic. The combo of spices is an explosion of flavors in your mouth.

Ingredients

Toor Dal: Toor Dal is also known as yellow split pigeon peas. Wash and soak the lentils for at least 30 minutes. Green Chilies: I used Indian green chilies (or Thai green chillies) for this recipe. You may also use serrano peppers. Tomatoes: I used plum tomatoes, you may also use Roma tomatoes. Spices: Turmeric Powder. Salt. Mustard Seeds. Cumin Seeds. Asafoetida (hing). Dry Red Chilies: You’ll need 2-3 of dried red chilies, broken. Curry Leaves: Sprig Curry Leaves or Curry Pata is an essential ingredient in this Andhra Tomato Pappu, you can’t omit this. You can easily find curry leaves at your local Indian grocery store. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: This chili powder adds color, not spice. If you don’t have Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, use paprika. Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are an essential ingredient when making Garlicky Tomato Dal. Oil: Use a flavorless high-heat oil, such as avocado oil. Lemon: You will need the juice of half a lemon, and a little more if needed. Fresh Cilantro: Finish off this dal with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions

Storage

More Dal Recipes!

This recipe was first published on March 11, 2022, and has been modified and updated since. 2. Add washed and drained dal to the Instant Pot. Add 3 3/4 cups of water. 3. Add tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric powder, and salt. 4. Close the Instant Pot and High Pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release. 6. Whisk the cooked dal well and it’ll become creamy. 2. Next add asafoetida (hing) and dry red chilies. TIP: For spicier Tomato Dal, add more dry red chilies. You can also add more green chilies when cooking the dal. Additionally, you can use red chilli powder instead of Kashmiri Lal Mirch when making the tadka. 3. Then add garlic and curry leaves. 4. Finally, add Kashmiri Red Chili Powder. Saute for 30-60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned. 6. Add tadka to the dal. 7. Then add fresh cilantro leaves. 8. Finally, add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Enjoy with hot basmati rice. TIP: For a thinner dal consistency, add another 1/2 cup of water. Taste as you go so the dal isn’t diluted. ✔️ Serve with a side of achaar such as mango pickle, lime pickle, or my favorite – gongura pickle. ✔️ Pair pappu with a dry South Indian curry such as Capsicum Kura or any potato fry such as, Jeera Aloo. A side of kachumber salad or Indian Salad is delicious too. → Freezer: You can also freeze dal for up to 1 month. Once cooled, I transferred the dal to a Ziploc bag and froze it. You can also use a freezer-safe container. 24 hours before serving, remove the dal from the freezer and transfer it to the fridge.