Lemon Cucumber Dal (dosakaya pappu) is very popular in Andhra Pradesh,
India.
A tangy lentil soup, this is an easy, simple, and healthy accompaniment
for rice.
Lemon cucumbers can sometimes be bitter, so be sure to taste the
cucumber before making the dal.
Servings: 4 Cooking Time: 20
minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup toor dal (split red gram)
2 cups lemon cucumber (dosakaya)
cut into medium cubes
2 green chillies, halved
Turmeric powder, a pinch
Salt to taste
For Seasoning
2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida powder)
2 1/2 tsp urad dal (split black gram)
1 1/4 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
2 red chillies, broken into pieces,
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
4-5 curry leaves
Preparation
Cook the dal in the pressure
cooker with 2 cups of
water and a little
turmeric powder for about 5 whistles.
In a medium saucepan, boil the lemon cucumber with
the green chillies,
turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt in 1 1/2 cups of water until
tender but not mushy.
Pour the dal in and add salt.
Heat oil in a small pan for the sesaoning. Add hing
and urad dal. As
the dal starts to brown, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When the mustard starts to pop, add the red chillies
and fry for a
couple seconds. As they start to brown a bit, add the curry leaves. Fry
for a couple of seconds.
Let the lemon cucumber dal come to a boil on medium
heat, and remove
from heat.
Serve the lemon cucumber dal with hot rice and ghee
(clarified butter).
Cooking Tip
You can add 1/2 cup onions (cut into medium cubes) to the dal if you
like. Boil along with the lemon cucumber.