Poppucharu (Lentils soup), an everyday recipe without the spices of Sambar

I like making Poppucharu, which doesn't have so much spice like sambhar for everyday. This doesn't mean I am not a fan of sambhar or anything like that but poppucharu goes easy on tummy with all the goodness of protein and veggies in less spice. My Idea of everyday food. Of course sambhar is there for those special days :-)



Ingredients:-
Toor Dal- 1 cup
Onion- 1 medium sized (onions here in US are bigger in size compared to India. So, you might want to use large onion in India)
Tomatoes- 2
Green Chillies- 3 to 4
Tamarind paste- 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder- 1 Tsp(optional)
Salt- 2 1/4 Tsp( or to taste)
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka(Seasoning)
Oil- 1 Tbsp
Whole red chilli- 1
Cumin seeds- 1 Tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 Tsp
Turmeric- 1/4 Tsp
Garlic pod- 1 chopped fine


Procedure:-
1. In a pressure cooker cook the toor dal adding 2 cups of water to 1 cup dal along with 2 pinches of turmeric. When the first whistle comes, turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn thr heat off.
When the pressure releases, open the lid and mash the dal with a ladle until the dal turns nice and smooth. This should be done right after the pressure releases when the dal is still hot. Once the dal becomes cold, mashing would be hard.

2. Add 30 Oz of water to the dal. Also this is the time to add sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, greenchillies which are slit lengthwise. Add salt and chilli powder and give a good stir. Turn the heat on medium, do not cover. When you get first boil, reduce heat and add tamarind paste. Cook until all the veggies are cooked.

3. To a seperate pan, add oil. Turn the heat on to medium and add broken whole red chilli, cumin seeds,mustard seeds, turmeric powder. Let the mustard seeds pop and add chopped garlic fry for a second and add curry leaves and pour over the poppucharu. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.