DOSAKAI PAPPU/ DAL

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dal----------------------------------------------3/4 Cup of standard measuring cup

Dosakai/Round Indian Yellow Cucumber---------2 cut into medium size pieces separating the seeds
Note: Seeds to be mixed with 1/2cup water and squeezed enough to extract the sourness. This water used instead of tamarind to get sour taste to the dish

Jalapenos---------------------------------------------3-4

Onion-------------------------------------------------1/2 of medium one chopped

Tomato-----------------------------------------------1 medium one

Garlic pods-------------------------------------------4 chopped and crushed

Coriander Powder------------------------------------1 tsp

Dry red chilli-----------------------------------------3-4

Cumin,Mustard Seeds------------------------------1 tsp each

Curry leaves-----------------------------------------few

Oil----------------------------------------------------4 tbp

DIRECTION:

1.Peel the skin of cucumber, Cut in half, Scoop off the excess seeds(can use few in dal), Cut to medium to big sized pieces(taste a small piece to see if bitter).

2. In a Pressure cooker cook the dal with 2 cups of water, turmeric,Jalepenos until soft for 2-3 whistles.

3.Add 3 tbp of oil and add Cumin seeds,Mustard seeds, dry red chillis, Garlic ,curry leaves and saute for a mins.

3.Now add chopped onions ,little salt and saute for 3-5mins ,then add cut pieces,chopped tomatoes and cook until its not raw with some salt .

4.Add the cooked dal, water extracted from seeds, chopped coriander  and cook on medium flame till the pieces are thoroughly cooked for 7-8mins. The dal tastes good if the pieces are not cooked till soft .

NOTE: If Dosekai is bitter theres no chance of using it in the dal. select ones that are not mature and soft enough.They become quite soggy when cooked.

There are two ways of cooking this dal: 1. Pressure cook dal and cucumber together with rest of the ingredients. Sometimes the cucumber becomes too soft and hard to find them in the dal.

2.Cook Cucumber and tomatoes with some salt till 3/4th cooked, then add in the pressure cooked dal+rest of ingredients, and and simmer low for 8-10 mins. This way i can see and taste some cucumber in the dal

Sending this to State Special Event.