Mamidikaaya pappu/ Mango Dal

I have known to make the mamidikaaya pappu ever since I was 8. Yeah!! I love mangoes.., Raw, and ripe.., I remember Amma making use of the mango in so many different ways..., The mango juice, the sweet mango pickle, the avakais, the mango pappu, mango puliogare..., and I remember eating raw mango dipped in salt and chilly powder!! That is heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today's recipe is of the very tangy and very, very yummy Mamidikaya Pappu...

Mamidikaya Pappu / Mango Dal:

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Arhar dal (Kandi pappu)
• 1 medium sized Raw Mango
• 1 medium sized Onion, Chopped into big chunks
• Chilly Powder and Salt, to taste ( you can use green chillies instead of Chilly powder)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 2 tsp Ghee, for tempering
• 1/4 tsp each of Cumin, Mustard and Urad Dal
• 3 Dried Red Chillies
• Few Curry Leaves
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• 5-6 Garlic Flakes, you can either chop them finely or use them as a whole.

Method:

Wash, dry, peel and cut the mango into small pieces avoiding its core. In a pressure cooker, add the Arhar dal and wash it clean. To this, add the mango pieces, the chopped Onions, the turmeric and the chilly powder/green chillies. Add 1 and a 1/2 cup water and pressure cook for 10 minutes or until the cooker gives out 3 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the contents cool. Later, add salt to the dal and mash properly. Keep aside. in a pan, heat the ghee. Split the red chillies and add them to the ghee along with the garlic and the curry leaves. Now add the cumin, mustard and the Urad dal. Add the asafoetida and let the entire contents splutter. To this tempering, add the dal and give the entire mixture a proper stir. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Transfer th contents to a serving dish. Serve with hot rice along with ghee and avakai ( mango pickle). Yummmm!!!! Drool drool!! :D