Beerakai Pappu | Ridge guard Dal

Dals are common in every Indian household and they are packed with proteins and very light. Beerakaya is usually called as turai in hindi and ridge gourd in english. The dal made with this veggie tastes delicious and goes well with rice and other vegetable curries. My way of making dal at home is super simple with very few ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Toor dal/Kandhi pappu

1/2 cup moong dal/ pessara pappu

1 cup Beerakai/ ridge guard pieces

lemon size tamarind

1 medium onion

2 springs curry leaves

2 green chilles

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp urad dal

2,3 cloves of garlic

pinch of hing

oil 3 tbsp

Instructions

1. Wash the both dals and put them in the pressure cooker
2.  Add chopped beerakai/ ridge guard, tamarind, chopped onion, chopped green chillies, turmeric, salt, and add enough water( 2 cups ).
3. Pressure cook them until 3 whistles, now off the flame.
4. Wait until the pressure goes.
5. Now remove the whistle and lid, mash the dal with wooden masher.
6. Now take another small pan, heat the oil, add mustard seeds when it starts spluttering, add jeera, urad dal, crushed garlic, curry leaves and hing.
7. Now add these tempering to dal
8. Adjust the taste of dal, by adding salt, red chilli powder as u like. (add water if any required)
9. Now keep the cooker on low flame, let it cook for 10 min more.
10. Switch off the flame and serve hot with rice /rotis.