Katti Paruppu Recipe | Simple South Indian Dal | Nellai Katti Paruppu

Katti Paruppu is a thick dal curry which is usually served first in meals. This version of dal is my signature dish which is loved by all in our family. The recipe is very simple so I usually prepare this on a lazy day. The main thing here is the green chilli. So if you are reducing the chilli, it will be good but you will not get a great taste as I mean here. I even add little chilli powder at the final if the green chilli is not spicy. It goes well with everything. You can even make it more thick and have this along with rasam.

Katti Paruppu

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian / Tamil Nadu | Recipe Category: Curry for Rice

Prep Time: 5 mins | Cooking Time: 30 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 3/4 cup

Tomato - 1

Green chilli - 7

Tamarind - a small pebble sized

Garlic - 5

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

To Grind:

Coconut - 2 tblspn

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

To Temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Small onion -5

Red chilli - 2

Curry leaves - a sprig

Oil - 2 tblspn

Method:

Coarsely grind coconut and cumin. Soak tamarind in water and extract its juice.

In a pressure cooker, take toor dal, chopped onion, garlic, turmeric, asafoetida, green chilli(slit into 4 halves), and enough water. Pressure cook for 4 whistles over medium flame.

Once pressure subsides, mash the dal and add ground coconut, tamarind extract and salt to taste.

In a vessel, heat little oil. Once oil becomes hot, crackle some mustard seeds. Add red chilli, chopped small onion and curry leaves.

When onion begins to brown, add the mashed dal and 1 cup of water. If chilli is not very spicy, add 1/2 tsp of chilli powder at this stage. Cook for 5 minutes and put off the flame.

Serve hot with rice!

Note:

• The juices of green chilli which gets into the dal while mashing gives a fantastic taste to the dish. So do not reduce it.
• Do not add too much of tamarind. It should not become sour.

Pictorial:

Keep all your ingredients ready. Soak a pebble sized tamarind in water and extract its juice.(*Not more than pebble sized)

In a preddure cooker, take washed toor dal, green chilli(cut into 4),choppd tomato, garlic, turmeric

a generous pinch of asafoetida

Add little water and pressure cook the dal for 4 whistles over medium flame

Meanwhile, coarsely grind the coconut and cumin

When the pressure subsides, open the lid and

mash the dal. Press in green chilli so that the juices of green chillies gets into the dal

Add in ground coconut

tamarind extract

and salt to taste

Heat little oil and crackle some mustard seeds

When it begins to pop, add in chopped small onion, red chilli and curry leaves

When the onion begins to brown

add in mashed dal

Add 1.5 cups of water

Optional: Check for spiciness and add if required. Cook for 5 minutes and pur off the flame

Serve with hot rice and any of your favorite accompaniment!