Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:3 mins   CookTime:15 mins   Cuisine:Indian

Pappu Pulusu / Toor Dal Gravy or translated as Indian Spicy Lentil Soup can be said as one of the foods of common man in India. It’s because of the basic and minimal ingredients used for this recipe. And , this recipe is also inherited from my dear Mum and its my Father’s favourite too.

I remember those days, when the vegetables at home were just very few, and my Mum used to make this delicious dish with appadalu / poppadams. I feel so satisfied that I could make the exact replica (even in the taste) of my Mother’s recipe.

You can have it just like as a soup or pair it up with any rice or quinoa too. This lentils soup is a perfectly Vegan,Gluten free,Oil free (if you can avoid the tempering) , One pot meal/soup recipe without adding any extras.

You can make it in a pressure cooker / instant pot / crock pot / stove top too. Just try , you would surely love it in any way you eat ! 

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned in the end.

Other soup recipes here⇒ Salads & Soups

My salad recipes collection here⇒  Salads & Soups

Starter / Appetiser recipes collection here⇒  Starters / Snacks

Related posts⇒  

1. Tomato Dal / Lentil Stew / Tomato Pappu 
2. GreenCucumber-LentilStew / ToorDal / KeeraDosakaya Pappu
3. Broccoli-Squash Lentil Stew / Broccoli-Sorakaya Pappu/ Broccoli-Tinda Dal

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Ingredients:

• Toor dal / Kandi Pappu / Yellow Lentils – 1 cup
• Tamarind puree – 3 tablespoons 
• Onions – 2 (medium size)
• Tomatoes – 2 (medium size)
• Green Chillies – 4
• Rice flour or Chickpea flour – 1 tablespoon (optional)
• Red Chilli Powder – 1½ teaspoons
• Salt – 2 teaspoons
• Sugar or Jaggery – 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Coriander (chopped) – 2 tablespoons 
• Water – enough to cook and boil
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon (optional)

Ingredients For Tempering: (optional)

• Cooking Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds / Aavaalu – ½ teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds / Jeera – 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida / Hing / Inguva – half of ¼ teaspoon

Special Ingredients:

• Red Chilli Powder 
• Tamarind

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Pappu pulusu / indian spicy lentil soup’:

• Firstly, take the pappu/dal/lentils into a vessel and wash them twice thoroughly.
• Now, cut the tomatoes and onions cube sized and slit the green chillies length wise.

STOVE-TOP METHOD

• Add everything to the vessel.
• Pour water into the vessel up to a level that the dal/lentils or just dipped.

  

  Toor Dal/Yellow Lentils taken in pressure cooker

  

  Tomatoes,Onions and Green Chillies added to the dal/lentils

• Put the vessel on medium flame of stove, cover with lid, let it cook for 10 mins. After which, check if the dal is cooked or not, by pressing a lentil against 2 fingers.
• If you are using, stove-top pressure cooker, put the lid and whistle on, cook it up to 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure release.
• Add the red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder.
  

  

• Then, add the tamarind puree, sugar, 1½ cups of water,tablespoon of coriander and ginger-garlic paste (optional).
• Mix everything, let it boil for 3-4 mins, under medium flame.
  

  Tamarind puree and water added

  

  Bringing to boil under medium flame to thicken
• At this stage, add the rice flour or chick pea flour to thicken faster.
• When it thickens, switch off the flame, garnish with chopped coriander. Done!!
• If you wish to do the tempering, take all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ into a small pan onto the stove top, and fry them until the mustard start to splutter splatter and switch off the stove.
  

  

• Just like the above pic,transfer this tempering into the vessel and mix gently. Done!!

INSTANT POT / ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

• Transfer washed lentils, diced onions and tomatoes, slit green chillies to the IP vessel.
• Pour water up to a level that everything is just dipped.
• Add the tamarind puree / pulp / dry tamarind also. Let it dip.
• Switch the Instant Pot ON, set it to Pressure Cook Mode, under high pressure, for 6 mins with valve closed.
• Release the pressure either manually (NPR) or let it release naturally (NPR). Anything is fine.
• Remove the lid, turn on the IP, set to Saute Mode, under high pressure, for 2 mins.
• Add ½ cup of water, sugar, salt, red chilli powder / cayenne powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste (optional).
• Let the soup boil, add the rice flour or chick pea flour to thicken.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Done!!
• If you wish to do the tempering, take all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ into a small pan onto the stove top, and saute them.
• Transfer this tempering into the vessel and mix gently. Done!!

Tips:

• You can use either yellow lentils or red lentils for the same recipe.
• Adjust the spice and salt according to your taste.
• I have used de-seeded dry tamarind, you can even use ready made tamarind puree / pulp.
• You can skip the tempering part, which doesn’t change the taste of the soup anyhow.
• This, pappu pulusu / Indian spicy lentil soup, can be stored in fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Result:

• The taste of this, pappu pulusu / Indian spicy lentil soup, is spicy and tangy too. But the texture is thick because of the lentils.
• Perfectly suitable especially for cold winters, & to satisfy taste buds craving for spice.
• You can have just as a soup or can have it along with any rice or quinoa or bread.
  

  

  

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