Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:3 mins   CookTime:Given Below   Cuisine:Indian

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Table of Contents⇓   RecipeCard⇓      

Pappu Pulusu / Pappu Chaaru as we say in Telugu, is translated as Indian Spicy Lentil Soup can be said as one of the foods of common man in South 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 served along with appadalu / poppadum’s. I feel so satisfied that I could make the exact replica (even in the taste) of my Mother’s recipe.

This is my go to recipe, especially for weekday dinners. And my kids love them with homemade poppadum’s.

Table of Contents:

Click to Expand / Collapse

1. Possible alterations you could make for, ‘ Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup (Stove Top, Instant Pot Methods)’:
2. How to serve, ‘Pappu Pulusu / Pappu Charu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup’:
3. Other recipes from my blog:
4. Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup (Stove Top, Instant Pot)’:
5. Stove Top Method Pappu Pulusu:
6. Instant Pot Method Pappu Pulusu:
7. Tempering:(common for both methods)
8. Tips & Storage:
9. Result:
10. Recipe Card & Print:

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Possible alterations you could make for, ‘ Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup (Stove Top, Instant Pot Methods)’:

Variety of Onions to use: Any variety of onions, like, white, red, shallots, salad, yellow, can be used. If you are using shallots, add same quantity as that mentioned. 

Instead of tamarind puree, that I have used, just add double the count of tomatoes mentioned.

To replace Split Pigeon peas / toor dal: They can be replaced with red lentils / masoor dal, chana dal / split peas (or) with yellow moong lentils.

Vegetables to add: You might add, vegetables like, carrots, green peas, pumpkin, butternut squash, green squash, zucchini, potatoes. But just a handful of each.

For additional flavour, adding a teaspoon of South Indian curry powder would suffice.

Among the ‘Ingredients for tempering’, you can skip the Asafoetida / Hing / Inguva, and can add 3-4 garlic cloves.

Stove Top Pressure Cooker Method: If you are using, stove-top pressure cooker, put the lid and whistle on, cook it up to 4-5 whistles. After the pressure is released, add the spice and do the tempering.

How to serve, ‘Pappu Pulusu / Pappu Charu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup’:

You can have it just as a soup or pair it up with any rice or quinoa too.

Just as shown in the above pic, serve this, Pappu Pulusu / Pappu Charu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup, along with steamed plain white rice and crunchy papads. It makes a wholesome meal, having protein, fibre, carbs and necessary vitamins.

Or even as an accompaniment with South Indian Breakfast items like Idli, Dosa, Uthappam. 

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.

As shown in the pic below, this Pappu Pulusu / Pappu Charu / Indian Spicy lentil soup, is served as a side, as per a South Indian Meal Platter. Full Detailed Link for the platter⇒ Bhojanam / Thali / Meal Platter # 8

Other recipes from my blog:

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

Instant Pot recipes collection⇒  Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes Collection

Air Fryer recipes collection⇒   Air – Fryer Recipes Collection 

Meal Platters Collection⇒  Bhojanam / Thali / Meal Platter

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Ingredients:

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

Ingredients For Tempering: (optional)

• Cooking Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds / Aavaalu – ½ teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds / Jeera – 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida / Hing / Inguva – ¼ teaspoon
• Fresh Garlic – 3 cloves (optional)

Special Ingredients:

• Red Chilli Powder 
• Tamarind

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Pappu Pulusu / Indian Spicy Lentil Soup (Stove Top, Instant Pot)’:

Stove Top Method Pappu Pulusu:

Firstly, take the dal / lentils into a vessel and wash them twice thoroughly. Add thrice the amount water, onto the lentils.

Add all the chopped veggies to the vessel. Pour more water into the vessel, such that the lentils & veggies are dipped.

Close the vessel with lid, let it cook on stove top under high flame for 10 to 15 mins.

After which, check if the dal is cooked or not, by pressing a lentil against 2 fingers.

Add the red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder, tamarind puree, sugar, 1½ cups of water, tablespoon of coriander, ginger-garlic paste.

 Mix everything, let it boil on stove top for 4 to 5 mins, under medium flame, until the soup boils.

At this stage, add the rice flour or chick pea flour to thicken.

When it thickens as per your desired consistency, switch off the flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander, add the tempering. Done!!

Instant Pot Method Pappu Pulusu:

Take the lentils into the IP vessel, wash twice under running water. Add twice the amount of water. Set aside.

Transfer diced onions and tomatoes, slit green chillies, tamarind puree / dry tamarind to the IP vessel.

Pour water such that everything is just dipped.

Switch the Instant Pot ON, set to Pressure Cook Mode, under high pressure, for 6 mins with valve closed.

Release the pressure naturally (NPR). Remove the lid, turn on the IP, set to Sauté Mode, for 2 mins.

Add sugar, salt, red chilli powder / cayenne powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, 1½ cups of water.

Let the soup boil. Add the rice flour (or) chick pea flour to thicken. Switch the IP off.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, add the tempering. Done!!

Tempering:(common for both methods)

If you wish to do the tempering, take all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ into a small pan onto the stove top.

Sauté them for 2-3 mins. Transfer this tempering onto the pulusu. Mix everything gently. Done!!

Tips & Storage:

• Adjust the spice and salt according to your taste.
• I have used de-seeded dry tamarind, you can even use readily available tamarind puree available in any Indian store.
• You can skip the tempering part, which doesn’t change the taste of the soup anyhow.
• For the instant pot electric pressure method, the cook time remains the same even if you cook the soup with 3 times of dal.
• Storage: This, Pappu pulusu / Indian spicy lentil soup, can be stored in fridge for up to a week.
• Just re-heat before serving, there is no need to thaw.

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.
• Its best suitable as a recovery food post cold, fever, or any sickness.

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