Gongurra Pappu - Gongurra Dal (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Gongurra Pappu is a tangy and spicy dal that is made with 'Red Sorrel Leaves' usually served with rice for lunch. It happens to be one of the most popular main dishes of the 'Andhra Cuisine'. Let's see how to make this dal both on stovetop and Instant Pot with step-wise photos.

'Gongurra is also called 'Pulicha Keerai' in Tamil. Gongurra Pulihora is yet another Main dish from Andhra and this 'Pulicha Keerai Thokku' from Tamil Nadu is something that you will love.

These leaves are rich in Iron and including them often in our daily ensures overall good health.

Gongurra cooks very quickly and turns mushy on its own whether it is sautéed or boiled, making it easy to blend well in any recipe.

This beginner-friendly gongurra pappu recipe is very simple and easy to make yet very delicious.

Table of Contents:

• About Gongurra Pappu
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe Notes
• Nutrition Profile
• FAQ's
• Related Recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

About Gongurra Pappu

We make this dal recipe by cooking yellow moong dal along with gongurra, green chillies together to a pulp.

Then we make a tempering of whole spices which is added to the dal, and then it is all mashed together.

Traditionally, we use a clay pot called 'Keerai Chatti' is used to mash the dal to get a creamy yet coarse consistency that comes together all on its own without much effort.

This recipe uses both green and red chillies and unlike Dosakaya Pappu or Mamidikaya Pappu, a much larger quantity of spice is added to compensate for the sourness of the Red Sorrel leaves.

In general, dal usually goes well with both rice and rotis. But this particular gongurra dal is served only with rice and also tastes best with only rice.

Ingredients

Dal: This recipe uses yellow moong dal also called 'Payatham Paruppu' in Tamil. Alternately you can also use tur dal or a combination of moong dal and tur dal in equal quantities. Masoor dal won't taste that good with this recipe.

Gongurra: These greens are the star of the dish. It is also called 'Pulicha Keerai' in Tamil. Usually, I use the bunch in which only the greens with the red-coloured stalk to make this dal as it gives a creamy consistency to the cooked dal.

Tastemakers: I have used onions to give a good body to the dal, and it also gives a good volume to the dal.

Green chillies add more heat & spice to the dal. This recipe demands more chillies to compensate for the tanginess of the gongurra.

Whole Spices: A seasoning of whole spices consisting of mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and dry red chillies fried in gingelly oil is added to the dal and mashed together before serving.

Instructions

To make this gongurra pappu on the stovetop,

1. Take yellow moong dal in a bowl and rinse well. You can make it directly in the pressure cooker too.

2. To this add green chillies, onions, garlic, and turmeric powder.

3. Remove the red stalk from the gongurra leaves, wash well, drain and add it to the bowl.

4. Add salt, water, and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure release on its own.

5. Take the bowl out and set it aside.

6. Meanwhile, heat oil in a tempering pan and add mustard, cumin, coriander seeds, and dry red chillies.

7. Fry over low flame till the mustard crackle and the other ingredients change colour slightly.

9. If you have a clay 'keerai chatti' like this one, use it along with a wooden pappu guthi .

10. Transfer the cooked dal and keerai to the clay pot. Transfer the seasoning too to the pot.

11. Mash it with the pappu guthi till all the ingredients disintegrate and come together. Transfer to a serving bowl.

To make this in Instant Pot,

To the inner pot, add rinsed yellow moong dal, gongurra leaves, onion, garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt, water and mix well.

Turn on the Instant Pot. Close the lid with the vent in the sealed position. Pressure cook at high for 10 mins. Let pressure release naturally.

Do the seasoning in a pan and add it to the cooked dal.

You can either transfer both the dal and the seasoning to the clay 'keerai chatti' and mash them together, or you can mash using an immersion hand blender to your preferred consistency.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with rice.

Recipe Notes

Sorrel leaves happen to be sour and tangy, so based on that, you might need to add more chillies than usually required to compensate.

You may leave out the whole coriander seeds while doing the seasoning as some don't like biting into that while eating.

In general, greens require less salt. So before pressure-cooking, add less salt. You can always taste check while mashing and adjust accordingly.

Nutrition Profile

This recipe is

• Dairy-Free
• Diabetic-Friendly
• Egg-Free
• Gluten-Free
• High Fibre
• High Protein
• Low Calorie
• Low Carb
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Vegan
• Vegetarian

FAQ's

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