Mamidikaya Pappu | Mango Dal
Updated: April 25, 2023, By Swasthi
Mamidikaya Pappu also known as Mango Dal is a simple lentil dish made with green unripe mangoes, lentils, spices and curry leaves. Hot rice mixed with ghee and Mamidikaya Pappu along side Avakaya, is a comfort food for most Telugu speaking people. This delicious mango dal tastes tangy & spicy with bursting flavors of mango. Make this traditional Mamidikaya Pappu on the stovetop or in the instant pot with my easy and authentic recipe.
About Mamidikaya Pappu
Mamidikaya Pappu is simply unripe green mango cooked with lentils and then tempered with spices and curry leaves. It is a traditional dish from Andhra Cuisine.
Lentils are the main source of protein for Indians and we cook it in many ways. While dishes like Dal Tadka, Dal Fry & Dal Makhani are some of the world popular lentil dishes from the Indian cuisine, there are many more dishes which are from the regional cuisines and are not known to a lot of people. But they are equally healthy, nutritious and delicious too.
This Mango Dal is one such dish. You can whip up this easy dish with so little effort and you will be surprised at how good it tastes.
Cooking lentils with many kind of vegetables and leafy greens is a common practice in the Telugu speaking homes. We cook our everyday lentil dishes with vegetables like carrots, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, okra, tomatoes and pumpkin etc.
Andhra pappu dishes are the easiest as they are just – dump and cook kind. Except for the tadka/ tempering there is no other task involved – no sautéing or no stirring etc. How easy right? If you love this idea of dump and cook, you may check out these Tomato Pappu, Pappu Sorakaya & Dal Pumpkin.
Mango Dal without Pressure cooker
If you want to make this Mango Dal without pressure cooker, simply cook the lentils with 3 cups water. Bring it to a rolling boil and reduce the heat and cook until soft and mushy.
Discard any froth that arises to the top. Add grated mango (or bite sized pieces) and cook further until they turn mushy & the skin softens. Lastly mash the dal and temper.
More Andhra pappu recipes on the blog,
Gongura pappu
Tomato pappu
Palakura pappu
Beerakaya pappu
Gummadikaya pappu
Photo Guide
How to make Mamidikaya Pappu (Stepwise Photos)
1. Add 1 cup toor dal (or a mix of toor and moong dal) to a cooker. Rinse well a few times until the water runs clear. Drain off the water and add 1 cup chopped mango, & 1 to 2 green chilies. I have added 1/8 tsp turmeric and salt here but suggest to add later because sometimes lentils won’t cook well to a soft texture if you add it right at the beginning.
You don’t need to peel the mango. The peel gives a very good mango flavor to the dal. Gently scrub the mango with some salt and rinse well. Then chop to pieces.
2. Pour 2 ½ cups water and pressure cook for 2 to 4 whistles depending on your cooker. I pressure cook for 2 whistles in a 3 lt cooker.
3. When the pressure drops, mash the dal to your liking. We prefer mango dal with slight texture, not smooth. So I lightly mash. Add salt and pour half cup boiling hot water to bring it to a consistency. Mix well. Taste test and adjust the salt.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil or 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan. Add ½ to ¾ tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp mustard seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add 1 to 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 to 2 green chilies for more heat.(optional). Next add in 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 broken red chili.
5. When the leaves turn crisp, add 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (to adjust color) and a pinch of hing. [If you like some chunky pieces of mangoes, add 1/3 cup of peeled and chopped mangoes. Add a splash of water and cook until tender.]
6. Pour this to the dal and mix. Give a good stir and cover so the flavors are infused.
Serve mango dal with rice, papad, yogurt or rasam.
Pro Tips & Notes
The combination of green mango, green chilies, ginger and garlic is what makes the best Andhra mamidikaya pappu. Pressure cooking raw mango pieces with dal and green chilies brings out the flavor of mangoes. So pressure cook them together.
Like chunky mango pieces in your mamidikaya pappu? Simply add 1/3 cup of bite sized pieces (peeled) to your tempering and cook them until tender with a splash of water.
Lentils: Traditionally only toor dal (skinned split pigeon peas) are used. But I prefer 2 parts toor dal and 1 part moong dal or both in equal parts. You can use any lentils of choice. But use fresher stock as old lentils take forever if you cook with mangoes.
Mango: Any kind of raw unripe green mango that is sour & firm go well. On occasions I have had success using semi ripe or about to ripen mangoes that taste slightly sweet and sour. You get the best flavor of mango when you use it with the skin.
If your mangoes are not home grown or organic, then simply scrub the rinsed mango with rock salt or coarse salt. Rinse under running water.
Green chilies: Mamidikaya pappu is always made with green chilies and red chilies in the tempering. You may use red chilli powder for heat but the flavors will be very different. The key is to adjust the number of green chilies as per your taste. I use 2 Thai chilies or 3 to 4 Indian chilies.
Onions & Tomatoes: Onions and tomatoes are not used in this recipe. But a lot of people throw in a sliced onion to the cooker along with the lentils. Make sure you don’t use a red onion.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Mamidikaya Pappu | Mango Dal
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup toor dal (or ⅔ cup toor dal & ⅓ cup moong dal)
- 1 cup raw unripe green mango (cubed with skin)
- 2 ½ cups water (½ cup more to adjust later)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 to 4 green chilies (divided, adjust to taste)
To Temper
- 2 tablespoon ghee or 1 tbsp oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger crushed or fine chopped (optional)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing, optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (⅛ more if required to add in tadka)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 broken dried red chili or few curd chilies
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ⅓ cup mango (peeled & chopped to bite sized pieces)
Instructions
Preparation
- Add dal to a pressure cooker and wash it few times. Drain off the water.
- Pour 2 ½ cups of fresh water to the pressure cooker.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over the green mango. Scrub it very well and rinse off. Chop it to pieces, discard the seed/kernel/stone. You don't need to peel the mango as the actual flavor comes from the mango skin.
- Add the mango pieces to the cooker along with turmeric & 2 green chilies (reserve the rest for later).
- Pressure cook for 2 to 4 whistles if cooking directly in the cooker. or 3 whistles if cooking in a bowl placed inside the cooker.
- When the pressure drops, open the lid. Mango dal must be soft cooked.
- Add salt and mash lightly. If the consistency is too thick you may pour half cup boiling water and mix to bring to consistency you like. Taste test and adjust the salt.
Temper Mamidikaya Pappu
- Heat ghee or oil in a small tadka pan. Reduce the heat and add mustard, cumin, dried chilies, garlic, ginger and green chilies (optional, use for more heat).
- When the ginger turns aromatic, add curry leaves, hing and more turmeric (if required for color). [If you like chunky pieces of mango in your dal, add ⅓ cup bite sized mango pieces to the tempering and pour few tablespoons of water. Cook until soft.]
- Pour this tempering to the mamidikaya pappu and stir well. Keep it covered for a while so the flavors are infused.
- Serve mango dal with rice or chapathi.
Instant pot Mango Dal
- Press saute button and pour oil to the steel insert. Once hot, add mustard, cumin, 2 green chilies, chopped ginger, garlic and curry leaves.
- When the ginger becomes aromatic, press cancel. Add hing, turmeric, dal, mangoes and 3 cups water. Mix well.
- You can also place your rice bowl over a trivet. Secure the IP with the lid and position the steam release vent to sealing.
- Pressure cook for 11 minutes. When the pressure drops open the lid and add salt. Mix well and pour ¼ cup boiling hot water if required to adjust the consistency.
- If your dal is not spicy enough, you may fry fine chopped green chilies in 1 teaspoon ghee and add it to the mamidikaya pappu.
Notes
- Soak the lentils for 30 mins. Drain and add them to a pot of boiling water (3 cups)
- Cook the lentils until soft and tender. Then add bite sized mango pieces and cook covered, adding more boiling water if required.
- When the mango pieces are tender, slightly mash them and then temper as mentioned in the recipe.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Mamidikaya pappu first published in January 2015. Updated & republished in April 2023.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Why can’t we add onion and tomato?
Yes you can add them to the cooker along with dal and mango.
Your recipes are amazing & the best! We tried this mango dal with Thai green mango. It was slightly tart and sweet. Didn’t have moong dal so used only toor lentils. Thank you. Going to try your mango rice too.
Thanks for trying Barbara. Glad you like this mango dal.
LOVED this! I was looking for my mom’s recipe of this and couldn’t find so I googled and found yours and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing this. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Glad you like it Deepti. Thank you.
Loved this dal, even though the raw mangoes I get in New York are not as sour. Fun twist on my usual dal. Swasthi, are you on Instagram? I can tag you in the future if you are.
So glad to know Poojitha, Yes tag me! Love to see the pictures. You can find me here on instagram
Thank you
I love your recipes and follow every recipe meticulously as instructed and they always turn out to be delicious. Your recipes give me great confidence that I believe I can cook almost anything. Thanks for sharing your recipes, knowledge and experience.
H Divya
you are welcome! Happy to know the recipes are helping.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
🙂
Hi Swasthi,
I have used a number of your recipes and each one has turned out great! I really appreciate the time you take to explain the process along with pictures.
This mango dal sounds very interesting as I like both dal and mangoes. I am planning to make it tomorrow and I have a question: Do the mangoes have to be a specific variety as I have some riped Ataulfo mangoes and am wondering if I can use these instead? If yes do I use the skin as well?
Hi Nita,
Thank you! Glad to know!
We use the green sour unripe mangoes. Not sure how ripe ones will taste. Skin will be soft cooked so I use it. May be you can add little tamarind as well & try.
Hi swathi garu my name is divya.
I like your recipes so much n i have prepared so many of them from ur recipes.
Today i have cooked mango dal which is awesome but I have collectie dal for 4 whistles.
Hello Divya,
Thank you. Glad to know! Yes aged dal needs 4 to 5 whistles to cook fully. Hope you enjoy more recipes from here.
🙂
Made this dish today. Absolutely amazing taste and light. Thank you for posting your recipe!
You are welcome! Thank you
Hi swasthi simple and tasty . I was scared to try because usually for dal we do add tomato but here u have not added since it’s ur recipe I closed my eyes and follwed ur steps and did it . It was yummy ra . Ur a super cook ra . I also tried cabbage and green peas curry tht also yummy . Thank u ra for the recipes
Hey supriya
So glad to read your comment after a long time. I cook many times my food without tomatoes as they make the dish acidic. Without tomatoes, food is light on the tummy.
Thanks for trying dear!
🙂
It’s nice Swasthi .
Can you please share how to prepare goilakura Pappu , chukkaku Pappu & gongura Pappu.
Thank you
Hi sudha please check these dal recipes
Made this today.Very easy to prepare and tasty dish.Thank you Swathi.
Sorry for the mistake.
it is “Thank you Swasthi”
Welcome Kumar
I am glad it turned out good. No sorry. Thanks for the feedback
Yummy mango dal.thank u swasti.
Welcome Chinni,
iam glad you liked it
Made this today, thanks swasthi. Chalabagundi
delicious and yummy mango dhal.
Thanks Indu
yummy raw mango
Thank you