Tomato pappu – Andhra pappu recipe. Tomato pappu is one of the basic dal dishes from Andhra cuisine. An Andhra meal is incomplete without a dal dish cooked with some veggie. Tomato pappu is eaten with plain rice, ghee and Avakaya (Andhra style hot mango pickle). This is the only recipe you will ever need to make a delicious, rich and healthy Andhra pappu.
With this basic Andhra pappu recipe, you can make tons of variations by adding your favorite veggies or even leafy greens. The recipe I am sharing here is the most common method followed in most Telugu speaking homes and even in Andhra restaurants.
If you have ever tasted a pappu from an Authentic Andhra restaurant and loved it then this recipe may help you to recreate it.
Andhra tomato pappu is a winner for its simplicity and unique taste. The recipe is super simple as all the ingredients are pressured cooked and tempered. The key ingredient in a tomato pappu recipe is the tamarind which brings a unique taste & flavor when it is pressure cooked along with the dal.
Andhra pappu is usually made with only toor dal or kandi pappu. Feel free to use a small portion of moong dal to enhance the taste. Most times I use it that way.
Tips to make tomato pappu
1. I have not used onions as we don’t like the pressure cooked flavor of onions in pappu. If you like to use add about 2 to 3 tbsp chopped onions.
2. Red chili powder is usually added to the pressure cooker along with tomatoes. Again it is personal choice, I prefer to add it to the tempering.
3. If making for toddlers or young kids, then set aside their portion after pressure cooking (before tempering with chilli). Just add ghee, salt and pepper to their portion.
More Dal recipes
Dal makhani
Dal fry
Chana dal
Masoor dal
Dal palak
Andhra Tomato pappu recipe or tomato dal
Tomato pappu recipe | Tomato dal recipe | Andhra pappu recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
To cook pappu
- ½ cup split pigeon peas (kandi pappu or toor dal)
- 2 medium tomatoes cubed ( I also deseed)
- 1 to 2 green chilies slit or chopped
- 1 cup water
- ½ to 1 tbsp tamarind or chintapandu (use as needed)
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
Tempering tomato pappu
- 1½ tbsp Ghee (or oil)
- 1 sprig curry leaves or kadi patta
- ¼ tsp cumin (jeera)
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic crushed (if you don’t use garlic, use ginger)
- 1 red chilli (broken)
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 pinch hing (optional)
How to make the recipe
Cooking tomato pappu
- Add toor dal to a cooker or pot or a large bowl. Wash until the water runs clear. Pour 1 cup water to the dal.
- Then add tomatoes, tamarind,green chilies and turmeric.
- If using a pressure cooker then pour 1½ cups water to the pressure cooker and place the bottom plate. Place the dal bowl inside and cover. Pressure cook on a medium heat for 3 whistles. If you are coking directly in the cooker, then 2 whistles. Or you can also cook in a pot until soft.
- Once the pressure releases open the lid. Add salt and mash the dal to slightly coarse or smooth to suit your taste. To adjust the consistency you can very well add more water.
Tempering tomato pappu
- Heat a pan with ghee or oil. Add cumin, mustard. When they begin to splutter, add red chilies, garlic and curry leaves. If needed you can add more green chili as well.
- Fry till the leaves turn crisp. Add red chili powder & hing (optional). Quickly stir in the pan and pour the mashed dal to the tempering.
- Mix well and do not cook further. Serve tomato pappu with with rice, ghee and avakaya.
Video
Video of tomato pappu or tomato dal
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
I doubled the recipe and made. Please do not gauge the quantities in the pictures.
Preparation for tomato pappu recipe
1. I usually cook the dal directly in a pressure cooker. But for this post I have shown it in a bowl and then placing it in cooker. If you do not have a cooker you can make this in a pot.
2. Add dal to a bowl or cooker or pot.
3. Wash the dal several times until the water runs clear. Drain the water.
4. Add green chilies and cleaned tamarind.
5. Next add the tomatoes. I prefer to deseed the tomatoes and use. Pour 1 cup water and little turmeric. You can also add turmeric later after cooking.
6. Pour water in your cooker. I used about 1 ½ cups water. Place the plate.
7. Keep the bowl in the cooker.
8. Cover the bowl.
9. Pressure cook for 3 whistles on a medium heat. If cooking directly in cooker, then let it whistle twice.
If cooking in a pot, add more water as needed and cook until soft.
How to make tomato dal
10. Dal and tomatoes have to be soft cooked. If you have kids, you can set their portion aside before mashing the chilies and tempering. I usually do it for my younger boy.
11. Mash and check the consistency. Pour little water if needed.
12. Add salt and mix.
Tempering tomato dal
13. Poppu or Tempering can be done in 2 ways. First method is to temper in a small pan and pour it to the cooked dal. The second method is to pour the entire cooked dal to the tempering pan. This method doubles the taste and flavor of tomato pappu.
Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add mustard, cumin and red chilies.
14. When they begin to splutter, lower the heat if needed. Add garlic and curry leaves.
15. When they turn crisp, add red chili powder.
16. Quickly mix it with ghee.
17. Pour the dal to the pan.
18. Turn off the stove and mix well.
Serve tomato pappu with rice, avakaya and ghee.
KK says
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing !
Tara says
I have made this recipe like a million times already. I add a bit of jaggery to the mix and it is super:)
swasthi says
Glad you like it!
Sneha Mody says
Amazing , easy to make and delicious recipe! I just have 2 suggestions, please don’t get me wrong, I love the recipe but I found two things that might help future users:
1. Tamarind is mentioned as an ingredient but, in the textual recipe, there is no mention of when to add it. It is there in the pictorial step-by-step recipe though.
2. If we need to make more servings, do we double all the ingredients? I did that but, again maybe mentioning it might help!
Your recipe is great, ma’am and helped me a lot but, I thought these suggestions might help future users. Hope you don’t mind 🙂 Thank you once again!
swasthi says
Hello Sneha,
Thank you so much! Yes true it will surely help other readers. I have updated it. Yes the recipe can be doubled. Thank again for your time. So glad to know you liked it.
🙂
Aditi says
I made this recipe and it was very yummy. Thanks SwathiJi.
swasthi says
Hi Aditi
You are welcome! Thank you
Kajal says
I like the way you teach with the pics step by step. It is easy to understand……😊
swasthi says
Thank you!
Saraswati says
Dal is not mashing properly. What to do? Even after 8 whistles it’s not mashing to smooth consistency. Is there pressure cooker problem?
Also why did u put Dal in pot & then pressure cooked it? U can directly put it in the cooker right?
swasthi says
Hi Saraswati,
If the dal is too old stock or if you do not add enough water then dal will not get cooked. In the recipe I have given the option to cook directly as well. We make tomato pappu this way. Dal in one bowl and rice in another bowl. Mine does it in 3 whistles with this method.
Lalitha says
For cooking millets in the pressure cooker can you tell me what is the ratio of water for one cup of millet and how many whistle. Thanks
swasthi says
Hi Lalitha,
Which millets do you want to cook? Each kind has a different cook time.
Ayesha says
I like the way u teach step by step wit very clear pics
swasthi says
Thanks Ayesha!
SIRISHA.VISWANADHAM says
I just love your recipes mam. I huge fan of yours mam, My family just love the recipes. Thank you mam ..
swasthi says
Welcome Sirisha
Thanks a lot. So glad to know you all love the recipes.
🙂
Sujatha says
Hi Mam,
Can we add hing to the papu?
swasthi says
Yes You can add
Geetha prasad says
Hey swasthi..I am just loving your recipes..making cooking easy for me..thank you so much.
But there is some problem with this site it seems as it is showing reload page again n again..kindly look into this.thank you?
swasthi says
Welcome Geetha
Thanks for trying the recipes. I didnt understand the problem. Can you pls tell me in detail
supriya says
Hi swasthi how r u ? Tried tomato pappu several times always tasts good thank u for the recipe
swasthi says
Hey Supriya You are welcome
I am good. Thanks for asking.
🙂
How are you doing?
m.madhu says
I want to learn all south indian snaks , curry, breakfast etc
pavani says
Hi swathi…ds web site is vert useful to learn cooking…and to learn how to make yummy healthy food…thnk u so much nd thnx to indianhealthyfood page….
swasthi says
Welcome Pavani
Glad to know the recipes are useful.
Thank you
Rosemary says
Really like this with the tamarind
swasthi says
Thank you
Maddy Maguire says
I was very poor in cooking until my late twenties. Then I married an Irish man who loves Indian food. Following your recipes with images has made cooking a walk in the park for me. I have tried some very interesting recipes from here. Thanks a million for doing what you do.
swasthi says
Glad to know you Maddy. You are welcome.
Really happy to know the recipes have helped you.
Thanks for the feedback.
suni says
The best ways for beginners to learn the best..thank you mam..
swasthi says
welcome
Harshini says
Dear mam
I am working on a story for The Hindu Metro Plus (Chennai, India) on native Indian cuisine and we have listed Tomato Pappu as one of the recipes.
Could you give us permission to use this image (with credit) or could you send us the image used in the above link for publication? We would need it as soon as possible.
Awaiting your response
Thanking you
Warm Regards
Harshini
swasthi says
Hi Harshini,
Thanks for contacting. I have sent the image to your email. Do let me know once it is published.
Prathima says
Love your recipes very much. Tomato pappu very nice and easy. Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome and thank you prathima
sushila says
Thanks, very nice
swasthi says
welcome
Ashokaras says
Hi Swasthi, prepapred it for the second time, was really yummy. Everybody loved it at home. Thanks to u again
swasthi says
Hello Ashokaras,
Iam glad you all liked tomato pappu. Thank you so much for your comment.
🙂