Mango dal (Mamidikaya pappu)

Mango dal (mamidikaya pappu) is a classic dal popular in Andhra Pradesh. Mamidikaya in Telugu means mango and pappu means dal. As soon as the mango season comes, raw mango dishes are enjoyed to the most until mango season goes away. In vegetarian, I make raw mango chutney, mango pickle, mango rice and in non-veg it is fish curry. There are so many raw mango recipes, for now mango dal. I tasted this dal first at my aunt’s house in Vishakhapatnam and I loved the taste, the dal and mango combination goes well, it is simply delicious. This dal is full of mango flavour and sour taste. Mango dal (mamidikaya pappu) is very easy to prepare and goes well with plain rice with a drizzle of ghee (optional).

I like this mango dal very much as I like anything that has a sour taste. I also add the mango seeds/kernels to the dal as some of the flesh will still be attached to it. The mango dal can be served with rice and any fried dish.

Preparation time: 10 mins (excludes time for soaking dal)

Cooking time: 20 mins

Cuisine: Andhra Pradesh

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients

Raw mango – 1 (big sized, 350 gms) or 2 (medium sized)
Water – 1 cup

For boiling dal

Toor dal (arhar dal) - 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Water – 1 1/2 cups
Green chillies (slit) – 4
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tsp

Tadka

Oil – 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves (big, crushed or chopped) – 2
Dry chillies (broken) - 3 to 4
Curry leaves – 15 to 20
Onion (small) – 1/2

Method

Peel the skin of the mango and cut into medium sized pieces. You can also add the seed (gutli) of the mango. Keep ready.

Wash the dal and soak for about 30 mins.

Put the soaked dal along with turmeric powder, green chillies, water and a tsp of oil in a pressure cooker. Oil is added to avoid the froth, boiling from the cooker.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook the dal until it is cooked (approx 4 whistles). Switch off. Wait for a few minutes until there is no more pressure inside the cooker.
Open the lid, mash the dal with a spoon or with a wooden masher (dal ghotni), until all the other ingredients are blended well with the dal.
Add mango pieces in the dal and water again as per requirement, close the lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles or until it is soft. Can add little water 1/2 cup, if dal is very thick and has no liquid. Wait till the pressure is released.

When you open the lid, the mango pieces are cooked well.
Now mash all again with a spoon or wooden masher, leave some bits of mango pieces, add salt now, and mix again.
After mixing dal and mango pieces, if mango dal is thick, it is as per your consistency can add ½ cup water or more.

Tadka

Now take a separate vessel, add oil, let it get warm, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, let it splutter, add onions, dry chillies, fry till it is light golden colour, add garlic, and curry leaves, fry until garlic is light golden colour. Switch off.

Add immediately to dal, mix it soon and close the lid. (So that thadka flavour should not go outside).

Serve it with rice, with a drizzle of ghee on it, with any side dish vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I have served this with fried potatoes.

Notes

I sometimes add tomatoes (2) in dal while boiling, if my mangoes are not very sour as per my taste.

The amount of water added in a cooker should not exceed the limit of pressure cooker, otherwise it will come out.
While boiling dal, a tsp of oil is added so that the boiling should not make the froth to come out of the pressure cooker
Never add salt to the dal during cooking. Otherwise it will take more time. Always add salt in the last after cooking.
If mango is added with dal during cooking, the dal will take more time to cook as it is sour.
If you want you can boil mangoes separately and mix into the dal.
Instead of using a pressure cooker, any vessel can be used to cook with the lid closed.