Pappu Charu Andhra Style | How to make Pappu Charu in Cooker – Andhra Sambar Recipe | South Indian Lentil Soup

Pappu Charu Andhra Style | How to make Pappu Charu | Indian Lentil Soup – A comforting & easy to make lentil soup prepared with tur dal. It’s a diluted version of sambar but doesn’t have several special spices like sambar.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2015 and has been updated with new Video and the content remains unchanged.Sitting down and enjoying mom’s food in India without having to cook, click and most importantly, finding an answer to the routine question…What’s for dinner??? It’s such an amazing feeling though I know that amma is having tough time finding answer to the same question .

Btw….did I tell you I’m in India for a holiday??.. I had decided not to blog but today I just sat down to clean up my laptop while chatting with family. In the process, I found photos for a few recipes, of which Pappu Charu Andhra Style caught my attention…..I usually have a back up of a few recipes. It was a coincidence that somebody had recently asked me if I had a recipe for Pappu Charu Andhra Style on my blog. It was then I realised I haven’t posted this recipe but was always under the impression that I had posted it.

Off late, I have been travelling a lot and this gives me such a guilt feeling because I don’t find time to blog. It’s almost a week since I posted and hence I decided to take out some time to post this wonderful recipe for Pappu Charu Andhra Style. This way, I can enjoy my trip to Papikondalu and Badrachalam to the fullest. Yes!!…We are going on a family trip for 3 days leaving tomorrow and I’m so excited 🙂

What is Pappu Charu?

Pappu Charu Andhra Style is a very comforting and easy to make traditional lentil soup recipe. This is a cross between rasam and sambar or it can be also called a diluted version of sambar, but doesn’t have the special spices typical for sambar in it. You can include any veggies of your choice but my favourite is with drumstick and full onions. I also like to include okra.  The onions cooked in tamarind water and lentils give a unique taste to the sambar and the tender drumsticks spread a distinct flavour across the dish. You can also make pappu charu with other lentils…check out the recipe with moong dal from blog- Pesara Pappu Charu.

Pappu Charu Andhra Style has many admirers and die-hard fans, my son being on top of the list. When you get to know the real taste of pappu chaaru, you will know why anyone can adore this darling dish. All said and done, it is quite tricky to recreate the same taste each time you make…including me!! There are many variants to make this with every home having their own method.

A perfect combination of spicy, tangy dal, it tastes heavenly when served with Steamed Rice and pappad,any dry vegetable fries, Non-vegetarian fries or even a simple omelette will do the job.

The important ingredient here is the garlic gloves which render most of the flavour to the dish. If you don’t favour garlic, you can go ahead and skip it. But the flavour does get affected. It is really garlicky and delicious!

Off to the recipe for Pappu Charu Andhra Style!!

Step-by-Step process in making

Pappu Charu Andhra Style:

• Grab all the ingredients and chop tomatoes and coriander. Slit green chillies lengthwise.
• Soak tamarind in 1 cup water, microwave for a minute and extract juice. Discard the pulp.
• Peel onions and drumsticks and set aside. Pick one inch diameter onions and preferably uniform in size so that there will not be any difference in cooking time.

• Pressure cook lentils/dal till smooth. I usually use 1 cup of water for ½ cup of dal and pressure cook for 2 whistles on a medium heat and then simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat.
• When the pressure subsides, open the lid and mash well.

• Take chopped tomatoes, coriander and curry leaves in a bowl and crush them well together using your hand or in a blender.
• To this add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

• Now add slit green chillies, peeled whole onions and drumstick pieces.
• Transfer this mixture to the mashed dal along with salt.

• To this add tamarind extract, required water and mix well. The quantity of water depends on the desired consistency you wish to have. Basically Pappu Charu shouldn’t be too thick like sambar nor too runny like rasam, it should be in between. Just make sure to balance the tang, spice and salt.
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker again and cook over medium heat for one whistle. Turn off the heat.
• Open the lid once the pressure subsides.

NOTE:

• You can also cook Pappu Charu Andhra Style in a vessel by boiling the contents till the onions and drumsticks get cooked. But this is time consuming and takes longer. By using the pressure cooker method, you can save time and energy. Similarly you can also use an Instant Pot to prepare pappu charu.

Tempering for Pappu Charu Andhra Style:

• Crush or chop garlic pods.
• Heat oil/ghee in a small pan over medium heat and add garlic.
• Once garlic starts to turn light brown add red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• When mustard seeds splutter, add a pinch of asafoetida.
• Now turn off the heat and add curry leaves.
• Transfer the tempering to the pappu charu and mix well.

• Garnish with coriander and serve Pappu Charu Andhra Style with hot steamed rice and ghee along with pappad, vodiyalu, any dry vegetable fries, Non-vegetarian fries or an omelette.

Print Recipe

Pappu Charu Andhra Style | Andhra Sambar Recipe

Pappu Charu Andhra Style is a diluted version of sambar and a perfect combination of spicy, tangy dal to relish and tickle your taste buds.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: South Indian

Keyword: Pappu Charu, Andhra Style Sambar, Sambar

Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Tur dal
• 2 Cups Water to cook dal
• 1 Tomato Roughly Chopped
• ¼ Cup Coriander Roughly Chopped
• A sprig of curry leaves
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 2 Green Chillies Slit
• 4 to 6 Small sized onions Peeled
• 1 drumstick Peeled & cut into 2 inch pieces
• Lemon size tamarind soaked in water & extract pulp
• 3 to 4 Cups Water For desired consistency
• Required Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar or Jaggery

For the Tempering:

• 1 tbsp Oil or Ghee
• 3 to 4 garlic pods crushed or chopped
• 2 Dry red chillies
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• A sprig of curry leaves

Garnish:

• 2 tbsp Coriander finely chopped

Instructions

• Pressure cook lentils/dal with water over medium high heat for 3 whistles & then simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Turn off the heat.
• When the pressure subsides, open the lid and mash well.
• Take chopped tomatoes, coriander and curry leaves in a bowl and crush them well together using your hand or in a blender.
• To this add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
• Now add slit green chillies, peeled whole onions and drumstick pieces.
• Transfer this mixture to the mashed dal along with salt.
• To this add tamarind extract, required water (3 to 4 cups) and mix well. The quantity of water depends on the desired consistency you wish to have.
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker again and cook over medium heat for one whistle. Turn off the heat.
• Open the lid once the pressure subsides.
• For the tempering:
• Heat oil/ghee in a small pan over medium heat and add garlic.
• Add Crushed or chopped garlic pods. Once garlic starts to turn light brown add red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
• When mustard seeds splutter, add a pinch of asafoetida.
• Now turn off the heat and add curry leaves.
• Transfer the tempering to the pappu charu and mix well.
• Garnish with coriander and serve with hot steamed rice & Ghee.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Adjust spice and tang to suit your taste.
• The consistency shouldn't be too thick like sambar nor too runny like rasam, it should be in between.
• Make sure to balance the tang, spice and salt.
• You can also cook Pappu Charu in a vessel by boiling the contents till the onions and drumsticks get cooked. But this is time consuming and takes longer. By using the pressure cooker method, you can save time and energy.
• You can also use other vegetables of your choice but I usually make with onions, drumsticks, okra/bhindi or a combination of these.

Do check out other SAMBAR RECIPES  &  LENTILS & DAL RECIPES from blog!!!

Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!

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Happy Cooking 🙂

Cheers!!

Padma.