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Pesarattu Pulusu (Mung dal dosa soup)

What’s Cooking? by P.S. Lakshmi Rao

2 Cups mung dal with skin

4 Cups water to soak dal

½ Teaspoon salt

½ Teaspoon cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon water

1 Teaspoon peeled and chopped ginger

2 Teaspoons oil

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Teaspoon Methi seeds (fenugreek)

½ Teaspoon cumin seeds(jeera)

4 Whole red chilies

Curry leaves from two stems

2 Long green chilies cut into three pieces

3 Large onions, peeled and blended to a coarse paste.

1 Tablespoon chopped ginger

4 Cloves chopped garlic

½ Teaspoon ground red pepper or to taste

½ Teaspoon ground turmeric

½ Teaspoon salt

Walnut size tamarind (soaked In 1 cup water)

1 Teaspoon brown sugar or jaggery (optional)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

 Method:

Wash and soak mung dal in four cups water for three hours or more. Pour dal into a colander and wash, making sure not to loose any of the skin.  Transfer dal into a  blender with salt, cumin seeds and water. Blend into a smooth paste. Add ginger and blend a little. Pour the batter into a bowl.

Heat a griddle on medium heat. Using a paper towel, smear the griddle with half a teaspoon oil. Pour half of mung bean batter onto griddle and spread it with a soup ladle into a thick half inch pancake. Drizzle half a teaspoon oil on top and fry it in  low heat until the bottom turns light brown. Turn it over and fry the same as other side. Remove from the heat and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with other half of the batter.

Cut each pesarattu into sixteen pieces and keep them aside.

Mix ginger and garlic. Make it into a paste.

Heat oil in a wide non-stick pan on medium heat.  Add methi seeds and fry until golden color. Add red chilies, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry for thirty seconds. Add onion paste and ginger garlic paste. Fry continuously until the oil separates from the mixture. Reduce heat to medium low and add red pepper, turmeric, salt and pesarattu pieces. Fry for a minute gently with a heat proof spatula or a wooden spoon making sure not to break the pieces.

Extract juice out of the tamarind by squeezing with hand. Add the juice into the pesarattu mixture. Add half cup more water into the tamarind pulp and squeeze more juice into the pesarattu mixture.  Discard the tamarind pulp. Add fresh coriander leaves and brown sugar or jaggary if using. More salt and red pepper can be added at this time.

Cook pesarattu pulusu covered for ten minutes on low heat while mixing it and making sure not to let it stick to the bottom. Add more water if needed. Soup should not be too thick or too thin.

Tastes great with rice or roties.

Makes eight servings.

I would like to thank Mrs. Pramila Penumetcha from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh India for sharing this recipe.

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