Thakkali paruppu / Simple Tomato Dal

Just the day before we got so much snow here in Raleigh, and I felt like I was in Narnia 😀 Cold weather days like this calls for something comforting, warm and easy. I wanted to make use of this and start working on the comfort food series that I have been wanting to do for sometime now. First up, is my favorite. It is my mom’s recipe and I can eat it everyday. Mom used to make this for us, when she did not have a lot of time to cook and we used to finish this off without any complaints. This was the one of the first few dishes I learnt from her when I got engaged. It is best had with plain rice and a dollop of ghee. Well, it is made with lots of ghee but I have a vegan toddler at home, so I make this with olive oil and add some ghee separately on my plate with rice! This recipe is quick, easy and totally delicious and comforting!

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Thakkali Paruppu (Tomato Dal)

 Comforting and delicious toor dal cooked with tomatoes, jeera, green chillies and turmeric.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: South Indian

Author: cookingwithpree

Ingredients

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup toor dal
• 3 to matoes pureed
• 2 to 3 green chillies slit Use as per your spice levels
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil ghee if not vegan

Instructions

Method : (Stove top)

1. Cook toor dal with 1 cup water until soft and mushy in a pressure cooker. Set it aside.
2. Add oil/ ghee in a kadai and let it become hot. When it heats up, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and let the mustard seeds splutter.
3. Now add the pureed tomato, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The tomato will reduce and you can see oil in the sides.
4. Now add the cooked dal, water if need to thin the consistency of the dal and let it cook for couple more minutes.
5. Add the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Method : (Instant pot)

1. Soak the toor dal overnight or for 30 minutes to 1 hr in hot water.
2. Switch on the saute mode in your instant pot and add the ghee/ oil. When it heats up add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and let the mustard seeds splutter.
3. Now add the pureed tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Now add the toor dal, enough water to cook the dal (say about 1 to 11/2 cups) and cook in manual high heat for 15 minutes and release pressure naturally.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.and
6. Note : If you have already cooked dal, add it to the tomato gravy and cook it manual high for 3 minutes.
7. If the dal is not cooked properly, cook it for extra 10 minutes. Sometimes the cooking time of toor dal also depends on the quality of your dal. 15 minutes works well for me. If you aren't sure, soak the dal well and then cook it to get soft mushy dal!

Recipe Notes

Note : If you have already cooked dal, add it to the tomato gravy and cook it manual high for 3 minutes. If the dal is not cooked properly, cook it for extra 10 minutes. Sometimes the cooking time of toor dal also depends on the quality of your dal. 15 minutes works well for me. If you aren't sure, soak the dal well and then cook it to get soft mushy dal!