Andhra Special Gongura Dal Recipe

This Andhra special Gongura dal has the perfect balance of tanginess and earthiness, making it an absolute must-try! 

Gongura dal, which is typically known as Gongura Pappu, is a classic Andhra specialty. This dal is a flavorful and delicious version of your regular dal and is a great way to get some more greens into your diet. 

The dal is incredibly easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing- sure to be a hit with everyone in the family. 

You can make it during the colder months of the year, and it might just turn into your next favorite comfort food. 

Ready to go ahead and try out the recipe? Here’s everything you need to know about it. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients For the Recipe
• How to Make the Gongura Dal
• Tips & Tricks to Nail the Gongura Dal Recipe
• Andhra Special Gongura Dal Recipe

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need some basic ingredients apart from the Gongura leaves to put this flavorful dal together. 

• Toor Dal (Yellow split Pigeon peas): ½ cup
• Gongura leaves (chopped): 2 cups
• Onions (chopped): ¼ cup
• Tomatoes (chopped): ½ cup
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste
• Oil: 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Red dry chilies: 1-2
• Bay leaf: 1
• Red chili powder: 2 tsps
• Coriander powder: 2 tsps
• Cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Garlic (minced): 2 tbsps
• Water: If required

How to Make the Gongura Dal

Ready with all your ingredients? Here’s how to make the dal from scratch. 

Add the Yellow split Pigeon peas along with the gongura leaves, onions, tomatoes, turmeric powder, and salt to a pressure cooker and pressure cook until the dal is completely cooked and turns soft. 

Next, heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, and bay leaf. Saute. 

Add the powdered spices next and saute. 

Next, add the minced garlic and saute. 

Add the pressure-cooked lentils to the spice mix next and mix well. 

Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes. 

Serve hot with steamed rice. 

What is Gongura?

Gongura leaves, also known as roselle leaves, are popular in Andhra cuisine. These leaves are added to daals and turned into pickles, and have a distinctly sour and earthy taste. 

They are a rich source of folic acid, iron, vitamins, and antioxidants- adding them to your meals can be a great way to get all those nutrients.

Can I Make this With Another Dal?

Yes! You totally can. While yellow split pigeon pears aka toor dal is the best choice, you could totally opt for Chana dal (split Bengal gram) or any other yellow dal of your choice. 

You could also use a combination of two dals to get an extra bump of protein. 

How Do I Store the Leftover Gongura Dal?

Your leftover daal can be refrigerated for another day. Just transfer it to an airtight container and pop it in it can stay fresh in there for up to 3 days. 

Remember to add a bit of water to the daal when you want to reheat it. 

Freezing the Gongura dal is, unfortunately, not recommended, because it can cause the Gongura leaves to change their color and turn limp. 

What Other Variations Can I Try?

Loved the classic dal recipe but don’t have Gongura leaves? You can add in some chopped spinach instead and transform it into dal palak- another popular Indian recipe. 

Can I Make This in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you absolutely can. If you prefer using your Instant Pot, just go for it. Remember to make sure that the dal is cooked well, and everything else should be easy to work your way around. 

You can also make the dal in a regular pot, but remember that the dal will take considerably longer to cook. To cut down on the cooking time for the dal, you can soak the dal up to a day in advance. 

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Gongura Dal Recipe

The recipe might be simple, but implementing these little tips and tricks will help you get the recipe. 

• Adding the gongura leaves towards the end will help them retain their pop of color, and if that’s what you want, you could do that too. 
• If the Gongura leaves have not added enough sourness to the dal (which can be possible due to difference in flavor of certain variants), you can add a bit of fresh tamarind paste or lemon juice.
• Traditionally, people in the Andhra Pradesh also add soaked peanuts to the Gongura dal while it is being boiled. This is done to enhance the texture of the dal and also give it extra protein. 
• Depending on your personal preference, you can either blend the cooked dal until it is smooth and uniform, or leave it slightly chunky and then add the gongura leaves. 
• Let the dal pressure cook until it is completely soft and starts to fall apart when you try to press it. If the dal feels hard and undercooked, you can add in a bit of water and let it cook again. 
• Don’t forget to top the finished dal with a generous spoonful of ghee (clarified butter). You will come across this practice in almost every Indian dal recipe, and that’s simply because the ghee lends the dal a unique taste and flavor. 
• Love the smokiness some Indian dishes have? Want to enjoy that same flavor in this dal? It is actually pretty easy to do that. Simply heat a piece of coal until it is red hot and transfer it to a tiny container placed on the top of your pot of dal. Drizzle a bit of oil on it and quickly cover it with the lid, allowing the dal to absorb all the smoky flavor. Thats’ it! Remove the coal and serve! 

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

Most dal preparations taste great when paired with rice, and this Andhra special Gongura dal is no exception. However, you can also team it up with fresh chapatis, an appetizer like Aloo pyaz pakoras, and an Indian side dish like smoky Baigan Bharta. To finish it all up, you can serve some raita and chutneys on the side.