Andhra style Chow Chow Tomato Pappu Recipe. Recipe for mashed creamy dal made with chow chow (chayote squash) and tomatoes.
Chow Chow / Chayote Squash is something I cook a lot these days as its very low in calories and can fill you up easily. 100 grams of Chow Chow has just 19 Kcal (according to wiki) making it a non-starchy veggie to have without having to worry about calories. Chow Chow is a good source of vitamin C. I picked up the habit of eating chow chow from my chayote veggie extraordinaire, chayote embroider, Trader Joe’s chayote hoarder, chayote aficionado, my dearest lulu baby @lulufit_kitchen. While buying chow chow, pick a small young fruit as they tend to be tender. The bigger ones turn very fibrous at the ends. This recipe for mashed chow chow tomato pappu is one of our current favorites at home. I like to mash the chow chow with the dal to get a creamier dal. You can also add boiled chayote’s to the dal at the end if you prefer that way.
Here is the video of Chow Chow Tomato Pappu Recipe
Here is how to make Chow Chow Tomato Pappu Recipe
Wash and soak the toor dal in water. Set aside. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and garlic. Let the curry leaves turn aromatic. Add in the onions and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft.
Once the onions are soft, add in the finely chopped tomatoes.
Add in the salt and the green chillies. Adjust the green chillies according to your taste. You can also omit it if you want the dal to be mild. Add in the spice powders and jaggery. Mix well to combine.
Sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Cover the pan with a lid so the tomatoes cook faster.
Once the tomatoes are mushy, add in the water. Add in the washed, soaked and drained dal. Let it come to a boil.
In the mean time, wash, peel and de seed the chow chow. I have used two small chow chow for this recipe today. Roughly chop the chow chow. If the chow chow is big, try to remove / peel the skin completely. The skin can become very fibrous.
Cover the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 15 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle.
Open the cooker and mash the dal.
Tempering the dal
Heat ghee in a small pan on low flame. Add in the crushed garlic with skin and roast for a minute. Add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies and asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Add in the hot ghee mixture to the dal. Add in the coriander leaves and mix well to combine. Serve the dal with rice and a dollop of ghee.
