Andhra Pappu kuras are simple but very nutritious and easy on the gut type of food. Essentially a slightly wet (mudda kura) or dry (podi kura) curry of some lentil and some vegetable and a little seasoning… that’s all for this very versatile recipe.

Pappu kura is a little similar to Tamil koottu, but even simpler, as we don’t even have to add any ground masala, yet it tastes so good. A perfect harmony of delicate savouriness, the slight crunch of the vegetable, the nuttiness of the dal and the balanced seasoning makes this a quietly comforting dish.

It is practically the official accompaniment for all non-dal pulusus of Andhra – mukkala (thiyya) pulusu, majjiga pulusu, thotakura / gongura pulusu etc., Either mudda pappu (plain cooked toor dal, salted) or some pappu kura.

The dals commonly used are moong, toor and chana (less). As for vegetables, there’s quite a variety – bottle gourd, cabbage, thotakura (amaranth), methi leaves, snake gourd, ridge gourd, plantain flower, plantain stem and so on.

Again which dal goes with which vegetable is largely a matter of family tradition. In our family, we cook most vegetables with moong dal and some like snake gourd and ridge gourd with toor dal. Some pappu kuras are semi-solid, while others are relatively dry. Cabbage, thotakura, methi are the dry ones. Aanapakaya (bottle gourd) pappu kura – a thick, moist (mudda) curry in which the dal and vegetable meld together beautifully is my all-time favorite.

I learnt it from ammamma, as usual. I can never stop marveling the passion she possessed well into her 70s and even 80s. So was chinna ammamma. Now, in my 50s, my zeal for cooking seems to have already faded 🥲.

I am eternally grateful for the time I spent apprenticing under ammamma in Kakinada. She only allowed me to do the prep and post work, but that time with her actually gave birth to my love for cooking.

Even before that, I used to cook occasionally for my parents and siblings when amma was out-of-order (periods), and later for Nannagaru and snacks for my sister after amma’s demise. Though I was diligent about it, my cooking then was driven more by a sense of duty and compassion (duty during amma’s OOO, rather grudgingly 😅).

Watching ammamma work her magic in the kitchen transformed my attitude towards food — both cooking and eating.

I don’t know how she endured seeing me there, just two years after losing her daughter. Was I a painful reminder of that heartbreaking loss, or did my presence bring her some comfort? Perhaps both.

Ingredients:

• Moong dal – 1/2 cup
• Cabbage – 4 cups finely chopped or shredded
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp
• Jeera – 1 tsp
• Red chilli – 4
• Curry leaves – a few
• Hing – a generous pinch
• Oil – 1 to 2 tbsp
• Salt
• Water
• Chitti vadiyam – 15 (opt)

Method:

1. In a pan add cabbage and washed moongdal. Mix, sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp water and cook covered in very low heat. (Do not add too much water as the kura will become mushy)
2. Check in-between after 3, 4 minutes, turn it over and sprinkle water if needed.
3. Once moong dal is cooked but still firm (opens up slightly), add required salt and mix thoroughly.
4. Cover and leave it for a minute and switch off heat.
5. Let it rest for a few minutes.
6. In a tadka pan, heat a tbsp of oil and add urad dal, jeera, red chilli, hing and curry leaves and let the ural dal turn golden.
7. Add it to the cooked kura and mix well.
8. If using, deep fry the chitti vadiyam in oil and add them to the kura.

Note:

• According to ammamma’s cooking wisdom, for cabbage pappu kura, cabbage should be cooked for a minute before adding the moong dal, and then both cooked together. The idea is to allow the cabbage enough time to cook without the moong dal turning mushy. But I doubt if this is really necessary. Depending on the variety of cabbage, their cooking times vary – dense and less watery ones take longer while fresh, crisp ones cook faster. Nevertheless, I still follow her rule. (Only this time I added them together)
• Salt should be added only when the moong dal is cooked but still firm. If you examine a single grain, you’ll notice that it has begun to split open lengthwise. In Telugu and Tamil, we describe this as the dal blooming, like a flower opening up. It should crush easily when pressed. Catching this stage is crucial for this kura. Add the required salt and mix gently. Turn off the heat and leaved it covered. The residual heat will continue to cook it to just the right tenderness.
• Using split urad with skin for seasoning adds a nice crunch to the kura.
• Good hing gives the curry a delectable aroma.
• You can crush one roasted red chilly from the seasoning and mix in, for a spicier flavour.
• The addition of chitti vadiyams lends a refreshing dimension to the dish. Definitely add them if you have them.