Lentils with Roselle Greens

Ingredients

• 1 cup tur dal (lentils) dry
• 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of fresh roselle (gongura) leaves plucked out
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp ghee
• pinch of asafoetida (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1-4 green chillies depending on your liking
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 inch knob fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. To prepare gongura pappu, wash the dal well. Soak the plucked out gongura leaves (discard stems) in a bowl of water, allowing any mud / impurities to settle. Wash, repeat the process twice. Chop roughly and keep aside.
2. In a 5 litre+ pressure cooker / pressure pan, add the tur dal, chopped gongura leaves and turmeric. Add 3.5 cups water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and keep flame on sim (minimum) for 10-12 minutes. Once cooker is cool enough, open the lid and mash the dal along with the gongura using the back of a round ladle.
3. Peel the garlic. Smash and finely mine the garlic cloves. Grate the ginger. Slit the green chillies. Keep these ingredients ready for tempering.
4. To prepare the tempering for the gongura pappu, heat ghee in a large kadai (heavy bottomed pan).
5. Sprinkle the asafoetida, cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as the seeds splutter, strip off curry leaves from the stems and add to the ghee, along with slit green chillies, garlic and ginger.
6. Stir for a minute on low flame. Mix in the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and sweat on a medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the onions are soft. Transfer the cooked dal and gongura to this tempering, along with the salt and allow to come to a simmer. Adjust consistency with some water if needed.
7. Serve hot with rice and ghee, and any other vegetable dish dish.

Notes