North Arcot Puli Paruppu | Heirloom Dal Recipe from North Arcot | Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe

Hi Supermoms,

Most of you know that my roots are from the North Arcot District of Tamil Nadu, India. It has it's own cuisine and I am so proud to share that both my grandmothers were culinary experts . What makes me even more happy is the bond I shared with both my paati ( paati means grandmom in Tamil Language). 

I have spend a lot of time in the kitchen with them during my growing up years. Today I am going to share a signature dish of my paternal grandmother Nagalakshmi ( I call her Kuppu Paati) . All thanks to my chitappa( Uncle) Sridhar , who shared this recipe in detail with me along with the way the family used to enjoy this humble yet tasty dish. My chitappa himself is a passionate cook and a foodie . It was my luck and pleasure to hear family food stories and recipes from him. 

My paati used to make this 'Puli paruppu' on days there were less or no vegetables at home. 

'Puli' means 'Tamarind' and 'Paruppu' means lentil/dal . A tasty and quick to make dal recipe that pairs well with steaming hot rice and ghee. 

North Arcot Puli Paruppu Recipe :

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves : 4-6

1 cup = 250 ml cup 

Ingredients :

1/2 cup pigeon peas/tuvar dal/arhar dal

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/4 cup tamarind ( packed)( soak in 1 cup warm water and extract the juice) Or 1 tablespoon thick tamarind paste /pulp 

2 &1/2 teaspoon sambar powder 

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste 

For tempering :

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

pinch of asafoetida 

Method :

1. Wash the dal and fenugreek and boil them along with 2 cups of water and turmeric powder .

Chef tip : You can pressure cook or cook in an open pot. When cooking in an open pot, adjust water quantity accordingly. 

2. Once the dal is cooked well, mash/whisk it well and set it aside.

3. Heat a thick bottom pan or kadai with oil and temper with the ingredients given for the same.

4. Once tempered, add the tamarind juice .

Chef tip : If you are using store bought tamarind paste, add 1 cup warm water to it and mix well .

5. Add the sambar powder and salt.

Chef tip : If you do not have sambar powder, you can add chilli powder and coriander powder

 1: 1/2 ratio. Adjust spice according to taste . 

6. Let the mixture cook over low flame for 7-8 minutes .

7. Now add another  cup of water and allow it to cook for another 5-7 minutes.

8. You can now add the mashed dal/paruppu to the tamarind mixture and mix well.

Chef tip : Adjust water quantity. This puli paruppu will be thick in consistency.

9. Simmer for another 6-7 minutes and switch off.

Your delicious North Arcot Puli Paruppu is now ready to be served. You can serve it with rice and some freshly fried appalam or vadam. 

You can find the My Puli Paruppu Version with vegetables below. Do give this version a try and share your feedback with me. And do subscribe to my Youtube Channel to get regular updates on my recipes. 

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom