Chukka kura Pappu

Chukka kura pappu is a traditional Andhra style dal made with moong dal and fresh sorrel leaves or chukkaku. This is a delicious comforting dish that is very easy to make.

Serve this dal with steamed rice or roti along with a simple curry for a wholesome meal.

About the recipe

Leafy greens are a big part of Indian cuisine. Though palak or spinach is the most popular, there are several local greens that are even more tasty and nutritious.

In Andhra, gongura and chukkakura are two quite popular local greens. Today, I have a simple everyday dal dish using chukkakura leaves.

We do not get chukka koora in the grocery stores here in the US. So I grow them in my small container garden. Luckily they are easy to grow from seeds. They are usually ready to harvest in about 3~4 weeks.

Chukkaku has a pleasant sour taste that makes dal very tasty. My mom uses moong dal or pesarapppu but toor dal is a great option too. You can also use it to make chutneys.

Ingredients

For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

Here are the ingredients you need to make chukkakura pappu recipe:

• Chukkakura, known as sorrel leaves in English and khatta palak in Hindi. Sukka kura has a slight sour taste and cook very quickly. Even stems are tender and edible.
• Moong dal - my mom usually makes this pappu with pesarappu or moong dal. But you can also use toor dal or masoor dal (red lentils).
• Tomatoes, green chilies and curry leaves.
• Mustard & cumin seeds, dry red chilies, hing.
• Salt and turmeric.

Instructions

For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

Here is how to make chukka kura pappu recipe:

Combine dal and water in a pressure cooker. Cook until dal is very soft and mushy. I cook in the Instant pot for 8 minutes on high pressure. Keep aside.

Prep chukka koora by thoroughly washing and draining the greens. Stems are generally tender and edible. So, chop the leaves along with the stems.

In a medium size pan on medium flame, heat oil. Add mustard & cumin seeds, dry red chilies and cook till the seeds start to splutter. Add hing, curry leaves and green chilies.

Stir in chopped chukka kura leaves and cook till wilted.

Next add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Cook till they turn mushy.

Add cooked dal and mix well. Stir in some water if dal looks too thick. Simmer for the flavors to mingle. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Expert Tips

• Sub moong dal with either toor dal or masoor dal in the recipe.
• If you are using toor dal, then you can also use onion. Simply sauté them before adding the greens.
• Chukka kura is a slightly sour tasting green. If you want to enjoy the taste of the greens even more, omit the tomato.
• Also you can make the dal taste even more sour by adding about 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste.

You might also like

Here are a few more Andhra recipes that you might like to try:

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Recipe Card