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    Home » Andhra » Thelaga Pindi Kura

    Andhra Telagapindi Curry

    Published: Aug 5, 2021 by Pavani · 23 Comments

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    Thelaga pindi kura is a nutritious and delicious Andhra curry made with telagapindi and lentils. This is a traditional side dish that is great to serve with rice, ghee and pulusu.

    Telagapindi is a by-product of sesame oil manufacture. It has many health benefits and is a very versatile ingredient. This recipe is from my mom that I make quite frequently for my family.

    Brown tray with a terracotta bowl of Thelaga pindi kura

    Table of contents

    • What is Thelagapindi?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • You might also like

    What is Thelagapindi?

    Thelaga pindi is a traditional ingredient in Andhra cuisine. It is a by-product of sesame oil production. Raw sesame seeds are pressed and processed to extract sesame oil. The leftover pulp from this process is then ground to a powder to make telaga pindi.

    So, it is nothing but powder of sesame seeds residue or defatted sesame flour. It has the nutrients traditionally present in sesame seeds but without the fat content.

    This nutritious ingredient is high in protein, minerals, dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. It is especially good for lactating mothers for milk flow due to its rich source of lignans. According to my mom, this thelaga pindi kura is made on the 11th day after delivery for the new mom.

    Terracotta bowl with sesame seeds lentil curry

    I usually bring a bag of telagapindi from India. I did not see it in Indian grocery stores here in the US. This is a great ingredient to have on hand. You can use it instead of sesame seed powder in most stir fry recipes.

    My mom makes this curry with lentils but you can also make it with vegetables. This is an easy to make and tasty side dish recipe to serve with any Andhra meal.

    Top view of brown bowl with telagapindi curry

    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 telagapindi kura:

    • Thelagapindi - as I mentioned above, this is an ingredient I usually get from India. I haven't seen it in Indian grocery stores in the US. If you are in India, look for defatted sesame oil cake powder on Amazon India.
    • Lentils - either red lentils (masoor dal) or split pigeon peas (toor dal) are great in this recipe.
    • Tempering - Chana dal, urad dal, mustard & cumin seeds, dry red chilies
    • Green chilies, curry leaves
    • Turmeric and salt
    Ingredients needed - details in recipe card

    Instructions

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

    Recipe to make thelaga pindi curry is quite straight forward. Lentils and defatted sesame seed powder are cooked separately, then they are sautéed together to make the curry. Here is how to make this dish:

    First cook the lentils: If using toor dal, then soak them in water for about 30 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time significantly. There is no need to soak, if using red lentils.

    side by side photos of soaked lentils in white bowl

    In a medium size saucepan, combine water and the dal. Bring to a boil on medium heat, lower the heat and simmer till the lentils are tender, but not mushy. Takes about 15~20 minutes for masoor dal and 25~30 minutes for soaked toor dal. Drain and set the cooked lentils aside until ready to use.

    step by step photos of cooked and drained lentils

    Cook telagapindi: In the same medium size saucepan, bring the remaining 1 cup of water to a boil. Add salt to taste. Slowly stir in thelaga pindi and mix well until cooked through. It takes about 3~4 minutes to absorb all the water and get thick. Take the saucepan off the heat and keep aside.

    step by step photos of cooked telagapindi

    Heat oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat, add chana dal, urad dal, cumin & mustard seeds and dry red chilies. Once the seeds start to splutter, add green chilies and curry leaves, cook for 1 minute.

    step by step photos showing cooking tempering, green chilies and curry leaves

    Then add the cooked lentils and thelaga pindi mixture. Mix well and season with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture dries up and cooked through. Serve with steamed rice.

    Making the curry - details in recipe card
    wooden tray with an Andhra style meal

    Expert Tips

    • If using toor dal, then soak it in water for at least 30 minutes to expedite the cooking process. You can skip the soaking step for masoor dal since it cooks much faster.
    • Reserve the lentil cooking water to use as stock in soups or pulusu.
    • You can skip the lentils and make this recipe with vegetables. Carrot, cabbage, bottle gourd, amaranth greens (thotakura) all taste great with telagapindi.
    • Though this thelaga pindi kura is best served warm, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

    You might also like

    Here are a few recipes using sesame seeds that you might like:

    • Coconut-Sesame Chutney for Idli & Dosa
      Coconut Peanut Sesame Chutney
    • Chimmiri Undalu (Sesame-Jaggery Balls)
    • Kakarakaya Nuvvulannam (Bitter gourd-Sesame Rice)
    • Top view of brown bowl with baingan mirchi ka saalan
      Baingan Mirchi ka Salan Recipe
    Terracotta bowl with thelaga pindi curry

    I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.

    top view of a brown bowl with telagapindi kura

    Thelaga Pindi Kura

    This thelagapindi kura is a nutritious and delicious Andhra side dish made with telagapindi and toor dal. Serve with rice and ghee.
    Author: Pavani
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    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 40 mins
    Total Time: 50 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: andhra
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups Water, divided
    • ½ cup Toor Dal or Masoor dal
    • 1 cup Thelagapindi/ defatted sesame seed cake powder
    • To taste Salt

    For Tempering:

    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Urad dal
    • 1 teaspoon Chana dal
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
    • 2 Dry red chili
    • 2~3 Green chilies, finely chopped
    • 8~10 Curry leaves

    Instructions

    • If using toor dal, then soak them in water for about 30 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time significantly. There is no need to soak, if using red lentils.
    • In a medium size saucepan, combine 2 cups of water and the dal. Bring to a boil on medium heat, lower the heat and simmer till the lentils are tender, but not mushy. Take about 15~20 minutes for masoor dal and 25~30 minutes for toor dal. Drain and set the cooked lentils aside until ready to use. Reserve the cooking liquid to use as stock in soups or pulusu.
    • In the same medium size saucepan, bring the remaining 1 cup of water to a boil. Add salt to taste. Slowly stir in thelaga pindi and mix well until cooked through. It takes about 3~4 minutes to absorb all the water and get thick. Take the saucepan off the heat and keep aside.
    • Heat oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat, add chana dal, urad dal, cumin & mustard seeds and dry red chilies. Once the seeds start to splutter, add green chilies and curry leaves, cook for 1 minute. Then add the cooked lentils and thelaga pindi mixture. Mix well and season with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture dries up and cooked through. Serve with steamed rice.

    Notes

    • You can cook the dal in the pressure cooker, may be one whistle in the pressure cooker. Make sure that the lentils hold shape and do not get mushy.
    • If using toor dal, then soak it in water for at least 30 minutes to expedite the cooking process. You can skip the soaking step for masoor dal since it cooks much faster.
    • Reserve the lentil cooking water to use as stock in soups or pulusu.
    • You can skip the lentils and make this recipe with vegetables. Carrot, cabbage, bottle gourd, amaranth greens (thotakura) all taste great with telagapindi.
    • Though this thelaga pindi kura is best served warm, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Comments

    1. rekhas kitchen

      October 20, 2013 at 12:32 pm

      Pavani what atraditional dish fantastic these thelaga pindu kuralu are my favorit. Where did you get this in US. my sis was searching for this from long time!!!!...?

      Reply
    2. Gayathri's Cook Spot

      November 04, 2013 at 5:09 am

      Very authentic dish and it looks great. I have never heard of this...

      Reply
    3. Kamala

      November 06, 2021 at 10:32 pm

      5 stars
      Telagapindi curry is traditional indian recipe. Just like this.

      Reply
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