RECIPE: PARPU

I am not sure what the correct name for this dish is but it has always been called PARPU in my family. I believe that this dish is a fusion of Indian and Malay cooking and is delicious with CHAPATTI, ROTI CANAI or rice.

Here’s the recipe.


Ingredients

2.5 cups yellow lentils – preferably soaked for a few hours in cold water (this will hasten the cooking process)
6 to 8 dried chillies – torn into a few pieces to release flavour
1 tsp turmeric powder (see my glossary post on TURMERIC)
1 tsp chicken stock powder (optional)
‘Hard’ vegetables of choice eg potatoes, carrots, beans, eggplant
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp – soaked in 1 cup hot water and juice extracted (see my glossary post on TAMARIND)
½ to 1 cup coconut milk (see my glossary post on COCONUT MILK)
Salt to taste
Coriander - to garnish

Tempering Spices (‘Tadka’)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 medium red or brown onions – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb size fresh ginger – minced (see my glossary post on GINGER)
1 large tomato – diced
2 to 3 tbsp curry powder
Oil/Ghee or a mixture of both

Method


Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Put in a large pot with 8 cups of water, along with the chillies and bring to a boil. Add in the turmeric and chicken stock powder and simmer on medium heat until the lentils start to split.

Add in the vegetables, salt and the tamarind juice. Cook until both the lentils and vegetables are done.

Note: You may need to ‘stagger’ your vegetables here, depending on their cooking times. Always add the hardest vegetables first and allow to cook for a few minutes before adding the softer vegetables. In this instance, start with the potatoes, followed by the carrots, eggplant and beans.

Add in the coconut milk and allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the tempering spices. Stir occasionally.

In a frying pan, heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil/ghee on medium heat and add in the curry leaves followed by the onions. After a min or so, add in the ginger and garlic and fry until the mixture is golden. Add in the curry powder and about 1 cup of water and cook until the oil seeps through the top of the paste (cook the paste for at least 3 to 4 minutes). You may need to add more water if the paste thickens too much.

Add in the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and pour this paste directly into the simmering lentils. Turn up the heat, mix well, and allow the lentils to come to the boil again. Garnish with coriander leaves, turn off the heat and serve.