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South Indian · Indian

Pappu charu

Vegetarian

పప్పు చారు · pappu cāru

A thin, tangy Andhra lentil soup: mashed toor dal loosened with tamarind water and simmered with onion, tomato and green chilli, finished with a garlicky tempering.

Pappu charu is a South Indian soup, ready in about 45 minutes and made with toor dal (split pigeon peas) and tamarind paste. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
167

Ingredients

4 servings

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the toor dal (opens in a new tab) with 400 ml of the water and the turmeric (opens in a new tab) until very soft, then mash smooth.

    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    In a saucepan (opens in a new tab), simmer the onion (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab) and green chillies in the remaining water with the tamarind, chilli powder, jaggery and salt until the onion is soft.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Whisk in the mashed dal and simmer for 5 minutes; it should be thin and pourable, so add hot water if needed.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat
    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oil, pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab), then add cumin (opens in a new tab), dried chillies, garlic (opens in a new tab), curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab). When the garlic turns golden, pour over the charu and add the coriander.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Andhra Pradesh (also Telangana), Andhra Pradesh, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
tangy, spicy (chilli heat), sour, garlicky
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · One-pot
Cook more with
Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Tamarind paste · Turmeric · Onion · Tomato · Green chilli
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

167 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 407 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 62%
  • Fat 22%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy167 kcal41 kcal
Protein6.8 g1.7 g
Carbohydrate27.4 g6.7 g
Net carbohydrate22 g5.4 g
Sugars——
Added sugars1.1 g0.3 g
Fibre5.5 g1.3 g
Fat4.3 g1 g
Saturated fat0.4 g0.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium891 mg219 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
577 mg
Calcium
91 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
71 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
33 µg
Vitamin C
19 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
128 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Charu should be thinner than dal; adjust with hot water to a pourable consistency.

Common mistakes

  • Not cooking the tamarind long enough — the charu tastes raw and sharp.

Serve with

  • Mix with hot rice and serve with a vegetable fry and pickle.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat until simmering, thinning with water.

Variations

  • Drumstick pappu charu: Simmer pieces of drumstick (moringa pods) or bottle gourd with the onion.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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