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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes » Instant Pot South Indian Recipes » Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu | Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu

    Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu | Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu

    Posted on September 7, 2017 · Last Updated on January 10, 2025 · By Srividhya G · 31 Comments

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    Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu collage with text overlay

    This Munakkaya Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu is a delicious tiffin accompaniment from Andhra/Telangana prepared with moong dal and drumsticks.

    Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu | Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu served with rice in a white place

    Sambar and chutney are the most commonly used Tiffin accompaniments. But are you looking for alternatives? Then you are at the right place and here is a recipe for you with moong dal. Today I am going to share a delicious tiffin accompaniment from Andhra/Telangana, and here is how you can make it in Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

    Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu

    The Telugu cuisine has tons and tons of pappu/lentil based recipes and it was a daunting task to narrow down one from that humongous list. But finally, I picked two recipes one for Telangana and one for Andhra. IMO, the two dishes that I picked belong to both the states. I did not dig deep into the origin of the recipe, so I am going to state as Pesaru Pappu Charu from Telangana/Andhra. I will post the other recipe in the coming weeks. I had similar confusion for few other states as well like for Bihar and Jharkhand. :-)

    I had to post this way as I couldn’t find legume based recipes for states like Arunachal Pradesh. I won’t say I did a thorough research, so please folks, if you know any pulse based recipes from the states that I missed, please share it in the comments. Now coming back to the recipe, I prepared it very similar to pappu charu except instead of toor dal; I used moong dal and also included drumsticks. I was a bit confused about the spice powders employed in the recipe and I immediately checked with Valli. She shared her family version, and that’s what I tried.

    As you can see, I served this as a side for Venpongal and OMG; it was divine. (Even if I say so myself) I prepared this again for a potluck, and all our friends enjoyed this recipe.  This is a quick recipe perfect for your tiffins, be it Pongal or upma or idli.

    Serving Munakkaya Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu in a bowl and in a plate, with a spoon on the side

    Without any further ado, here is the recap and the recipe.

    Recap:
    1. 2015 | Day 6 – Undhiyu
    2. 2016 | Day 6 – Kala Channa Chaat
    3. 2017 | Day 6 – Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu | Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu

    Munakkaya Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu Recipe

    A delicious tiffin/rice accompaniment from Andhra/Telangana – Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu prepared with moong dal and drumsticks.

    Ingredients:

    • Moong Dal – 1 cup
    • Tomato – 2 or 1 cup chopped
    • Chopped Onion – 1 cup
    • Green Chili – 1
    • Red Chili Powder – ½ tsp
    • Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
    • Tamarind Paste – 1 tsp
    • Salt – 1.5 tsp
    • Water – 3 cups
    • Drumsticks – 1 or 5 to 6 pieces chopped
    • Sugar – ½ tsp
    • Cilantro – a handful
    • Curry leaves – a few

    For Tempering:

    • Oil – 2 tsps
    • Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
    • Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
    • Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp
    • Garlic Clove – 1
    • Red Chili – 1

    Prep – Work:

    • Chop the onion, tomatoes, and drumstick and set aside.
    • Wash the moong dal and drain the water and set aside.
    • Slit the green chili into two.

    Steps:

    Instant Pot Method:

    Adding chopped onions, tomatoes, drumstick, moong dal, red chili powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, salt, slit green chili and sugar

    • Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, drumstick, moong dal, red chili powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, salt, slit green chili and sugar directly into the instant pot.
    • Add three cups of water and mix them well.
    • Now set the IP in manual mode for 6 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.

    Mashing the dal nicely and adding cilnatro

    • Carefully open the lid and mash the dal nicely.
    • Set the IP in sauté mode and add the chopped cilantro and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

    Adding the chopped cilantro and simmering

    • Meanwhile, in a separate tadka pan heat oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic, red chili and curry leaves.
    • When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add this tempering to the charu and mix it. Turn off the IP and set it to either warm mode or serve hot with your favorite tiffin.

    Munakkaya Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu ready on a black surface

    Pressure Cooker Method:

    • Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, drumstick, moong dal, red chili powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, salt, slit green chili and sugar directly into the pressure pan or cooker.
    • Add three cups of water and mix them well.
    • Let it pressure cook for up to two whistles. Then let the pressure release.
    • Carefully open the lid and mash the dal nicely.
    • Add the chopped cilantro and let the dal simmer over medium heat.
    • Meanwhile, in a separate tadka pan heat oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic, red chili and curry leaves.
    • When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add this tempering to the charu and mix it. Turn the heat off and serve hot with your favorite tiffin.

    Notes:

    • I did not add turmeric powder and also hing. But both can be included in this recipe.
    • Sugar is optional. Please adjust the red chili powder, green chili as per your preference. You can increase the quantity of either one or both as per your taste preference. Same for salt too.
    • I just went with one big garlic clove while tempering. You can add 5 to 6 small cloves for this measure.
    • My drumsticks became mushy as I mashed them all together. You can skip mashing the dal with the potato masher, or you can add the drumsticks after the dal is cooked and you can simmer the dal until the drumsticks are soft and tender. In that case, add ½ more cup of water.
    • Also, adjust the water as per your consistency preference. For upma, Pongal, dosa this measure would work. For idli and dosa, I would recommend adding more.

    📖 Recipe

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    5 from 1 vote

    Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu | Munakkaya Pesaru Pappu Charu

    This Munakkaya Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu is a delicious tiffin accompaniment from Andhra/Telangana prepared with moong dal and drumsticks.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: South Indian, Telugu
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 184kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Moong Dal
    • 2 cups Tomato - chopped - or 1 cup
    • 1 cup Chopped Onion
    • 1 Green Chili
    • ½ tsp Red Chili Powder
    • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp Tamarind Paste
    • 1.5 tsp Salt
    • 3 cups Water
    • 5 Drumsticks - 1 or 5 to 6 pieces chopped
    • ½ tsp Sugar
    • Cilantro - a handful
    • Curry leaves - a few

    For Tempering

    • 2 tsps Oil
    • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
    • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
    • ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
    • 1 Garlic Clove
    • 1 Red Chili

    Instructions

    Prep - Work

    • Chop the onion, tomatoes, and drumstick and set aside.
    • Wash the moong dal and drain the water and set aside.
    • Slit the green chili into two.

    Steps

      Instant Pot Method

      • Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, drumstick, moong dal, red chili powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, salt, slit green chili and sugar directly into the instant pot.
      • Add three cups of water and mix them well.
      • Now set the IP in manual mode for 6minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
      • Carefully open the lid and mash the dal nicely.
      • Set the IP in saute mode and add the chopped cilantro and let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
      • Meanwhile, in a separate tadka pan heat oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic, red chili and curry leaves.
      • When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add this tempering to the charu and mix it. Turn off the IP and set it to either warm mode or serve hot with your favorite tiffin.

      Pressure Cooker Method

      • Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, drumstick, moong dal, red chili powder, coriander powder, tamarind paste, salt, slit green chili and sugar directly into the pressure pan or cooker.
      • Add three cups of water and mix them well.
      • Let it pressure cook for up to two whistles. Let the pressure subside.
      • Carefully open the lid and mash the dal nicely.
      • Add the chopped cilantro and let the dal simmer over medium heat.
      • Meanwhile, in a separate tadka pan heat oil and once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, garlic, red chili and curry leaves.
      • When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add this tempering to the charu and mix it. Turn the heat off and serve hot with your favorite tiffin.

      Notes

      • I did not add turmeric powder and also hing. But both can be included in this recipe.
      • Sugar is optional. Please adjust the red chili powder, green chili as per your preference. You can increase the quantity of either one or both as per your taste preference. Same for salt too.
      • I just went with one big garlic clove while tempering. You can add 5 to 6 small cloves for this measure.
      • As I mentioned above, my drumsticks became mushy as I mashed them all together. You can skip mashing the dal with the potato masher, or you can add the drumsticks after the dal is cooked and you can simmer the dal until the drumsticks are soft and tender. In that case, add ½ more cup of water.
      • Also, adjust the water as per your consistency preference. For upma, Pongal, dosa this measure would work. For idli and dosa, I would recommend adding more.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 573IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

      I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

      Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
      For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

      Enjoying Instant Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu? You will love these, too:

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      • Red Lentils with Broccoli in Instant Pot
      • Black Lentils Curry | Kali Dal in Instant Pot
      • Mixed Dal Tadka with Beet Greens in Instant Pot

       

      Instant Pot Pesaru Pappu Charu collage with text overlay
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      Filed Under: Dals | Lentils & Legumes, Indian Legume Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Instant Pot South Indian Recipes Tagged With: Andhra dal, Andhra puliodara, Andhra style dal, bloggin marathon, gluten free, how to prepare pesaru pappu charu, how to prepare pesaru pappu charu in instant pot, Instant Pot Indian Recipes, instant pot pesaru pappu charu, munnakaya pesaru pappu charu, pesaru pappu chaaru, pesaru pappu charu, pesaru pappu charu recipe, protein rich recipes, Telangana Recipes, Vegan

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Helena says

        February 16, 2020 at 7:33 pm

        5 stars
        This dish looks absolutely delicious!

        Reply
      2. ruchi indu says

        September 22, 2017 at 4:34 am

        sounds very similar to the tiffin sambar recipe. Nice clicks.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 22, 2017 at 8:10 am

          Yes, Ruchi. Thanks

          Reply
      3. Nalini says

        September 10, 2017 at 2:49 pm

        Sounds almost like the tiffin sambar,it must be a wonderful combination with pongal.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 10, 2017 at 3:19 pm

          Yup this is more like tiffin sambar pa.

          Reply
      4. sizzlingtastebuds says

        September 10, 2017 at 2:19 am

        lovely clicks ! andhra comes alive in this dish :-) yummy ven pongal (am eyeing that more :p)

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 10, 2017 at 3:29 pm

          :-) :-) Thanks much Kalyani.

          Reply
      5. Srivalli Jetti says

        September 09, 2017 at 12:45 am

        Awesome presentation srividhya. Your charu has come out so well. Thanks for the mention. Lol on the state name confusion. Except for the politician general public don’t think they are separated ? btw sorry you didn’t get Arunachala Pradesh, will check it out. I remember having one.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 09, 2017 at 6:59 am

          Very true. Oh plz don’t be sorry. I know how busy you are. Thanks for the help and yeah share the recipe leisurely. Thanks a lot Valli.

          Reply
      6. Priya Suresh says

        September 08, 2017 at 11:13 am

        Omg, that plate of pongal with pesaru pappu charu, a real torture Vidhya.. ANd its raining here, cant stop myself drooling over that plate.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:25 am

          Thanks a lot. :-) :-)

          Reply
      7. Mayuri Patel says

        September 08, 2017 at 9:26 am

        Before dals used to be the normal way I cook, Gujarati style. I’m so tired of having the same style that now I tend to vary the flavors and cook it either South Indian style or the Punjabi style etc. India is full of different versions of dals. All 30 days of the month we’d probably be able to make a variety of dals.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:26 am

          :-) oh yeah very true.

          Reply
      8. vaishalisabnani says

        September 08, 2017 at 5:49 am

        Now to tell you the truth I still get confused by these names ! I must do my HW well?. But from what I read , the recipe sounds like a delicious daal , I have tried something similar for a Andhra meal .

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:24 am

          Yeah, the word charu is quite misleading. It is not the saaru/rasam. Initially I got confused too.

          Reply
      9. Anlet Prince says

        September 08, 2017 at 4:54 am

        This is our regular tiffin sambar except the tamarind part. Must be tangy i suppose. The Moong Dal sure taste good with Ven pongal.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:23 am

          Oh yeah very true. Thanks Anlet.

          Reply
      10. themadscientistskitchen says

        September 08, 2017 at 2:54 am

        This is new to me. I love the colours and the masala in it. Looks yum.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:21 am

          Thanks a lot.

          Reply
      11. Gayathri Kumar says

        September 07, 2017 at 10:13 pm

        I am just drooling over that pongal plate with the charu. It looks so divine.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 08, 2017 at 11:20 am

          Thanks a lot Gayathri.

          Reply
      12. Rajani says

        September 07, 2017 at 8:03 pm

        I always cook the dal for a much longer time in IP. About 15 minutes I think. Never tried changing the time before. Will reduce it to 6 minutes now onwards. Thanks! Also the recipe is similar to the sambar I make. IP does make it much simpler :-)

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 07, 2017 at 9:32 pm

          Yeah, it is more like our tiffin sambar dan. Very true, IP makes everything simpler.

          Reply
      13. Sowmya:) says

        September 07, 2017 at 11:59 am

        Pongal and pappu charu sounds like a wonderful combination. Your dish looks very inviting. Am having this for breakfast in the morning!

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 07, 2017 at 12:21 pm

          :-) Thanks Sowmya

          Reply
      14. PJ says

        September 07, 2017 at 11:10 am

        I started making something similar a few years back after amma made it as a part of pathiya samayal, using moong instead of toor dal . Since then my tiffin sambar is with moong dal only! Lovely idea to use pair it with Ven Pongal!

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 07, 2017 at 12:21 pm

          Yeah true. For pathiya samayal, moong dal is the best. Thanks a lot PJ

          Reply
      15. Sapana says

        September 07, 2017 at 8:18 am

        I remember tasting pappu charu at a friend’s house who is Kannad but her husband loves Andhra cuisine and especially this charu. We were blown away with the flavors and I immediately noted the recipe from her. I did tried it once but frankly speaking could not get the taste like hers. You got this recipe from Valli, bookmarking to try it soon. Btw nice idea of serving it with ven pongal.

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 07, 2017 at 8:36 am

          Thanks a lot Sapana. :-) Yes, I did get this from Valli. Check out the other toor dal pappu charu too.

          Reply
      16. Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says

        September 07, 2017 at 5:56 am

        Even i prepare Tiffen Sambar the similar way except the vegetables added. So i cant just image how it would have tasted with Pongal !! I will share my version in the coming week :)

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          September 07, 2017 at 8:10 am

          Sure da. Waiting for yours :-)

          Reply
      5 from 1 vote

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