Parippu Dal with Ghee-Tempered Millets
Kerala-style moong parippu curry served with fluffy millets finished in a mustard-curry leaf ghee tempering.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or heavy pot with lid
- Small tempering pan
- Spice grinder or small blender for coconut paste
Ingredients
For the parippu
- 1/2 cup yellow moong dal (cherupayar) rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups water plus more to loosen
- 1/4 cup grated coconut fresh or thawed frozen
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1-2 green chilies
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil optional finish on the dal
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds optional dal tadka
- 6-8 curry leaves optional dal tadka
For the millets
- 1 cup foxtail millet rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Ghee tempering for millets
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil for vegan
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds optional
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 1 dry red chili broken, optional
- pinch asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
Parippu
- Combine rinsed moong, turmeric, and 2 cups water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 2 to 3 whistles (or simmer covered 15 to 18 minutes) until the dal is soft and mashable.
- Grind coconut, cumin seeds, and green chili with 2 to 3 tbsp water to a coarse paste.
- Stir the paste and salt into the dal. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, adding a splash of water if it is too thick. It should pour easily off a spoon.
- Optional: heat coconut oil, pop mustard seeds and curry leaves, and pour over the dal.
Millets
- Bring rinsed foxtail millet, 2 cups water, and salt to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 12 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed.
- Rest covered 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let steam escape for 1 minute.
Ghee tempering
- Heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and let them pop fully.
- Add cumin if using, curry leaves, dry red chili, and hing. Fry a few seconds until fragrant.
- Pour over the fluffed millet and fold gently until the grains look lightly glossed.
- Serve millets in bowls with parippu ladled over or beside them.
Notes
Soft dal first: if moong still feels chalky, cook longer before adding coconut paste.
Fluffy millet cue: grains should separate after resting; if sticky, use a little less water next time.
Vegan: use coconut oil for the millet tempering and skip ghee on the dal.
Make-ahead: refrigerate dal and millets separately up to 3 days. Reheat millets with a sprinkle of water, then refresh with a quick new tempering if you like.
This is not khichdi: keep the pots separate so textures stay distinct.
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