Name: Dappalam | Gummadikaya Pulusu | Andhra Mukkala Pulusu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Pumpkin Chopped into Large Chunks (use any other country vegetable like Ash Gourd, Okra, Brinjal, Drumstick); 1-2 Green Chillies; 1 Lemon Sized Ball Tamarind; 2-3 tbsp Jaggery (adjust per taste preference); 1 tbsp Rice Flour; 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder; 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder; Salt as needed; Water as needed; 2-3 tbsp Roughly Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves; 2 tsp Oil; 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds; 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 Dried Red Chilli (cut into few large pieces); 1/4 tsp Asafoetida; Few Fresh Curry Leaves

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Learn how to make Traditional Andhra special Dappalam recipe with step by step pictures. Gummadikaya Pulusu – Andhra style Mukkala Pulusu is an easy rice accompaniment and a Sankranthi special recipe.

Dappalam is a traditional Andhra stew recipe, made during both regular meals and special festival fare. Known as Mukkala Pulusu – a tamarind based sweet spicy tangy gravy, it goes really well with hot rice, dal and ghee. During Sankranthi celebrations, an elaborate meal is cooked and Dappadam/Dappalam is necessarily made. Unlike Sambar or even Andhra Style Pappu Charu, there is no dal in this stew. It is similar to that of Kuzhambu made in Tamilnadu without dal, but then that’s where the similarities stop. With just a few basic ingredients and mixed vegetables, Dappalam can be made very quickly.

Andhra Special Dappalam

Dappalam – also called as Dappadam or more colloquially Mukkala Pulusu is made with mixed vegetables, usually country vegetables that are traditionally grown in South India. Vegetables like pumpkin, ash gourd, ladies finger/okra, drumsticks, sweet potato and brinjal are used in Mukkala Pulusu. But in Dappalam made during Sankranthi feast traditionally includes only gummadikaya/red pumpkin. Depending on the availability of vegetables and taste preferences, any country vegetables can be added to the pulusu recipe. However, don’t use English vegetables like carrots, French beans, cauliflower or potato as they don’t go well with the taste of Mukkala pulusu.

Dappalam – Key Ingredients

This special Dappalam recipe is very simple to make and can be made very quickly too. As it is sweet, spicy and tangy – there are a few mandatory ingredients. And this recipe is purely how it has always been made in our family, so there can be some differences from region to region or different households.

Mixed Vegetables – depending on the availability and preference of vegetables, from just one to a few vegetables can be added. The vegetables are chopped in larger chunks usually and are cooked till soft. For this recipe, I only used red pumpkin.

Tamarind – the stew is made in a base of tamarind water and it is one of the most important ingredients to make pulusu. We will use atleast a lemon sized ball of good quality tamarind.

Jaggery – an essential ingredient to make pulusu, as it balances the tanginess from tamarind and the heat from red chilli powder. In some households, jaggery is skipped for making a spicy pulusu but we always add it in ours.

Red Chilli Powder – yes, you read it right. There is no special spice blend to make dappadam. We generally use red chilli powder to spice it up but at times, amma also roasts a tablespoon of coriander seeds along with 5-6 red chillies and powders it to be added. If you want to skip the extra work, just use regular chilli powder.

Rice Flour – as this Andhrs special stew is cooked in plain water, it is by default runny in consistency. So to add body to it, we make a slurry of rice flour and add it to the cooked stew. It thickens it and also makes the pulusu glossy!

Tempering – is what adds the flavor to the mukkala pulusu. We temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Asafoetida is must! And of course, we always add fresh coriander leaves (with stems) before removing the pulusu from heat.

Serving Suggestions

Dappalam is served along with hot rice, mudda pappu (plain cooked salted toor dal) and ghee. I absolutely love to pour steaming hot ladles of mukkala pulusu into pappu annam (dal mixed with rice & ghee) and enjoy with a side of saggubiyyam vadiyalu/sago fryums.

Check out other special Andhra recipes

Dappalam Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

In a thick bottomed kadai/pot, add 2 cups pumpkin chopped into large chunks along with 1-2 green chillies slit across. Add water enough to cover the vegetable and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. Mix well.

Cook covered on medium flame for 8-10 mins until the pumpkin is softly cooked. Add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (preferably made from spicy Guntur chillies) and salt as needed.

Meanwhile, boil 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind in enough water for 2-3 mins. On cooling down, squeeze out the extract.

Pour the tamarind extract in to the pan. Let it cook for 3-4 mins.

Now add 2-3 tablespoon of jaggery (either chopped into small pieces or powdered) and mix well. Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, check for taste and adjust the amount of jaggery or salt as needed.

Meanwhile make a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon rice flour with about ¼ cup of water (adjust depending on how thin or thick the stew is). Pour it to the pan.

In about 2-3 mins, the pulusu starts to thicken and turns glossy.

Remove from heat and add 2-3 tablespoon of roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves.

In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoon oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli cut into few large pieces and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida. As the seeds splutter, add fresh curry leaves.

Add tempering to the mukkala pulusu.

Serve hot immediately with mudda pappu (cooked salted toor dal), ghee and vadiyalu.

Recipe Notes

Adjust the jaggery, tamarind and red chilli powder depending on the taste preferences.
Apart from pumpkin, any other country vegetable like Ash Gourd, Okra, Brinjal, Drumstick can also be used. Don’t add tamarind extract before the vegetables are cooked.
If the pulusu is too runny, increase the amount of rice flour to 1.5-2 tbsp. And when making slurry, make sure there are no lumps. If you add a lot of rice flour, you will have to adjust the jaggery, red chilli and tamarind quantities accordingly. So taste the pulusu first before adding the slurry.

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