“Akkha Masoor” is a comforting Indian lentil dish made from whole masoor dal (red lentils) cooked until tender and creamy. The lentils are blended with a rich tomato-cashew paste and aromatic spices, resulting in a flavorful and hearty gravy. This dish is often enjoyed with fresh naan, roti, chapati, or rice, offering a wholesome and satisfying meal option.
How to make Akkha Masoor :
Soaking Lentils: Begin by washing and soaking the whole masoor dal in water for 10 minutes to an hour. Add half of the chopped onion to the dal.
Cooking Lentils: Pressure cook the soaked lentils with the onion until they are well cooked and have turned mushy. Alternatively, cook them on an open flame in a heavy-bottomed pan until they are soft and fully cooked.
Preparing the Base: In another heavy-bottomed pan, fry the remaining onions along with whole spices until the onions turn golden. Add the ground tomato and cashew paste to the pan and cook until the oil starts to separate from the masala. Continuously stir to prevent the paste from sticking to the bottom and burning. Incorporate the cooked lentils into the masala mixture and mix thoroughly. Adjust the consistency with warm water to achieve the desired gravy thickness. Allow the mixture to come to a boil.
Finishing Touch: Before serving, garnish the “Akkha Masoor” with freshly chopped cilantro and a dollop of butter, which adds a burst of freshness to the dish.
Serving suggestion for Akkha Masoor :
It’s traditionally served with fresh naan or roti, it also complements other options like chapati, jeera rice, and even plain steamed rice. This versatile dish can be enjoyed with different sides depending on personal preference and the overall meal you’re aiming for.
Akkha masoor
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole masoor brown lentils
- 1 big onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3-4 black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp shahjeera caraway seeds
- 1/4 inch mace
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 5-6 cloves of garlic minced
- 5-6 cashews
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- Oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 green chili slit
- Salt to taste
- Red chili powder to taste
- Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Rinse the whole masoor thoroughly under running water. Soak them in enough water for at least 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
- If using a pressure cooker, add enough water to cover the lentils completely along with 1/4 of chopped onion. Close the lid and cook for about 2-3 whistles or until the lentils are tender.
- If using a pot, add about 2-3 cups of water and cook on medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed.Once the lentils are cooked and the desired consistency is reached (slightly thick and creamy), turn off the heat.
- In a dry pan, roast the coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, shahjeera, and mace over low heat until fragrant. Allow them to cool.
- (use garam masala or kitchen king masala if you dont have whole masala available)
- Once cooled, grind the roasted spices into a fine powder using a spice grinder, combine ginger, garlic, soaked cashews, and chopped tomatoes. Blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot Add bay leaves and slit green chili. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add the finely chopped onion and cook until it turns golden.
- Add the spice mixture-ginger-garlic-tomato-cashew paste to the pot. Cook for till the oil starts coming out. stirring occasionally.
- Add salt to taste and red chili powder. Adjust the amount of chili powder according to your preference for spiciness.
- Add cooked masoor and onion to the onion tomato gravy.
- Add butter on top and Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve the Akka Masoor hot with rice, roti, or naan.
- Enjoy your flavorful Akka Masoor!
