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Akkha masoor
Whole brown lentil curry
अख्खा मसूर (akkha masoor): Kolhapur's whole brown lentils in a spicy onion-tomato gravy finished with butter
Akkha masoor is the dish that made the dhabas on the Kolhapur–Pune highway famous: whole brown lentils cooked into a rich, fiery onion, tomato and Kolhapuri-masala gravy, finished with a big knob of butter and eaten with jowar bhakri, tandoori roti or jeera rice. At home it is a weeknight dinner and a favourite on cold evenings. The lentils keep their shape while the roasted dry coconut and red chilli give a deep, nutty heat. The usual mistake is undercooking the onions; they must turn deep brown before the tomatoes go in, or the gravy tastes thin. Slow-cooker: cook everything except the butter on low for 6 hours, then stir the butter in at the end. Chef's tip: toast the dry coconut until it is the colour of a biscuit; it is the secret of the dhaba flavour.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz whole brown lentils (sabut masoor)rinsed, soaked 1 hour
- 3 tbsp grated dry coconut (kopra)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tomatoesfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 3 ¾ cups hot water
- 1 oz butter
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast 3 tbsp grated dry coconut (kopra) in a dry heavy pot over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until biscuit-brown. Tip it out and crush it with your fingers.
3 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in the same pot over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 bay leaf, and when the cumin sizzles add 2 onions. Fry for 12 minutes, stirring, until deep brown.
12 minStep 3: Add 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add 2 tomatoes, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tbsp Kolhapuri masala (or kanda lasun masala) and cook for 6 minutes until the tomatoes melt and oil shows at the edges.
7 minStep 4: Drain the 7 oz whole brown lentils (sabut masoor) and add it with the toasted coconut, 1 ¼ tsp salt and 3 ¾ cups hot water. Bring to a boil, cover partly and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the lentils are soft but whole. (Pressure cooker: 3 whistles.)
30 minStep 5: Mash a few lentils against the side to thicken the gravy. Stir in 1 oz butter and 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with 4 lemon wedges, bhakri or roti.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does akkha masoor take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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