Masoor Masala

Masoor (whole) or  Red Lentils as it is also known as, are low in fat and high in protein and fiber, and they have the added advantage of cooking quickly unlike other pulses. No overnight soaking is necessary.

I generally make a simple curry using garlic with this lentil without any masala and it is everyone's favourite. But this time I tried Tarla Dalal's recipe with slight changes and it turned out really delicious. It had a non-vegetarian flavour to it !

Ingredients

Masoor (Lentil) - whole	1 cup
Onions	2 medium
Tomato	1 large
Oil	1-2 tbsp
Salt	As per taste
Chopped Coriander leaves	1 tbsp
To be ground into paste:
Garlic cloves	7-8
Kashmiri chilies	4
Coriander seeds	2 tsps
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Ginger	1-1/2 inch piece

Method:

1. Wash and soak the whole masoor in water (about 2 cups) for about half an hour. Then add one mediun onion (cut into large pieces) into it and pressure cook it for about 12-15 mins.
2. Slice the second onion and cut the tomato in large pieces and keep aside.
3. Grind to a paste all the ingredients mentioned under “ground to paste” adding little water if necessary while grinding.
4. Next, heat a pan with oil on a medium flame. Add the sliced onions and fry for about 3mins or till the onions are translucent.
5. Now, add the ground paste and saute it for another 3-4 mins.
6. Add the cooked masoor and salt. Mix well and allow it cook for about 5mins in the gravy.
7. Add tomato pieces, stir well and let it cook for another 10 mins. If the gravy is very thick, add a little water.
8. Remove from flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Ready to pressure cook

Ingredients to be ground to a paste

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time : 40 mins

Serves : 6

Note:

• This is a good accompaniment for rice or chapattis.
• Kashmiri chilies are used for its colour rather than heat. If Kashmiri chilies are not available, you can use Byadgi Chilies (available in Karnataka and Maharashtra) and the result is the same.
  I used Byadgi chilies in this recipe. You can vary the quantity as per your taste.