Akhkha Masoor

If you have read about this discovery that I made during my visit to Kolhapur last month, then you would also like to know that this one dish has made many of the localites millionaires. Most restaurants serve only Rice, bhakri (roti) and Akhkha Masoor and make a fortune on National highway 4 in and around Kolhapur.

You ould be glad to find the recipe just here. This was not rocket science as I also had my Mom and lil' sis with me when I tasted. They both can spot the last and least important ingredient from any dish by just tasting it. So by the time we were finished with the meal, I had the recipe filled in my ears.

When I came back , this was the first dish I attempted with the packet of red lentils (masoor) I had as spare.

Ingredients

1 cup Red Lentils (Masoor)

1 medium size onion finely chopped

1 medium size tomato pureed

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tspn coriander-cumin powder

1 tspn Garam masala (Use any Sabzi masala)

1/2 tspn turmeric powder

1 tspn red chilly powder (add more as per requirement)

1 tspn crushed black pepper (Lentils and Tomatoes make a sweet combination, to cut the sweetness)

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2-3 cloves of garlic (lightly peeled)

Oil to cook

salt to taste

Method

1) Wash and pressure cook the lentils until they are cooked (3 whistles are more than sufficient).

2) In a sauce pan, add oil. When it is warm enough add the garlic cloves, remove and set them aside when the oil has infused the flavor in it.

3) Now add the onions and ginger garlic paste and saute it till the onions are well cooked.

4) Puree this onion mixture and back to the pan, cook until oil leaves the sides of the pan.

5) Add the tomato puree and all the dry spices.

6) Now add the cooked red lentils. and let it mix well

7) Let it simmer for 10 minutes.

8) Garnish with coriander and garlic cloves (removed in step 2). Add fresh cream if you so prefer.

Eat it with white rice or roti