Sabut Masoor Dal or Whole brown lentil is known as just Masoor in Goa. We Goans make a delicious coconut based gravy using this sabut masoor dal and it is known as "Masoor Tonak". Tonak means any spicy curry made with coconut and spices to which either legumes,mushrooms or any vegetables have been added. In Goa, we make "tonak" almost everyday. Though majority of us eat rice for lunch, our dinners consist of these "tonak's" and chapatis. Some people love to eat these with pooris or bread.
The North Indian's cook this dal in a completely different way. They don't add grated coconut. A reason why they don't add coconut to their food is because, coconut does not grow abundantly in North India. But coconut grows in abundance in Goa and therefore we use it in our day to day cooking. Do try this recipe as it turns really good. Apart from Masoor Tonak, do check the Chana Tonak recipe. You will see that the procedure to prepare tonak is similar. Just that the star ingredient changes.
Sending this recipe to Susan's MLLA which is hosted at Lisa's Kitchen.
Ingredients: Serves: 4, Prep. Time: 45 Min's
1/2 cup Sabut Masoor Dal / whole brown lentils
4 tablespoon grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
5 peppercorns
2 cloves
1/2 onion
1 potato
5 garlic cloves
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala(optional)
Procedure:
Soak sabut masoor dal for 4-6 hours.
Boil them by adding the chopped potatoes and little salt.
For 1/2 cup sabut masoor dal, I added 1 and 1/2 cups water to the pressure cooker and took 4-5 whistles. Switch off the gas and keep this aside.
After it cools, drain the water. Do not discard the water. This can be later added to the gravy if it turns thick.
Cut the onions straight(length-wise).
In a kadai/wok, add 1 tablespoon oil, and fry onions till they turn brown.
Add garlic and fry.
Add all the masala ( red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns and cloves) and fry for some time.
To this add grated coconut and fry till coconut turns brownish. Make sure to fry on low flame.
Once it gets fried switch off gas.
Mix turmeric powder and stir.
Drop the tamarind ball in the kadai while the coconut and masala contents cool down.
Grind this into smooth gravy by adding 3/4 cup water or as required.
Now switch on the gas and in the same kadai(kadai will be empty as the contents are ground), add the gravy. Let the gravy get cooked for 5 Min's, then add the boiled masoor dal to the gravy. Add garam masala and give a nice stir.
Cook for 10 Min's and switch off the gas.
Add salt per taste.
Note:
Do not discard the water which was used to boil the masoor. This can be later added to the gravy if it turns thick.I prefer the gravy to be of medium consistency, neither too thick nor too thin.
If the gravy is too thick, add the water which was used to boil the masoor dal.
1/2 cup Sabut Masoor Dal / whole brown lentils
4 tablespoon grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
5 peppercorns
2 cloves
1/2 onion
1 potato
5 garlic cloves
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala(optional)
Soak sabut masoor dal for 4-6 hours.
Boil them by adding the chopped potatoes and little salt.
For 1/2 cup sabut masoor dal, I added 1 and 1/2 cups water to the pressure cooker and took 4-5 whistles. Switch off the gas and keep this aside.
After it cools, drain the water. Do not discard the water. This can be later added to the gravy if it turns thick.
Cut the onions straight(length-wise).
In a kadai/wok, add 1 tablespoon oil, and fry onions till they turn brown.
Add garlic and fry.
Add all the masala ( red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns and cloves) and fry for some time.
To this add grated coconut and fry till coconut turns brownish. Make sure to fry on low flame.
Once it gets fried switch off gas.
Mix turmeric powder and stir.
Drop the tamarind ball in the kadai while the coconut and masala contents cool down.
Grind this into smooth gravy by adding 3/4 cup water or as required.
Now switch on the gas and in the same kadai(kadai will be empty as the contents are ground), add the gravy. Let the gravy get cooked for 5 Min's, then add the boiled masoor dal to the gravy. Add garam masala and give a nice stir.
Cook for 10 Min's and switch off the gas.
Add salt per taste.
Note:
Do not discard the water which was used to boil the masoor. This can be later added to the gravy if it turns thick.I prefer the gravy to be of medium consistency, neither too thick nor too thin.
If the gravy is too thick, add the water which was used to boil the masoor dal.
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