Masoor bhaji

This is a dish I have grown up eating. Aayi makes this with rice rotti(alayle pita rotti) for breakfast. The cooked masoor and the garam masala gives a very different aroma to this dish. This tastes good when it is made very spicy and goes very well with the bland taste of rotti.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup masoor(whole)
1/2 cup onions(chopped)
1/2 cup potato(chopped)
3/4 cup coconut(fresh or frozen)
3-4 cloves
2″ piece cinnamon
1/2 tea spn coriander seeds
3-4 red chilies
1/2 tea spn tamarind extract (or use 2 small pieces of normal tamarind)
3-4 pepper
Oil
Salt

Increase the spices if required.

Method:
Soak masoor in water for around 1hr (this helps to cook masoor faster).
Cook masoor with onion and potato (Just 1-2 whistles if using cooker).
Heat a little oil and add cloves, cinnamon, pepper and coriander seeds. Grind them with coconut, red chilies and tamarind.
Add this masala to masoor and cook for around 5-10mins.
Serve with rice rotti(alayle pita rotti).

Serves : 3-4
Preparation time : 30mins

30 thoughts on “Masoor bhaji”

  1. Hey Shilpa,
    Believe it or not!!!!!!!!!!! I was thinking of sending this recipe to you today.. I love alayle pitta bhakri and masoor masala. Thanks

  2. Hi Shilpa,
    we make a similar dish. the only difference is we also roast coconut, red chilies and onions and grind them all together.

  3. Hi Shilpa, this sounds so deliciously different and I love masoor dal… will certainly give it a try. Thanks for sharing. The new design looks lovely! 🙂

  4. Great stuff. I remember having this as a kid when I used to visit my grand mom in North Kanara as a kid. It’s been years since I have tasted that.

  5. This is quite close to the “amti” recipe I had asked for in the “requests” section of your site. Should try it out sometime to realize the exact similarities!!

  6. Gowri, see I read your mind :).

    Deepa, try this combo. Its very very nice.

    Manjula, i think you can use brown lentils, but I have never tried with it.

    Rajasi, I will try your method next time. Thanks,

    Thanks Linda. Let me know if you try this.

    Navin, thats great. Try it and let me know if this tastes the same.

    Lakshmi, yes I think it will go with pulav, roti also.

    Nikhil, ohh…I didn’t know you were refering to this. There is one more masoor amti which my aunt makes. Please have a look at masala masoor. Make it a bit waterey to use as amti.

    Thanks Lesley. Let me know if your try it.

  7. Thanks shilpa, i made your masoor dalwith mushti dosa and it was a wonderful delicious match – our kids are here for Thanksgiving -they LOVED IT – along with hing/ginger chutney.

  8. hi shilpa!
    i came across this site when i was looking for authentic tulu recipes..am really glad i did the search..this is a wonderful site!!!

    i havent tried any of the given recipes..only browsed thru them ,but i am really itching try them all in one day..esp the parathas!

    i hvae a qn..i always get confused between the dals…u said masoor dal? isnt it the orange colored one? but in the pic, it looks green..is it moong? not moong dal,which is yellow..but the bean kind..which u sprout and eat in salads?

    thanks!
    really lookin forward to more recipes!

  9. mufs, as I said in the post, it’s not masoor dal, it is “whole masoor”. Whole masoor is dark brown in color. You get these whole masoor packets in Indian stores (or foodworld in India)

  10. Hi Shilpa,
    I know this is an old post, but yesterday I used your recipe and it was so so yummy! How did you get the lovely reddish colour? We had with methi roti.
    Thanks so much for a great recipe.

  11. Hi shilpa,

    I was too excited when i saw this recipe as my husband loves whole masoor, but when i tried it, it turned out a disaster . 🙁

    Shilpa: If you could explain what was wrong, I might be able to help. But if it is taste, then, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Sad to know you didn’t like it.

  12. Hi Shilpa,
    very delicious..since i have read this, i prepare this masoor bhaji and roti combo regularly..i have tried a number of dishes from ur site (veg and non veg) and all have come out superb..i am hooked to ur site..i like the way u write keeping it simple..thanks and keep on posting..

  13. Hi Shilpa
    Normally i fry the coconut, red chillies and onion and then fry along with the other roated spices.
    Does your receipe say not to fry the coconut, r.chillies and onion? Please clarify?
    Also when the dish is almost ready i add readymade garam masala (one tspn may be) and finally coriander leaves. Tastes gr8!

    shilpa: Yes, they are not fried.

  14. Usha Nikhil Karnad

    It is very tasty and good for health. Moong and Moong dal is good for cooling the heat of the body. Particularly sprout of moong is very tasty if we do raw salad with cucumber, moong bhaji, Ambat etc.
    regards.
    usha

  15. wow…i have soaked masoor waiting for me on my kitchen counter…will try this out…its been ages since i made this curry with coconut…:-) Thx!

  16. hi shilpa
    i am a silent follower of ur blog..but have tried many of ur receipes soya methi curry, dal makni..etc….
    it all turned very yummy..ur recipies are so simple to make…thank u soo much..
    today i am going to try masoor bhaji…
    wish me good luck

  17. Hello Shilpa,

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. We were bored of always preparing the coconut or groundnut chutney. This recipe was a blessing. We had with akki rotti and it rocked. Thanks – Uma

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top