Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 3

Ingredients for massoppu saaru: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 Heerekayi or Ridge gourd
2. 1/2 cup toor dal
3. 1 onion
4. 1 tomato
5. 4 - 5 cloves of chopped garlic
6. 2 tbsp grated coconut
7. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
8. 2 - 4 green chillies
9. 1 tsp cumin seeds
10. Small handful of coriander leaves
11. Salt as per your taste

Ingredients for tempering:

1. 1 red chilli
2. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3. 4 -5 cloves of chopped garlic
4. 1 onion
5. 4 - 5 curry leaves
6. 2 tsp cooking oil

Instructions for making heerekai maskai:

1. Rinse and soak toor dal for 30 mins. And then take it in the cooker.
2. Add chopped ridge gourd, onion, tomato, green chillies and garlic.
3. Add grated coconut, coriander leaves and cumin seeds.
4. Also add in turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt.
5. Add 1 cup of water and cook until soft. Making 2 whistles will do the job.
6. Once the pressure subsidies, open the lid and mash the cooked ingredients using a hand churner.
7. Or wait until warm and grind it coarsely using mixer grinder. You an use the pulse mode.
8. Now take a small frying pan and prepare tempering using oil, red chilli and mustard seeds.
9. Followed by add in chopped garlic, onion and curry leaves. Fry until onions turn slightly brown.
10. Reduce the flame and add in mashed dal and vegetables. Also add in required water.
11. Give it a quick mix. Adjust the salt as per taste.
12. Bring it to a boil and switch off the stove. Serve it with hot steaming rice or ragi mudde.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.