Pandhra Rassa with Rice

Name: Pandhra Rassa with Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Maharashtra)
Ingredients: 600 g bone-in lamb (shank or ribs), cut into pieces; 3 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil; 1 large onion (150 g), finely sliced; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; ½ tsp white pepper powder (or black pepper for more flavour); 1 tsp salt; 400 ml water; 1 cup (90 g) fresh grated coconut; 2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus), soaked in warm water 30 min; 1 tbsp cashew nuts (4–5 whole), soaked 20 min; 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf); 4 green cardamom pods; 1 × 2 cm cinnamon stick; 6 white or black peppercorns; 2 cloves; 1 tsp garlic (2–3 cloves); 1 × 1 cm ginger piece; 100 ml water for grinding; Poppy seeds soaked adequately is key to the creamy texture — under-soaked poppy seeds grind grainy and don't give the same milky richness; Pandhra rassa has NO red chillies — any red colour indicates the cook used the wrong masala; The dish should be pale, thin and brothy — not thick like a cream curry

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

The cooling white counterpart to fiery tambda rassa — a milky, coconut-poppy seed lamb broth delicately spiced with white pepper, fennel and cardamom, no red chillies. Paired with tambda rassa and rice or bhakri, the two rasas together form the complete Kolhapuri meal.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥75 minCook

🕒95 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Pandhra Rassa with Rice

Make white masala (No heat): Blend soaked poppy seeds and cashews with fresh coconut, soaked fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, garlic and ginger into a very smooth, thick white paste using 100 ml water. The paste should be creamy white-ivory.
Brown the lamb (Heat: high): Heat oil in a pressure cooker on high. Brown lamb pieces 3–4 minutes per side. Remove.
Fry onion (Heat: medium-high): In the same pot, fry sliced onion on medium-high for 10 minutes until golden — but do not brown too dark; the dish is meant to stay pale.
Add ginger-garlic and masala (Heat: medium): Add ginger-garlic paste — fry 2 minutes. Add the white masala paste. Cook on medium for 5–6 minutes, stirring — the paste will become very fragrant and the coconut will turn from white to a light cream colour. Add white pepper powder.
Pressure cook (Heat: high → low): Return lamb pieces. Add 400 ml water and salt. Pressure cook on high until first whistle, then 30 minutes on low heat. Natural release 15 minutes. The broth should be creamy white with a gentle aroma of coconut and cardamom.
Simmer and finish (Heat: medium): Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Add ghee. Taste — pandhra rassa should be subtly spiced (not spicy), fragrant with fennel and cardamom, richly coconutty. Garnish with coriander and ginger julienne.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 380 kcal | 28 g | 9 g | 26 g | 3 g | Pandhra rassa is unique to Kolhapur — you will not find it in any other Indian cuisine. Always served alongside tambda (red) rassa — the two contrasting broths (fiery red vs. cooling white) are considered inseparable. Famous Kolhapuri restaurants like Padma Guest House and Piyush serve both rasas in bowls before the main meal; locals drink multiple refills. ---

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