Bele Saru | Toor Dal/Pegion Peas Rasam | Udupi Saru

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Food is all about memories. It has a way of transporting us back to the past. I have so many fond memories that revolve around food. The moment I smell a good tomato saru (rasam) or think about it, I will be transported back to my mother's kitchen as a little girl impatiently looking at a pot of boiling saru. Bele saru as we call it at home is a simple toor dal tomato rasam, it holds a special place in my heart. Although there are quite a few dishes that take me down memory lane, this is no doubt my comfort food. Served with hot steaming rice, a dollop of ghee and mango pickle, I could eat it anytime of the day.

The saru (rasam) my mother made was so good that whenever I made it, it was always compared with hers. My brother always used to tell me that the taste was almost there. Then it took me many unsuccessful trials to match the taste. Now I can comfortably say I make equally good bele saru :) 

The trick was in the freshly pound rasam powder, my mother used to pack me a big box of it everytime I visited her. Now I have learnt to make this goodie myself.  Learn how to make udupi style bele saru aka rasam..


Ingredients: 
Togari bele/ Toor Dal/Yellow pegion peas : 1/2 cup
Ripe Tomatoes : 2
Green chillies: 2-3
Tamarind juice : 1/2 cup
Jaggery : 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Coconut oil : 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Asafoetida/Hing: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Sarina pudi /Rasam powder: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash split pigeon peas and soak in enough water for 15 mins, add a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil and pressure cook it until done. Soak Tamarind in warm water for 10 mins, squeeze the juice. Keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pot and add mustard and cumin seeds, when it splutters add hing and mix.

3. Mix in curry leaves and slit green chillies and saute for 30 seconds.

4. Add chopped tomatoes and cook it for 2 minutes.

5. Now add rasam powder, salt, jaggery and tamarind water and cook it until the tomatoes are pulpy.

6. Now add the cooked dal and enough water and bring to boil. Leave it on for 5 minutes.

7. Adjust the seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn of the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

8. Serve hot with steaming rice, ghee, pickle and papad.  


Learn how to make rasam powder at home ---> Home made rasam powder /Sarina pudi Recipe

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Badane Koddel | Green Brinjal Sambar

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Koddel Means Sambar in Tulu. My mother's Badane or bendekayi koddel (Brinjal or lady's finger Sambar) is my all time favorite. This sweet, sour and spicy dal preparation is a simple and comfort food that brings back fond memories from my childhood.  Most of the evenings after school me and my brother used to fight over comic books.  I always got 2nd turn to read those stories and I wasted no time and mostly ended up reading it while eating dinner. The super delicious koddel and super exciting stories from comic books were a crazy combination those days :) Those crazy, funny and carefree moments I try to relive through food:))

Here is how to make this easy and comfort food.

Ingredients: 
Togaribele /Toor Dal: 1 cup
Green slender brinjal : 2
Thick Tamarind Juice : 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Jaggery : 1 -1.5 tbsp
Saru/Rasam Powder: 2 tsp
Slit Green chillies: 2
Coconut oil/Ghee : 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves: 1 sprig
Broken dry red chilli: 1
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak dal in enough water for 15 minutes, add a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.

2. Put Tamarind juice, Jaggery, Turmeric powder, Green chillies and 1 cup water in a pot and bring to boil.

3. Chop Brinjal into small pieces and add to the boiling tamarind mixture and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the brinjal turns tender.

4. Mash the cooked dal and add to the pot, add salt and rasam powder and water if needed to adjust the consistency and boil it for 10-15 minutes.

5. Heat oil/Ghee in a tempering pan and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add cumin seeds, broken dry red chilli, Hing and Curry leaves and saute for 30 seconds. Pour the tempring on the koddel and close the lid. Let it boil on low flame for 1-2 minutes and turn off the flame.

6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and ghee.

Click here for Home Made Sarina pudi /Rasam powder recipe. 

Notes:
1. Simply replace Brinjal with Lady's finger to make Bendekayi koddel.

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Saarina Pudi | Rasam Powder

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Learn how to make simple and quick Sarina Pudi /Rasam Powder. This is my mother's recipe that I follow to a T. Until Recently my mother used to make it and pack enough powder to last for 6 months. I started making it myself as the taste of freshly pound powder takes the dishes to a different level altogether :) I make small batches enough to last for a month so the aroma and freshness is retained in the Saru (rasam), Koddel or any other dishes that I use it in.

Ingredients:

Dry red chillies (Bydagi or Kashmiri - Low spice variety) : 100 gms
Coriander seeds: 50 gms
Cumin Seeds: 25 gms
Mustard seeds: 2 Tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds: 2 tsp
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp 

Method:
Heat oil in a thick bottomed deep pan and roast all ingredients on low to medium flame. Roast one by one until they turn crispy and aromatic. Spread the roasted spices on a big tray and let them cool down for 15 mins. Grind to smooth powder and store in airtight jar.

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