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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Prawns Curry | A Mangalorean delight

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Prawns curry is a thick, creamy and spicy coconut based masala gravy cooked with prawn. Like any other curry it can be made in several different ways. I follow my mother in law's Mangalorean recipe with a small change. I add 2 tbsp of coconut cream to get a smoother and creamy gravy which is completely optional :-) Here is the quick recipe to make this super easy prawns curry.

Ingredients:

Prawns: 1/2 kg

Medium sized Onion: 1 

Garlic: 4-5 cloves

Tomato : 1

Ginger: 1 inch

Green chilli : 2

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Coconut cream : 2 tbsp (optional)

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste.

Lemon juice: 1/2 tsp

For masala paste:

Fresh coconut: 1 cup

Dry red chillies: 6-7

Coriander seeds : 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tbsp

Peppercorn: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Garlic : 2-3 cloves

Tamarind : small marble size

Method:

1. Wash, devein and clean the prawns, sprinkle salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice and keep it aside for 15 mins.

2. In a deep pan dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper and fenugreek seeds until the spices turn crispy and aromatic.

3. Grind it along with coconut, tamarind and garlic with 1/2 cup water to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

4. Finely chop onion, garlic, tomato and ginger and slit green chillies.

5. Heat oil in the same pot and add garlic and curry leaves and sauté for 30 seconds.

6. Add onion and ginger and fry them until onions turn golden brown in color.

7. Add tomato and cook until it turns soft and oil separates.

8. Mix in ground paste, salt and 1 cup water and bring it to boil.

9. Add prawns and cook for 7-8 minutes.

10.Add coconut cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

11. Serve hot with boiled rice or steamed rice and lemon wedges.

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Ragi mudde - Soppina saru : finger-millet balls and dill curry

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Dill leaves, sabbasige soppu in Kannada is also known as dill weed, this is a green herb with wiry, thread-like leaves that grow in clusters. It has a strong, distinctive taste that is like a combination of fennel, anise and celery. Dill leaves are highly nutritious with many anti oxidants, vitamins and dietary fibers.

Here is a simple recipe of a comfort food that's dill curry and finger millet balls aka Ragi mudde.

Dill curry /Soppina saru: 

Ingredients:

Dill leaves :3 cups

Yellow Pegion peas (togaribele/Toor dal) : 1 cup

Dry red chillies : 4-5

Peppercorn : 1 tsp

Coriander seeds : 1 tsp

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Small onion : 1

Garlic : 4-5 cloves

Dry coconut : 2 tsp

Tamarind : 1 small marble size

Oil: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and cook toor dal with a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil.

2. Clean and wash dill leaves, remove hard stems and finely chop the leaves and keep aside. 

3. In a mixer jar add red chillies, coriander - cumin seeds, peppercorns, garlic, onion, dry coconut and tamarind and a little water and grind to a coarse paste.

4. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pot and add cumin seeds.

5. When the cumin seeds sizzle,  mix in ground masala and jaggery and sauté until the oil separates.

6. Add chopped dill leaves and 1/2 cup water and cook until the leaves wither, takes about 2-3 minutes.

7. Now add cooked dal and salt and bring to boil. Turn off after 4-5 minutes

For tempering:

Clarified butter /ghee : 1 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida : 1 big pinch

Broken dry red chili : 1

Curry leaves : 1 spring.

8. In a small tempering pan, heat clarified butter and add mustard seeds, when it crackles add asafoetida, curry leaves and broken red chilli and fry.

9. Add this tempering to the curry and close the lid. Let it sit for 5 minutes so that all the flavors are combined well.

10. Serve hot with Ragi balls or plain rice.

Ragi balls:

Finger-millet or Ragi balls or Ragi mudde is a very popular dish in south Karnataka. It's made by cooking Ragi flour with hot water until there is soft dough like consistency. It's then rolled into balls served with soppina saru/huli (spinach/greens curries). Nonvegetarian also relish with chicken/mutton curries.

Ingredients:

Ragi/finger-millet flour : 3 cups

Salt: 1 tsp

Water: 6 cups

Oil: 1 tsp (optional)

Method: 

1. In a thick bottomed pot add water and bring to boil, add salt and oil.

2. Reduce the flame and start adding the Ragi flour slowly and keep mixing it continuously until cooked. It will take about 8-10 minutes. 

3.Taste a small pinch of dough, if it feels rubbery let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

4. Remove it on a wet cloth and let it cool down a bit.

5. Wet your fingers and palm with water and take a big pinch of dough and make mudde/balls. Take care not to burn your fingers. Serve hot with dill curry.

Notes:

1. You can make the curry with Indian spinach (palak) or round spinach (dantina soppu).

2. You can skip the ghee tempering totally, but it enhances the taste of the curry.

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