Menasina Saaru | Pepper Rasam | How to make menasina saaru?
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Recipe type: Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 people
 
Piping hot and with a kick, perfect for the rainy season - menasina saaru a.k.a pepper rasam
Ingredients
  • 1 + ¼ Tsp jeera
  • 10-12 whole black peppercorn/menasu
  • ⅓ Cup toor dal
  • ½ Tbsp or 1 piece jaggery
  • 1 Tsp tamarind paste/1 lemon sized tamarind squeezed off its pulp
  • Crystal sea salt/kalluppu to taste
  • Few chopped curry leaves
  • 3-4 sprigs of chopped coriander
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 broken red chilli
  • ½ Tsp mustard
  • A pinch of hing/asafoetida
  • ½ Tbsp rasam powder/saarina pudi
Method
  1. Pressure cook toor dal with 1½ Cups water for 4-5 whistles or till soft. Mash the dal and churn it it till dal is not visible
  2. Dry roast 1 Tsp jeera and whole black peppercorn/menasu
  3. Let it cool. Pound this in a mortar to a coarse powder
  4. To cooked dal, add jaggery, tamarind paste
  5. Sprinkle crystal sea salt as per your taste
  6. Add pounded jeera-menasu powder
  7. Pour about ½ Cup to ¾ Cup water to adjust consistency
  8. Throw in a few chopped curry leaves and chopped coriander. Bring this to a boil
  9. Add rasam powder and mix well
  10. Make vaggarne/seasoning/tadka with ghee
  11. Add mustard, jeera and a pinch of hing
  12. Next throw in a broken red chilli and a few chopped curry leaves
  13. Pour the vaggarne/seasoning/tadka into boiling saaru
  14. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice!
Notes
Jeera-black pepper can also be powdered in small mixer jar also. But the coarse texture gives flavour

Use coconut oil for tadka if your prefer (vegan alert!)

Tastes best when boiled 2-3 times
Recipe by Food Of Interest at https://foodofinterest.com/menasina-saaru/