Imagine a rainy Sunday afternoon and you are feeling particularly lazy to prepare a spread. Or if you are generally feeling not to eat any heavy food then you have landed upon the correct recipe. An easy go-to recipe to make one feel instantly good. Piping hot menasina saaru a.k.a. pepper rasam is something I can slurp on or gulp down with some rice (of course topped with ghee :))
Menasina saaru is very good for digestion as it has pepper of course and jeera and curry leaves. It is light on the stomach and if you are feeling under the weather then this is sure to cheer you up. Just mix up with little soft rice and feel better.
Simple rasam dishes are something I have been wanting to post for a while but amidst special dishes these kind of dishes somehow take the backseat. So I thought why not start with a favourite, menasina saaru Karnataka style made using homemade saarina pudi!
Toor dal (togaribele) is what gives this menasina saaru body but is added in small quantity just enough to hold the rasam together! Be it rain or monsoon or winter and even summer why not enjoy something light yet filling. More sambar/rasam recipes from FOI.
- 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
- 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
- Dry roast 1 Tsp jeera and whole black peppercorn/menasu
- Let it cool. Pound this in a mortar to a coarse powder
- To cooked dal, add jaggery, tamarind paste
- Sprinkle crystal sea salt as per your taste
- Add pounded jeera-menasu powder
- Pour about ½ Cup to ¾ Cup water to adjust consistency
- Throw in a few chopped curry leaves and chopped coriander. Bring this to a boil
- Add rasam powder and mix well
- Make vaggarne/seasoning/tadka with ghee
- Add mustard, jeera and a pinch of hing
- Next throw in a broken red chilli and a few chopped curry leaves
- Pour the vaggarne/seasoning/tadka into boiling saaru
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice!
Use coconut oil for tadka if your prefer (vegan alert!)
Tastes best when boiled 2-3 times
Menasina Saaru Stepwise:
Pressure cook toor dal with 1 1/2 Cups water for 4-5 whistles or till soft. Mash the dal and churn it it till dal is not visible
Dry roast 1 Tsp jeera and whole black peppercorn/menasu
Let it cool. Pound this in a mortar to a coarse powder
To cooked dal, add jaggery, tamarind paste
Sprinkle crystal sea salt as per your taste
Add pounded jeera-menasu powder
Pour about 1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cup water to adjust consistency
Throw in a few chopped curry leaves and chopped coriander. Bring this to a boil
Add rasam powder and mix well
Make vaggarne/seasoning/tadka with ghee
Add mustard, jeera and a pinch of hing
Next throw in a broken red chilli and a few chopped curry leaves
Pour the vaggarne/seasoning/tadka into boiling saaru
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice!
