Friday, March 22, 2013

Menasina Saaru

This is a nice tangy saaru / rasam - with tamarind - ideal for days you do not want to cook anything elaborate.  Very simple to make.  All you need to take care to make sure you do not overdo the tamarind sauce.  When in doubt add less, you can always add to make it tangier if you wish.  Presenting the Menasina Saaru - a recipe I picked up from Kannada Cuisine.

                              ( Oops - As you can see, I went overboard with the seasoning )

Ingredients:
Tamarind pulp - 1 1/2 tbsp *
 Jaggery powder - 1 tsp **
Salt to taste

For the seasoning
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Pepper - 1 tsp  - crush
Cumin seeds ( jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Dry red chilies - 3
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) - a big pinch
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few ( for garnish)

Dissolve the tamarind paste in water - about 2 cups or so.  Adjust the water/tamarind to get the right tangy taste
Add the jaggery powder and salt.
Heat . Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meantime prepare the seasoning.
Take the ghee
Heat.
Add the mustard seeds.  Allow to splutter
And the rest of the ingredients - red chilies, cumin, garlic, curry leaves, asafoetida, crushed pepper
Once they begin to crackle.  Switch off

Add to the simmering tamarind soup.
And the menasina saaru is ready.

Serve with hot rice, and a roasted papad for a simple meal.

*( like I said earlier - you can always add more later if you want it tangier)
** you get good organic powdered jaggery these days at Supermarkets in India.. less impurities

17 comments:

  1. Appears simple but satisfying I must try this out

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  2. This looks similar to rasam except for the addition of jaggery.. Looks simple and delicious

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  3. Delicious, I love rasam, this variation I will try.

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  4. This "saaru" looks good. I prepare a similar version with a slight variation. Will try your version too. Thanks Radha.

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  5. Slightly different from rasam, tangy and yumm..

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  6. never heard about this saaru.. looks inviting..

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  7. Hi Radha how are you? I have not been able to visit you and my other favourite blogs because I am in India and there is just way too much happening to spend time in front of the computer. Then I saw this update in my feeder, the idea of a tamarind rasam sounded really tempting, hence decided to check it out. Bookmarking this, will try this out once I am back home :-) Cheers, Suchi

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  8. Comforting dish,thanks for sharing this quick and yummy dish.

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  9. Hi Radha, Rasam is the best thing that one can have on any given day. I enjoy it a lot and I get very happy when I see posts on rasam. I always look for new recipes, thanks for sharing.

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  10. Tangy saaru, cant ask more will definitely tickle my tastebuds.

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  11. This looks amazing, picture perfect....Come and participate in my Recap event and 3 giveaways http://merrytummy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/one-year-recap-event-and-3-giveways.html

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  12. Slurp! this is making my tummy growl

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  13. I like this recipe. Looks very inviting too Radha.

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