Saaru

Tur dal                  1 cup

Tomato                 1 large - sliced into two parts

Turmeric               ½ tsp

Mensina pudi         2 tsp (recipe here)

Tamarind              large marble size

Jaggery                ½ tsp

Salt

Chopped coriander leaves 

Curry leaves

Seasoning: ghee, mustard, hing

Cook tur dal and tomato and turmeric in a pressure cooker till well done.

Carefully remove the tomato, release skin and mash pulp. Return tomato pulp to cooked dal and stir into a nice homogenous mix.

Add mensina pudi, and tamarind pulp. Add water. 

Boil on high for 7 minutes till the raw smell of the mensina pudi is gone. Add jaggery and salt and bring to boil again. 

Add curry leaves and Corainder leaves.

For seasoning, heat ghee in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds and very little hing. 

Add to saaru and stir and cover immediately. Serve hot.

This should make 4 cups of saaru.

You can vary the jaggery to taste. 


Recipe courtesy: Ratna Rao (via Dailysamayal)