Monday, February 8, 2010

Kattina Saru - Plain Lentil Rasam

When it comes to simple comfort food, kattina saru / simple lentil rasam tops the list. A very mild spiced, yet tasty and very healthy, this one is a preferred choice for us for lunch on days we’ve had a heavy breakfast. Being very simple to make, it is a good choice for us to cook too. The spices give a subtle flavor and taste, while a correct blend of salt and jaggery and pepper make it tasty.

Kattina Saru


Preparation time : None
Cooking time : 15 min
Serves : 4

Ingredients:
Tur Dal - 1 cup
Green chili - 1 or 2
Turmeric - a big pinch
Coconut milk - 1 Tbsp
Jaggery - 1 small pinch
Salt - ¾ tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 1 sprig
For tempering:
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper - ½ tsp
Asafetida/hing - 1 pinch

Method:
• Cook tur dal with 2-3 cups of water, one green chili and turmeric in pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles
• Once the pressure releases, bring it to boil again
• Add salt, coconut milk, and jaggery.
• Add curry leaves and coriander leaves for flavor. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes.
• Adjust water to get a thin, rasam-like consistency
For tempering:
• Make a coarse powder of black pepper and cumin seeds
• Heat ghee in a small skillet
• Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter
• Add cumin, pepper, hing
• Mix it to the rasam just before serving
• Serve piping hot with hot rice and ghee

Variations:
• Juice of a lemon can be if you like a sour taste

2 comments:

  1. hey i too make this..but little diffent..ur looks so good...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had forgotten this saaru totally! Such a simple and tasty recipe!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by! And Thank you more for choosing to drop a line for me! Your comments are a source of inspiration to me :)