Tomato Saar Recipes

TOMATO SAAR

Steps:

• Rinse tomatoes well in water. Then quarter them. Keep aside.
• In a pan bring 1.5 cups water to a rapid boil.
• Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan and simmer on low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are tender.
• The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool down at room temperature or become warm.
• Then strain the tomatoes using a strainer, so that seeds are removed from the stock. Keep the reserved stock aside. Alternatively you can purée the tomatoes separately and then strain the purée. Then grind coconut, chilies and cumin separately. Since I do not strain tomato purée, I grind everything together.
• Add the cooked tomatoes in the grinder jar. Also add ½ cup fresh grated coconut, 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
• Without adding water grind to a smooth consistency.
• Now take the tomato and coconut paste in a pan. I have used the same pan in which I cooked the tomatoes.
• Add the reserved stock.
• Add ½ cup water in the grinder jar. Swirl and rotate the jar, so that the tomato-coconut paste stuck at the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the water.
• Now add this water in the pan. You can add water as required. You can overall add ½ to ⅔ cup water.
• Season with salt as per taste.
• Add ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar. You can add less or more as per your taste.
• Mix very well and keep the pan on a stove top on low to medium flame.
• Bring the tomato saar to a boil. Then switch off the flame. Cover and keep aside.
• In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the flame to a low.
• Then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds begin to crackle.
• When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds.
• Let the cumin seeds also crackle.
• Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 red chili (broken and seeds removed). Fry for a couple of seconds till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn them.
• Switch off the flame and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida. Mix well.
• Now pour this tempering in the tomato saar.
• Cover the pan with a lid and allow the tempering flavors to get infused in the saar for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then stir the tomato saar. Now add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve tomato saar with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir fried dish.