If you have ever visited a Maharashtrian household, then surely you have come across their soulful dish tomato saar. Tomato saar is basically a mildly spicy rasam-like broth in Maharashtrian cuisine that is made with tomato puree and some basic spices. Tomato saar is not only quick and easy to make, it is also light on stomach during a hot summer day. This sweet-and-sour dish is also refreshing and good for health, just like rasam. Saar, due to the dominance of tomato in it, is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which not only immune your body, but also keeps you hydrated, making it a perfect dish for the summers.
Tomato Saar is best enjoyed during lunch with steamed rice and papad. It can also be consumed as a soup for dinner after a long tiring day.
Also Read: Three Easy Rasam Recipes To Boost Your Immunity
Here's The Recipe For Maharastrian-Special Tomato Saar:
Ingredients:
Tomato- 4
Garlic- 5-6 cloves
Dry roasted cumin seeds (jeera)- half teaspoon
Dry roasted coriander seeds (dhania)- half teaspoon
Dry roasted red chilli- 1
Asafoetida (hing)- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds (rai)- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 10-12
Salt and sugar- as per taste
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Preparation:
Clean the tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for 1 to 1.5 minute. Remove and place in cold water to retain the colour. De-skin the tomatoes when they cool down. Keep aside.
Take the blanched, de-skinned tomatoes in a food processor and add roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dry red chilli. Blend them together into a smooth paste.
Heat a kadhai and pour the tomato-masala puree into it. Let it on a medium/low flame.
Add salt and sugar as per your taste. You may also add jaggery instead of sugar.
Take another pan and heat the oil.
Add garlic, hing, mustard seed, curry leaves and one dry red chilli to it and sauté till the seeds crackle and the garlic turns light brown in colour. You may avoid the garlic if you don't eat them.
Now, temper the tomato gravy with this mix, switch off the flame and close the lid.
Variation:
You can add one cup coconut milk to the puree, before adding, salt sugar or tamarind in the kadhai. This will give a coastal (Konkani) flavour to the dish.
You can also add kokum, tamarind or simply some lemon juice to the saar to get that rasam-like tanginess in the dish.
Tomato saar can also bring a change to your palate if you are bored with having rasam repeatedly. So this season, include tomato saar in the list of your light meals and relish. Happy summers!