Tomato Saar
Clocks have gone back this weekend. So now when you wake up its still dark outside. Taking warm clothes out and pack summer clothes is on your to do list. The best part of this season is that it is so colourful outside. I love to go out for a walk and get soaked in the Autumn colours. Everywhere you go, in nature, there are breath-taking views. This will soon change, and the landscape will be totally different. Days will be even shorter and colder. What would be more comforting than having a hot soup on a winter evening.
I am bringing you a series of delicious Indian style soups some of which can be served as an appetiser and some can be served as a main course.
First one in this series is a Tomato Saar. Saar literally means the extract. Saar is a thin soup which can be served as an appetiser and can be served with bread or rice. It is one of the most popular soups served in Maharashtrian households. It has even made its place in the festive or ceremonial menus. It is a popular accompaniment for vegetable Pulav rice. I have served the Saar with baguette and butter.
Ingredients
- Red tomato 4
- Tomato paste (optional) 1 tablespoon
- Green Chillies 1 - 2
- Ginger ½ inch
- Roasted peanut powder ½ tablespoon
- Fresh coconut grated 1 tablespoon
- Salt 1 - 1½ teaspoons
- Sugar 1½ teaspoons
- Ghee 1½ teaspoons
- Cumin seeds 1 heaped
- Curry leaves 8 - 10
- Asafoetida 1 pinch
Instructions
- Drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 25- 30 seconds. Remove them when the skins start to peel back. Remove them and drop them into ice water.
- Peel them, roughly chop them, and make a purée along with the tomato paste. Keep aside.
- Add green chillies, ginger, peanut powder, coconut, ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds and a couple of tablespoons of water into the blender and blend into coarse paste.
- Add tomato puree and peanut, coconut paste to the pot. Add a couple of cups of water.
- Add salt and sugar to the soup, mix well. Bring it to boil.
- Adjust salt, and sugar. Add more water if you want thinner consistency.
- In a small saucepan, heat ghee and add cumin seeds.
- When the seeds splutter add curry leaves, asafoetida. This is a tempering for the Saar. Pour this tempering on the Saar.
- Continue boiling further for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve hot with bread or rice.
Note
- You can save half the ingredients for tempering and then add the additional tempering from the top just before serving.
- If you have peanut allergies, then replace it with extra coconut.
- Tomato paste gives nice colour and smoothness to the Saar.