Tomato Saar Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
127 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Tomato Saar Recipe
Description
The Tomato Saar recipe involves simmering quartered tomatoes until tender, then straining the seeds from the stock. The softened tomatoes are blended with fresh grated coconut, green chilies, and cumin seeds to a smooth paste that forms the sauce base. The sauce is gently warmed and tempered with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chili, turmeric, and asafoetida to develop complex flavors.
The resulting saar has a light consistency adjusted by adding reserved tomato stock and extra water. Sweetness is balanced with jaggery or sugar to soften the tomato's acidity. The coconut adds a gentle creaminess without heaviness. This dish is well suited as a flavored broth or thin curry side dish for rice.
Using ripe, red tomatoes is recommended to avoid excess sourness. Adjusting green chilies and oil content can tailor the heat and richness. Fresh curry leaves and dry red chili contribute aromatic and slightly spicy notes, completing the dish.
The recipe suggests straining tomato seeds for a smooth texture but notes blending all ingredients without straining is possible. The savory tempering spices should be added at the end to preserve their fragrance.
Ingredients
For cooking tomatoes
- 250 grams tomato or 3 medium tomatoes or 2 cups quartered tomatoes
- 1.5 cups water - for cooking tomatoes
For coconut paste
- ½ cup coconut - grated and fresh
- 2 to 3 green chilies - chopped or 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
More ingredients
- ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar
- salt as required
- ½ to ⅔ cup water to be added later
For tempering tomato saar
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 1 red chili - broken and seeds removed
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
For garnish
- 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves - chopped
Instructions
Cooking tomatoes
- Rinse tomatoes well in water a few times. 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 heat for 6 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are tender.
- The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool 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.
Making tomato-coconut paste
- Add the cooked tomatoes in the grinder jar. Also add the fresh grated coconut, chopped green chilies and cumin seeds.
- Without adding water grind to a smooth and fine consistency.
Making tomato saar
- 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 about 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 heat.
- Bring the tomato saar to a boil. Then turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
Tempering the saar
- In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the heat 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.
- Turn off the heat 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. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
- Serve Tomato Saar with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir fried dish.
Notes
- Use ripe, red tomatoes for the best flavor and avoid overly sour notes.
- Adjust green chilis to your preferred spice level for the saar.
- Oil quantity can be reduced to light tempering if preferred.
- Jaggery or sugar can be used to balance acidity; add to taste.
- Removing seeds from tomatoes results in a smoother saar but blending everything without straining is a valid alternative.
- Add water to achieve the desired consistency for your serving preference.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 127kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Sodium | 379mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 235mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 722IU | 14% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.04mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.03mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 24mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 68mg | 76% |
| Vitamin E | 3mg | |
| Vitamin K | 8µg | |
| Calcium | 28mg | 3% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 250µg | |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 18mg | 5% |
| Phosphorus | 37mg | |
| Zinc | 0.3mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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