Udupi Rasam Recipe, Tomato Saaru Recipe, How to make Mangalorean style Rasam – Kannamma Cooks (2024)

How to make Udupi style rasam made with dal and tomato. Rasam with homemade rasam powder / saaru podi. Karnataka Udupi style tomato rasam recipe. Mangalorean style rasam.

Rasam is something taken very seriously in South Indian kitchens. Udupi rasam is hot, sour and a little sweet from the jaggery rounding off the flavors so well.The colour and aroma makes it mouth watering. I adapted this recipe based on Hari Sankaran’s TV show. The important thing in the rasam is the rasam powder / saaru podi. The saaru podi is made with byadagi chillies. Byadagi chillies are native Karnataka chillies that are very bright red in colour but not very spicy. It has a unique flavour and that’s important for the rasam. Its also sold as Mangalorean chillies. Byadagi Chillies come from the Haveri district in Karnataka. The chilli is long and wrinkled and deeply red. Its not very hot but imparts a dark color and aroma.

First lets make the saaru podi / rasam powder.
We will be roasting all the ingredients in coconut oil.

Take a pan and heat a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the byadagi chillies and roast in a low flame until very aromatic and the chillies slightly puff up. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate to cool.

Add in a teaspoon of oil in the pan and add in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, fenugreek (vendayam), curry leaves and black mustard seeds. Keep sauteing continuously on a low flame. After sometime the mustard seeds will start to splutter. Switch off the flame and add in the turmeric powder and asafoetida (hing). Saute briefly and let it cook on the residual heat. Set aside on a plate to cool completely.

Once the mixture is completely cool, grind the ingredients to a fine powder. Saaru Podi is ready.
Note: If making Saaru Podi in larger quantities, dry roast each ingredient separately.

Store the saaru podi in an air tight container and use accordingly. For retaining freshness and longer shelf life, I store my ground saaru podi in the freezer. It stays fresh for months in the freezer. The smell and aroma remains so fresh if stored in the freezer. Use saaru podi accordingly.

Now, lets make Mangalorean, Udupi Style Tomato Rasam, Tomato Saaru.

Boil the toor dal and tomatoes with two cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and mash with the back of a cup. Set aside.

Soak a gooseberry size tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Extract the pulp of the tamarind and discard the seeds and the fibre. Set aside the tamarind pulp / juice.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the tamarind pulp and salt. Add in 2 teaspoon of jaggery. Let it simmer for five minutes.

Add in a tablespoon of saaru podi / rasam powder and the boiled dal-tomato mixture. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Switch off the flame and add in the finely chopped coriander leaves and the ghee.

Delicious Tomato Saaru / Karnataka Udupi Tomato Rasam is ready! Enjoy with a bowl of rice.

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