Saarina pudi
This Saarina Pudi is a special spice powder used in most of the Udupi gravies and sambars . This is very different than normal sambar powders. I like to make it fresh because it looses the aroma as days pass, but if you cannot, store in the freezer in airtight container.
Few dishes where this can be used are beLe saru , puLi koddel etc
Ingredients: 10-12 red chilies 1 cup coriander seeds 1/4 cup fenugreek seeds 1/2 cup cumin seeds Coconut oil 10-12 curry leaves 1/4 cup dry coconut (optional)
Method: Heat oil and fry all the ingredients on a very low flame. Take care not to burn anything. Powder all of them together. This powder can be saved up to 7 days. As days pass, the aroma of the powder decreases. If you want to save it for longer, put in an airtight container and keep in freezer.
Udupi is very famous for its temples. Udupi food is very popular in many parts of the world. The temples here serve one of the tastiest meals. I had never tried making any of the Udupi dishes until recently. When I found an Udupi special in a Kannada weekly, I was more than happy to try them. The first recipe I made from this article, beans koddel , was a huge hit. So without second thoughts, I tried this recipe which sounded too tempting. Bele – daal /lentil and saru – a watery dish used as gravy.
Ohh, that came out so tasty. I just could not stop eating it. Even when my rice finished, I loved to eat this alone. This must be one of the sarus served in those Udupi temples. I could distinctly remember the taste of it. It was one of those which I had tried to recreate from the taste. The taste had doubled on the second day.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup toor daal 1-2 tea spns sarina pudi 1-2 tea spns jaggery 1/4 tea spn tamarind extract or 2-3 pieces of tamarind A pinch asafoetida A pinch turmeric 2-3 green chilies (optional) 2-3 strands coriander leaves 2-3 curry leaves Oil 1/2 tea spn mustard seeds 1 red chili Salt
Method: Cook daal with turmeric. Take out the juice of tamarind (or dilute tamarind extract) in 1 cup water. Add jaggery, green chilies(if using) and cook till jaggery melts completely. Add daal, sarina pudi , salt, chopped coriander, curry leaves and cook for another 3-4 mins. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add asafoetida, red chilies cut into 2-3 pieces. Add this seasoning to the daal and mix well. Serve hot with rice.
Serves : 2 Preparation time : 20mins
