AI-generated image
Obbattu saaru
Spiced dal water rasam
ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು ಸಾರು: spiced rasam from holige dal water, for the Gowri-Ganesha festival meal
Gowri Habba, Karnataka's version of Hartalika, comes the day before Ganesha Chaturthi, and the feast centres on obbattu (holige), flatbreads stuffed with chana dal and jaggery. Nothing goes to waste: the water the dal was boiled in, plus a spoon of the sweet filling, becomes obbattu saaru, a thin, sweet-sour-spicy rasam with tamarind, a coconut-spice paste and a mustard tadka, poured over rice beside the holige. Common mistake: boiling it hard after the coconut paste goes in, which dulls the flavour and makes it split; bring it just to a froth on top and switch off. Chef's tip: if you are not making holige, boil 50 g chana dal in 700 ml water, keep the water and mash a spoon of the dal with a little jaggery as the 'filling'.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the saaru
- 3 cups chana dal cooking water
- 1 ½ tbsp tamarind pulp
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
For the spice paste
- 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut
- 2 tsp rasam powder
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- ¼ cup water
For the tadka
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 pinch gluten-free hing (asafoetida)
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Grind 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut, 2 tsp rasam powder, ½ tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp black peppercorns with ¼ cup water to a smooth paste.
3 minStep 2: Put 3 cups chana dal cooking water, 3 tbsp holige filling (chana dal and jaggery), 1 ½ tbsp tamarind pulp, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground turmeric in a pan and simmer for 6–8 minutes until the raw tamarind smell has gone and the filling has dissolved.
8 minStep 3: Stir in the paste and heat on a medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until it froths up on top; turn the heat off before it boils hard.
4 minStep 4: Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add 1 tsp mustard seeds and when it pops add 1 dried red chilli, 1 pinch gluten-free hing (asafoetida) and 8 curry leaves. Pour into the saaru, add 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with rice and obbattu.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does obbattu saaru take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Filipino
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Egyptian