“Kali Tori~Tomato Saaru/ Black Pigeon Peas~ Tomato Saar” … a delicious saaru from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine prepared with Peas cooked water along with tomatoes and spiced masala powder … tastes best served steaming hot with rice along with a few side dishes during meals … next time you cook peas try this saar and enjoy with your family, sure to be loved by all … Yummilicious …
** Kali Tori/ Black Pigeon Peas are available in most southern stores. We get them in slightly reddish tinge and white ones, however, I usually use the black as they are tastier and have a sweetish tinge. I have shared plenty of recipes using Kali tori which you may check using the label section or using key words in search option
** Saar or saaru as called in konkani can be prepared in so many ways, that I have almost lost count of them. You can prepare saar out of most of the veggies that have a tangy taste and have high water content in them. Again, the liquid in which the pulses/ legumes are cooked can also be prepared into delicious saar's.
** Pigeon peas (kali tori), Black whole chana, Kulith (Horse gram) are the most frequently used in preparation of saar using cooked water. For this particular saar kali tori/ black pigeon peas is pressure cooked after soaking it overnight or for 6-8 hours or overnight. The cooked water is then strained and prepared as saaru.
** It is always good to allow a resting time for the cooked pulse/ legume for a minimum 30 minutes as it is though I do so for about 2 hours, by doing so you get a very thick cooked water which gives you a tastier- thicker saar. Here I have added a few tomatoes to bring in the tart/ tangy taste and it tastes wonderful.
** Without running into details, I will straight away post the recipe as saar recipe is something I have posted so many times with minute differences that I do not want to bore you with talks. And yes, I must mention that I avoid grinding masala and always use good quality sambar powder which gives me good results.
** Here is the simple recipe for “Kali Tori~ Tomato Saaru/ Black Pigeon Peas~ Tomato Saar” … my Style, try it, tastes awesome ….
** For Kali Tori/ Black Pigeon Peas cooked water to be used in Saaru/ Saar : Pick, clean and soak 1- 1.5 cups of Kali Tori/ Black Pigeon Peas in plenty of water overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. Drain, rinse well with plenty of water and put it in a pressure cooker pan with water an inch above the level of the tori.
** Pressure cook to 1 or 2 whistles on medium heat, then lower the heat to minimum, cook for another 4-5 minutes, then again raise the heat to medium and pressure cook to 2 more whistles, remove from flame and keep it aside.
** Let the pressure in cooker fall by itself and once you are able to open the lid do so carefully. To the pressure cooked kali tori add 2-3 cups of water, mix well, cover and keep it aside to settle for a minimum 30 minutes. I usually let it rest for 2-3 hours, this helps the cooked water to thicken and absorb more flavour from the kali tori.
** Now gently tilt the cooker and drain off the cooked water into another vessel, this will be used in preparation of saar/ saaru. You can prepare either upkari (bhaji) or masala curry using the cooked kali tori which is what we always do.
** Note : The pressure cooked kali tori/ black pigeon peas is to be prepared separately either as seasoned bhaji or with masala as a curry, it's individual choice. Any dish prepared with these peas turn out excellent in taste and I have shared a common link to recipes with black pigeon peas at the bottom of this recipe which you can check out in leisure and prepare that which appeals to you and your family.
** “Kali Tori~ Tomato Saaru/ Black Pigeon Peas~ Tomato Saar”: Strain the cooked black pigeon peas water in a vessel and add about 5-6 glasses of fresh water. Wash, wipe dry and add 3-4 finely chopped medium sized ripe tomatoes and bring all together to a rolling boil on medium heat and let cook for 5 minutes.
** Lower the heat to minimum and simmer until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Now with the help of a hand blender or potato masher, mash the tomatoes so that they leave out water and get slightly pulpy. Saar is supposed to be spicy and thin textured with a sour taste, so check the consistency and add more water if required.
** For Seasoning/ Pannaka/ Tadka : Heat 2 tblsp of coconut oil (nariyal tel/ narlel tela) + 1 tblsp of homemade Cow’s ghee/ toop in a small pan, when hot add 1 tsp of mustard seeds (rai/ sasam), when they begin to splutter lower the heat and add 1 tsp of jeera (cumin seeds), 8-10 fresh curry leaves (kadipatta/ karbevu) and fry for a few seconds. Now add 2-3 tblsp of good quality sambar powder (I used store bought one's, you may use any) and continue to fry 1-2 mins, do not let burn. .
** Note : If adding hing (asafoetida) powder and not prepared hinga uddaka (asafoetida water) then add 1 tsp along with sambar powder itself and fry all together. You can check info on hinga uddaka at the bottom of this recipe.
** Fry the masala powder for a few seconds on low heat, you can sprinkle some water if you find it too dry and being burnt. Remove and pour it over the simmering saaru/ saar and mix well. Add salt (namak/ meeta) to taste and bring all to a rolling boil on medium heat. Let the saar simmer for a good 10-15 minutes adding more water in between if you find it too thick. Also keep stirring in between for even cooking.
** Now add half a cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (kothambari pallo/ dhania) and a small lemon sized ball of grated jaggery (goda/ bella) 1 tblsp of prepared hing uddaka (asafoetida water of gummy hing) and mix well. Continue simmering the saar for another 5-10 minutes, mixing it often in between. Remove from heat, cover and keep the saar aside to rest for an hour or so before serving time.
** Note : Unlike coconut curry, It is always necessary to simmer the saaru/ saar for some time to get a deep colored tasty- aromatic saar. Simmering always helps the sambar masala powder to cook well and infuse the taste into the dish. Again, resting time too is very important, the more you allow the saar to rest the tastier it gets. However, if desired you can serve immediately too as is the practice in some homes.
** “Kali Tori~ Tomato Saaru/ Black Pigeon Peas~ Tomato Saar” is done and ready to be served. Always serve saaru steaming hot with rice along with other dishes during meals for best of taste. However, if desired you can serve it as appetizer/ soup too, my friends do so by straining it just before serving. Tastes awesome especially during winter/ monsoon when there is chill in air. In my home either dalitoy (spiced tuvar dal) or any type of saaru is a must to be served with rice during meals, we do so love them.
** For GSB Konkani Saraswat's serving Saaru/ Saar is a must during festive occasions though it is usually prepared with tomatoes unless some legume is cooked which then gives you the cooked water to prepare the saar. It really imparts a very good taste that is difficult to explain and one has to relish it to understand the same. Do try this simple saar, when you cook any legume/ pulse and serve it to your family and friends, I am sure they will love it. You can also store the cooked water in fridge and prepare it the following day if need be, do not worry, it stays good for 48 hours if well simmered.
** My Tips & Tricks : Mornings are always too hectic for me and I have to rush about on finishing my work. I am sure it is for all working women and I do understand the priorities. Some simple tricks, a few short cuts, if followed makes life that much easier for us. One trick I follow if pressed hard for time is I soak legumes in hot water (not boiling), cover it with a tight lid and place it in microwave oven for 4 hours and they will have beautifully been soaked up. You can easily then follow the method shared above of the cooking method. The other method is I soak legumes in water at 6 pm and then follow the method of pressure cooking it as mentioned at around 10 pm, after which, when able to open the lid I add 2-3 cups of water, mix well, again fix the lid and leave it as it is overnight to thicken well and I get a lovely thick textured cooked water for saar ready next morning. Once we learn these small kitchen tricks then it is a breeze to work with delicious dishes.
** For Preparing of Hing/ Asafoetida Water From Gummy Hing : Hing water is prepared by putting a small marble sized gummy hing (available in South Indian Stores) into a glass bottle and adding about a small cup of boiled and cooled water to it. Within a few hours the hing will slowly melt and you will get a thick whitish liquid. This is known as hinga uddaka/ asafoetida water. You can store this in the fridge and use it sparingly as and when needed. We GSB Konkani Saraswat Community usually prepare the same and keep it in the fridge always and use the same for dal, patrado or any other humman etc. If you do not have the gummy hing or have never used or seen it, check out the picture collage, I have shared the same. Again, if not available, no issues, you can add hing/ asafoetida powder in which case always add it into the hot oil while tempering to get a good aroma.
** Sharing a common link below for all types of “Saar/ Saaru” recipes, that are equally easy to prepare … you can browse through them and prepare that which appeals to you and enjoy them with your family, sure to be loved by all ...
** Sharing a common link below to all “Kali Tori/ Black Pigeon Peas” recipes, that are all very tasty and healthy ... you can browse through them and prepare that which appeals to you and enjoy them with your family, sure to be loved by all ...
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