Menasina saru / Pepper Rasam with Toor dal. In our home this rasam is called sihi saaru or thiruvida menasina saru. Though it is called sihi saru it is not really sweet rasam 🙂
Saaru or Rasam is one of the main side dish in south indian meals. When you begin your meals, always start with any liquid items with rice like saaru, menasina saaru/pepper rasam, or tambuli. It is believed to help in digestion of the remaining food we consume. Also end you should end with buttermilk rice.
Saaru is one of dishes we make (especially in south India) for almost every day meal.
Menasina saaru is another variety of rasam you should try. Here is the recipe to simple Rasam / Saru using pepper , jeera and dal.

You should also try Udupi rasam, pepper jeera rasam, hunase saru and more SAARU recipes by  clicking on RASAM/SAARU

Ingredients for making Menasina Saru :

To cook the Dal:

• 1/2 cup togari bele /toor dal
• 1.5 cup water
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp oil
• For Masala
• ½ tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• 1 tsp split black gram / urad dal
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 tbsp fresh coconut

For rasam:

• Few curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp jaggery
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 tsp salt

For seasoning:

• 1.5 tsp ghee
• ½ tsp jeera / cumin seeds

Method:

1. Wash and pressure cook the toor dal along with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp oil and 1.5 cups of water on medium high heat
2. Turn off the heat after 3 to 4 whistles
3. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a pan on medium heat, once hot add pepper, coriander seeds, and urad dal. Fry this until the dals turn golden brown
4. Once the dals turns golden brown, turn off the heat and add coconut and mix it .
5. Grind it adding little water to a fine paste.
6. Add cooked dal and pulse it along with the masala
7. Add this masala to the cooked dal , let it boil on medium heat. add around 1/2 cup of water to the mixer jar and add that as well
8. then curry leaves, salt, jaggery. Mix it well. Let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat.