How long does Tili Saaru take?

40 minutes from start to finish. That is 5 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.

How many people does Tili Saaru serve?

4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.

Is Tili Saaru vegetarian?

Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.

It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.

What do I need to make Tili Saaru?

8 grams Coriander Seeds, 3 grams Dry Red Chilli, 1 grams Black Peppercorns, 0.5 grams Fenugreek Seeds, 1 grams Curry leaves, 25 grams Tamarind, and a few more listed on this page.

Do I need a pressure cooker for Tili Saaru?

Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.

How many calories are in Tili Saaru?

About 166 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Tili SaaruCook

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Tili Saaru

Name: Tili Saaru
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian, Karnataka
Ingredients: 8 grams Coriander Seeds, Roasted; 2 tsp Cumin, Roasted; 3 grams Dry Red Chilli, Roasted; 1 grams Black Peppercorns, Roasted; 0.5 grams Fenugreek Seeds, Roasted; 1 grams Curry leaves; 25 grams Tamarind, Soaked; 150 ml Water, For Soaking; 100 grams Toor Dal, For Cooking; 2 Tomato, Chopped; 1.5 grams Turmeric Powder; 300 ml Water, For Cooking; 5 grams Green Chilli, Slit; 4 grams Jaggery, Grated; 1 tsp Salt; 700 ml Water, For Adjusting Consistency; 10 grams Coconut, Grated; 6 grams Coriander Leaves, Finely Chopped; 2 tsp Coconut Oil; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; 1 grams Dry Red Chilli, Halved; 0.5 grams Curry leaves; 0.4 grams Asafoetida

40 min
medium
Serves 4

Prep 5 min · Cook 35 min

Start cooking

7 steps, one at a time. Big words for every step, and a timer where a step waits.

Also known as thili saaru, thili saru, tili saru · Veg · Curries & Gravies, Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam

Curries & Gravies Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam Dal Vegan Dairy-free Jain

Tili saaru, a thin Karnataka saaru of toor dal, tomato and tamarind with fresh roasted saaru pudi. Medium-spicy, serves 4, about 40 minutes plus soaking.

Low calorie

You’ll need: Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

22 items

4 people

Coriander Seeds, Roasted8 grams
Cumin, Roasted2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli, Roasted3 grams
Black Peppercorns, Roasted1 grams
Fenugreek Seeds, Roasted0.5 grams
Curry leaves1.5 grams
Tamarind, Soaked25 grams
Water, For Soaking150 ml
Toor Dal, For Cooking100 grams
Tomato, Chopped2
Turmeric Powder1.5 grams
Water, For Cooking300 ml
Green Chilli, Slit5 grams
Jaggery, Grated4 grams
Salt1 tsp
Water, For Adjusting Consistency700 ml
Coconut, Grated10 grams
Coriander Leaves, Finely Chopped6 grams
Coconut Oil2 tsp
Mustard Seeds½ tsp
Dry Red Chilli, Halved1 grams
Asafoetida0.4 grams

Contains: wheat.

Nutrition

Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.

Nutrient	Per 1 person	All 4 people
Energy	166kcal	664kcal
Protein	7.2g	29g
Carbohydrate	25g	100g
Fat	5.1g	20g
Fibre	6.6g	26g
Sugar	6.1g	24g

Method

1
Get ready by rinsing the toor dal well. Wash the curry leaves. Chop the tomato, slit the green chilli and finely chop the coriander leaves.
2
Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin, dry red chillies, peppercorns and fenugreek seeds on low flame for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add 8 curry leaves and roast for 1 minute until crisp. Cool for 4 minutes, then grind to a fine powder; this is the saaru pudi.
Coriander SeedsCuminDry Red ChilliBlack PeppercornsFenugreek SeedsCurry leaves
3
Soak the tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes until soft. Squeeze it well and strain the extract, discarding the fibre and seeds.
TamarindWater
4
Pressure cook the toor dal, tomato, turmeric powder and water for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, until the dal is very soft. Let the pressure drop naturally, then mash the dal and tomato until smooth.
Toor DalTomatoTurmeric PowderWater
5
Boil the tamarind extract with green chilli, jaggery and salt on medium flame for 8 minutes until the jaggery dissolves and the raw tamarind smell goes.
Green ChilliJaggerySalt
6
Add the mashed dal and water. Bring it to a gentle boil for 3 minutes until thin and pourable. Stir in the freshly ground saaru pudi and simmer on low flame for 2 minutes until the flavours blend. Turn off the flame and mix in the grated coconut and coriander leaves.
WaterCoconutCoriander Leaves
7
Heat coconut oil in a small tadka pan on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add mustard seeds and fry for 1 minute until they splutter, then add dry red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour the tempering over the saaru and serve hot.
Coconut OilMustard SeedsDry Red ChilliCurry leavesAsafoetida

Before you start

How long does Tili Saaru take?: 40 minutes from start to finish. That is 5 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.
How many people does Tili Saaru serve?: 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
Is Tili Saaru vegetarian?: Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
Is Tili Saaru spicy?: It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
What do I need to make Tili Saaru?: 8 grams Coriander Seeds, 3 grams Dry Red Chilli, 1 grams Black Peppercorns, 0.5 grams Fenugreek Seeds, 1 grams Curry leaves, 25 grams Tamarind, and a few more listed on this page.
Do I need a pressure cooker for Tili Saaru?: Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.
How many calories are in Tili Saaru?: About 166 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Tips from other cooks

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