Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves: 2 cup

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1/2 cup moong dal or hesarubele)
2. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1/2 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
4. 2 - 3 green chillies
5. 2cm length ginger
6. 7 - 8 curry leaves
7. 1 gooseberry sized tamarind
8. 1 tsp jaggery
9. 1/4 tsp turmeric
10. 1/4 tsp asafoetida
11. 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
12. 4 tsp lemon juice (or as per your taste)
13. Salt as per your taste
14. 1 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions for making kattu saaru or kat saru:

1. Rinse the hesaru bele or moong dal in a pressure cooker. You can replace the moong dal with toor dal.
2. After rinsing, add in a cup of water, few drops of oil and 1/4 tsp of turmeric.
3. Cook the dal until soft by making 2 - 3 whistles. Mash the dal and keep it aside.
4. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Add in mustard and cumin seeds.
5. Followed by add in slit green chilies, crushed ginger and curry leaves. Give it a quick mix.
6. Add in tamarind juice.
7. Add in jaggery.
8. Add in turmeric powder. Bring it to a boil.
9. Add in Cooked dal.
10. Add in water as required.
11. Add in asafoetida.
12. Add in salt as per taste.
13. Bring it to rolling boil, add in coriander leaves and switch off the stove.
14. Immediately add in lemon juice. Serve it with hot steaming rice or like a soup.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.