Majjige Saaru | Majjiga Charu | Mor Rasam

Here’s a South Indian style soupy dish or rasam, which is made with curd or buttermilk. Thus, this rasam variant called Majjige Saaru is also known as Majjiga Charu or Mor Rasam or Buttermilk Rasam locally. This is quite a nutritious preparation, which is usually made with sour curd (yogurt). This is what gives a typical sour flavor in this rasam, along with the spiciness that comes from the spices added in it. Call it a rasam or thin soup like preparation, it is a simple and flavorful dish that makes for an excellent accompaniment with your steamed rice.

About Majjige Saaru

The truth, when it comes to rasams is that, I am totally someone who would prefer having a comforting meal of Rasam and steamed rice, over any rich curry or dish, at any given day.

It is because for me, rasams are not just a dish, but an emotion. It is tasty, comforts, heals and nourishes the soul.

One of the favorites is this Majjige Saaru, which is a rasam variant made with curd or buttermilk. It is not one of the very popular ones, but is equally delicious and nourishing for the body.

There’s a perfect balance of sour and spiciness in the dish, from the yogurt versus the spices used in it. One can’t really not like it!

Also known as Majjiga Charu or Mor Rasam or Buttermilk Rasam in other parts of South India, this recipe is made of 3 main elements. To begin with, is the main curd or buttermilk mixture, then the rasam powder and finally the tempering which is added to the cooked curd or buttermilk mixture.

For the buttermilk mixture of this Majjige Saaru, you will require curd (yogurt), turmeric powder, rice flour and salt that gets mixed in with water.

To make the rasam powder, you need to have tuvar dal or arhar dal (pigeon pea lentils), dried red chilies, black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida (hing).

The tempering of this Majjiga Charu is a simple one consisting of mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chili sautéed in oil. You can either use sesame oil or peanut oil for the same.

This particular recipe does not have coconut or any vegetables added to it. A similar preparation is the Majjiga Pulusu or Mor Kuzhambu which has both veggies and coconut added to it.

About This Recipe

I have plenty of cookbooks and I had seen this Majjige Saaru recipe in one such cookbook. I adapted the recipe and tried a couple of times. It was an instant hit at home.

So, when I have some spare curd to be used, I make this Mor Rasam. This particular recipe has been adapted from the ‘Pure Vegetarian Cookbook’ by Prema Srinivasan.

This is a lovely cookbook having 95% vegetarian recipes from South Indian cuisine and remaining from other Indian cuisines. All the recipes are satvik and without onion and garlic. A few temple recipes are also included.

For this Majjiga Charu recipe, make sure to use full fat curd or yogurt made from whole milk. If you use low fat curd or curd made from toned milk, then the curd can split. I always use Homemade Curd as it has a different flavor than the store-bought curd.

In case, you use store-bought curd, then the taste of this Majjige Saaru will be different. So, I suggest to use homemade curd while preparing this Curd Rasam.

You can have this rasam as a soup or pair it with rice. I always pair it with some steamed rice with a side veggie dish, for a tasty and satisfying meal.

How to make Majjige Saaru

Make Buttermilk Mixture

1. Take 1 cup sour curd (sour yogurt) in a bowl or pan. You can directly add the curd in a pan and then use the same pan for cooking.

2. Add 2 cups water.

3. Mix and whisk very well to get an even, smooth, buttermilk mixture.

4. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as required. Mix very well and keep aside.

Make Rasam Powder

You can skip this step if you have pre-made Rasam Powder either brought from outside or made at home.

But I still suggest to make that extra effort to make this rasam spice mix from scratch as it gives some fresh bold flavors which a pre-made rasam powder cannot match.

5. Take a small pan. Add 1 tablespoon tuvar dal (arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils).

6. Then, add 2 dried red chilies, ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 20 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing).

7. Keep the pan on low heat and stirring often, roast the spices till aromatic. The tuvar dal should also get golden.

Use a heavy bottomed pan to avoid burning of spices. You can also add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in this spice mix.

8. Roast the spices till aromatic and the tuvar dal becomes golden. Keep stirring, for uniform and even roasting. Let the spices cool once they are roasted well.

9. Then, add them in a small dry grinder jar or a spice jar.

10. Grind to a fine powder.

Make Majjige Saaru

11. Add all of the prepared rasam powder to the curd mixture. If using pre-made rasam powder, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of it or as needed.

12. Add 1 tablespoon rice flour. Addition of rice flour avoids the rasam getting split.

13. Mix very well.

14. Place the pan on stovetop on a low heat.

15. Stirring often, gently heat the rasam. Do not boil.

16. Just let the rasam become hot. Once the rasam becomes hot, turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.

Temper Majjiga Charu

17. In the same pan in which dry spices were roasted, take 1 tablespoon oil (can use sesame or peanut oil).

When the oil becomes hot, lower the heat first and then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

18. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

19. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add 8 to 10 curry leaves (whole or chopped) and 1 dried red chili (stems and seeds removed).

Stir and sauté for a few seconds or till the red chili changes color.

20. Switch off the heat and immediately add the tempering to the rasam.

21. Mix well.

22. Serve Majjige Saaru hot with steamed rice. You can add some chopped coriander leaves as a garnish, if you want.

Expert Tips

1. Make sure to use full fat curd, as curd made from low fat milk or toned milk can curdle or separate. You can also use fresh homemade curd that has a sour taste.
2. Rice flour is added in this recipe, as it helps in the curd or yogurt not getting split.
3. Some cumin seeds (jeera) also can be added in the rasam powder mentioned above.
4. If you plan to use pre-made rasam powder, then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of it or as needed.
5. For a less spicy version, add 1 red chili and ¼ teaspoon black pepper while grinding the rasam powder. Use red chilies which are low in heat or medium-hot.
6. To make the tempering of this dish, you can use either peanut oil or sesame oil.

This Majjige Saaru recipe from the archives, originally published in July 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.