Call it a curry or call it a soup-like curry. Whatever you call it, the fact that this lovely Tomato Saar made with fresh tomatoes, coconut, and the choicest of spices is going to woo your taste buds in the first sip, is true. A special from the coastal region of Maharashtra or the Konkan, the Tomato Saar recipe is basically a tangy, soupy curry to put it as a whole. A vegan, no onion, no garlic recipe here awaits you. You must try it, to come to terms with its awesomeness.
About Tomato Saar
It is not wrong if you say that there are myriad ways in which tomato curries are prepared across different regional cuisines in India.
This Tomato Saar recipe is one of those many humble, yet absolutely praiseworthy curries that must be given its due respect. A typical way of serving this dish is with steamed red rice or white rice.
Back in time, I had a certain cookbook on Indian cuisine and it is from that book that I adapted this recipe.
I have been making it with this particular Tomato Saar recipe for many years now. And I must say that it is finger-licking fabulous when paired with steamed rice.
If you ask me, I would call this Tomato Saar as a very close relative of the Tomato Rasam.
Tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to turn into tasty dishes. No wonder, I am a big fan of both the tomato rasam and this saar made with tomatoes.
This Tomato Saar recipe uses fresh coconut, the subtle sweetness of which balances out the tanginess of the juicy tomatoes beautifully.
Although the saar tastes fab with steamed rice, you can consume it as a soup as well. Or serve it with a veggie side dish like.
How to make Tomato Saar
Cook Tomatoes
1. Rinse 250 grams (3 medium-sized) tomatoes well in water. Then, quarter them and keep aside.
2. In a pan, bring 1.5 cups water to a rapid boil.
3. Add the quartered tomatoes.
4. Cover the pan and simmer on low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or till the tomatoes are tender.
5. The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool down to room temperature or become warm.
6. Then, strain the tomatoes using a strainer, so that seeds are removed from the stock.
Alternatively, you can purée the tomatoes separately, strain the purée and then grind coconut, chilies, and cumin seeds separately.
Since, I do not strain the tomato purée, I grind everything together (step 8 below).
7. Keep the reserved stock aside.
Make Tomato & Coconut Paste
8. Add the cooked tomatoes to a high-speed blender or grinder.
9. Also, add ½ cup fresh grated coconut, 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
10. Without adding water, grind to a fine and smooth consistency.
Make Tomato Saar
11. Now, take the tomato-coconut paste in a pan. I have used the same pan in which I cooked the tomatoes.
12. Add the reserved stock.
13. Add ½ cup water in the grinder or blender jar. Swirl and rotate the jar, so that the tomato-coconut paste stuck at the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the water.
14. Now, add this water to the pan. You can add water as required. You can add an overall of ½ to ⅔ cup water.
15. Season with salt as per taste.
16. Add ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar. You can add less or more as per your taste.
17. Mix very well and keep the pan on a stovetop on low to medium heat.
18. Bring to a boil. Then, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.
Temper Tomato Saar
19. In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the heat to a low.
20. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
21. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
22. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds.
23. Let the cumin seeds also crackle.
24. Next, add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 dried red chili (broken and seeds removed). Fry for a couple of seconds till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn them.
25. Turn off the heat. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Mix well.
26. Now, pour this tempering into the Tomato Saar.
27. Cover the pan with a lid for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the tempering flavors to get infused.
28. Then, stir and mix well.
29. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix again.
30. Serve Tomato Saar hot with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir-fried dish like potato fry, tendli fry, raw banana fry or capsicum fry.
Expert Tips
- The best flavors and color in this recipe will be with the use of well ripe, red tomatoes. Avoid using tomatoes with a sour or overly tangy taste.
- The quantity of green chilies can be altered, as per your requirements.
- For a more classic version, you can use coconut oil for making the tempering. Also, the overall quantity of the oil can be reduced to 1 tablespoon.
- You can add either jaggery or sugar in this dish. The quantity can be adjusted accordingly.
- Water also can be added as required, depending on what consistency you want in your saar.
More Tomato Recipes To Try!
Soup Recipes
Chutney Recipes
Curry Recipes
Rice Recipes
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Tomato Saar Recipe
Ingredients
For cooking tomatoes
- 250 grams tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes or 2 cups quartered tomatoes
- 1.5 cups water – for cooking tomatoes
For coconut paste
- ½ cup coconut – grated and fresh
- 2 to 3 green chilies – chopped or 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
More ingredients
- ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar
- salt as required
- ½ to ⅔ cup water to be added later
For tempering tomato saar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 1 red chili – broken and seeds removed
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
For garnish
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped
Instructions
Cooking tomatoes
- Rinse tomatoes well in water a few times. Then quarter them. Keep aside.
- In a pan bring 1.5 cups water to a rapid boil.
- Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan and simmer on low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are tender.
- The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool at room temperature or become warm.
- Then strain the tomatoes using a strainer, so that seeds are removed from the stock. Keep the reserved stock aside. Alternatively you can purée the tomatoes separately and then strain the purée. Then grind coconut, chilies and cumin separately. Since I do not strain tomato purée, I grind everything together.
Making tomato-coconut paste
- Add the cooked tomatoes in the grinder jar. Also add the fresh grated coconut, chopped green chilies and cumin seeds.
- Without adding water grind to a smooth and fine consistency.
Making tomato saar
- Now take the tomato and coconut paste in a pan. I have used the same pan in which I cooked the tomatoes.
- Add the reserved stock.
- Add ½ cup water in the grinder jar. Swirl and rotate the jar, so that the tomato-coconut paste stuck at the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the water.
- Now add this water in the pan. You can add water as required. You can overall add about ½ to ⅔ cup water.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- Add ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar. You can add less or more as per your taste.
- Mix very well and keep the pan on a stove top on low to medium heat.
- Bring the tomato saar to a boil. Then turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
Tempering the saar
- In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the heat to a low.
- Then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds begin to crackle.
- When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds.
- Let the cumin seeds also crackle.
- Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 red chili (broken and seeds removed). Fry for a couple of seconds till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn them.
- Turn off the heat and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida. Mix well.
- Now pour this tempering in the tomato saar.
- Cover the pan with a lid and allow the tempering flavors to get infused in the saar for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Then stir the tomato saar. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
- Serve Tomato Saar with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir fried dish.
Notes
- You can add less or more green chilies.
- You can reduce the oil to 1 tablespoon for tempering.
- Add water as required to adjust the consistency you prefer.
- Instead of jaggery, you can use sugar. Add according to taste.
- Use ripe and red tomatoes for making saar. Avoid tomatoes that have a more sour taste.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Tomato Saar post from the archives first published in August 2017 has been updated and republished on August 2023.
Oh my god, it is simply delicious! And yet so easy to make! I love! Thank you!!
Thanks a lot and welcome.
In the Android app star option doesn’t work.. I’ve marked so many recipes with star and none of them visible in favorites list.. I’ve tried many of ur recipes and it came out very good.. keep up the good work..
there is some problem with the favorites list and we are looking into this. thanks for the positive feedback on the recipes.
Venkatesh B’lore: Dasan/Amit thanking you. Tamato saar is very simple and excellent tangy and sweet it is different taste once again thank you.
Welcome Venkatesh. Thanks for your positive feedback.
Just made it. It is awesome.
I am from Eastern European background and all these flavours and techniques are absolutely new for me. Thank you for sharing you experience. It is impossible to fail following your instructions.
P.S. Recipe rating does not work as well as print option. It is only on this page. All other pages are OK
Thanks Natalia for your positive feedback and for informing me about the recipe rating issue. I don’t know why it didn’t worked for you. I just checked from two different systems and it is working fine now. Happy cooking.
hi
the print function of your blog does not work anymore. And that is a very petty because I print a lot of your great recipes
thanks for letting me know. i will look into it.