Bas Saaru | Vanchina Charu | Vegetable Stock Curry

Bas Saaru is prepared from vegetables, sprouts and lentil stock. It is a traditional and authentic recipe of southern part of Karnataka. Bas Saaru is a healthy and a humble recipe served with ragi ball (mudde) or steamed rice and soppina palya (seasoned leafy vegetables). 

The broth is made from lentils like toor dal,  leafy and green vegetables like  cabbage, dill, spinach, beans; and sprouts like green gram, horse gram etc. It is seasoned with pepper, cumnins, onions, garlic, curry leaves,  tamarind pulp, turmeric powder and sambhar powder. It is a protein packed recipe and a staple diet among farmers in Karnataka. 

Ingredients

For the broth

1 cup Toor Dal

2 cups of Cabbage, roughly chopped

2 cups of Beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch of Dill, roughly chopped

4-5 cups of water

For the masala

1 onion, cubed
2-3 Garlic cloves

Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Pepper corns

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp sambhar powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 sprigs of Cilantro

1 marble size tamarind
1 small piece of jaggery or 1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt

Method

• In a pressure cooker, add toor dal, cabbage, beans, dill and water. Cook for 15 minutes. After cooker has cooled, drain excess water into a bowl and keep vegetables aside 

• In a pan, roast cumin and pepper corn. Saute a minute or two. Finely grind them into smooth powder

• In the same pan, heat oil, add onions, garlic, cilantro and curry leaves. Saute until onions turns slightly brown color. After it has cooled, grind these ingredients smoothly along with a scoop of cooked vegetables

• In a separate bowl, extract tamarind pulp using warm water. Soak in warm water for few minute and mash it with your  hands. Discard if there are any fibers or skin

• Now, add this stock back to pressure cooker, add ground onion- garlic puree, roasted pepper-cumin powder, sambhar powder and turmeric powder. Also, add tamarind pulp. You can adjust thickness of gravy by adding water

• Add jaggery and adjust salt as per taste. Simmer for 10 to 15 miniutes

• Serve hot with seasoned vegetables and steamed rice or ragi ball