Kollu Obbat Rasam or Udupi Saaru is a traditional dish from Karnataka. The rasam is thicker, spicy with a touch of sweetness. If you love obbat rasam, you might enjoy this one.
Udupi food, the food of Karnataka boasts of many types of saaru or rasam. Saaru is thicker than traditional Chennai style rasam. It’s made with ground up masala and has a notes of sweetness to it.
We were regular visitors to Dharmastala, a temple in Karnataka. Whenever I think of that temple, I remember the food. What is very special about that temple is the free food for all that the temple provided. The most important to note was, it didn’t matter if you were poor or rich, everyone had to go to this one big hall, sit down on the floor, together and eat the meal in a banana leaf. That’s impressive, isn’t it?! To serves thousands of people free food(anna daana), and see no difference in any one, that’s how the world should be.
The food and that concept astounded and impressed me then and it does now.
When I think of rasam, I think of the rasam served in Dharamstala.
This is my take on a very popular Udupi rasam.
I love obbat rasam that’s made out of obbat pooram and daal, which is made once a year when obbat is made. I enjoy that so much that I had to come up with a similar version. It’s special and made on festival days. I haven’t seen this exact method/recipe, made anywhere and I am proud of coming up with it. It has channa daal, coconut and jaggery just like the obbat stuffing. It’s an amalgamation of two styles of rasam to come together and play with your senses. Here’s Udupi Obbatt Saaru, a must make if you like obbat rasam.
Ingredients for Kollu Obbat Rasam / Udupi Saaru
The key ingredient to make this udupi obbat saaru /rasam is the lentils/horse gram or kollu. The lentils are supposed to have many health benefits.
Onion, tomato, garlic and red chilies
Tamarind water
Fresh coconut
jaggery or brown sugar
Rasam powder
How to make the Udupi Saaru or Kollu Obbat Rasam
To make the udupi obbat saaru, first you have to cook the lentils and channa daal. You can use any method of cooking. You need to use the stock only for udupi saaru.
The onion, red chilies, garlic with peel and tomatoes are roasted. You can either roast it over direct heat or in a cast iron pan.
Once all that is cooked and ground. You make a watery tamarind paste and add it to the stock along with the ground paste.
The coconut is very important for Udupi Saaru, and so is jaggery
After the tempering, add the daal liquid and bring it one boil.
Serve the udupi saaru rice and it’s HEAVEN.
If you make this style of Obbat Rasam/ Saaru, please rate the recipe and comment if you liked it and tag me on Instagram using hashtag #foodfashionparty.
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- ½ cup horse gram/kollu/hurali/kulath/ulavalu
- 3 tbsp cup channa daal
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 4-5 cups of water
- 1 tsp oil
- ½ onion
- 10 red chilies
- 2 tomatoes, halved
- 7 garlic with peel
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- pinch asafoetida
- 4 whole red chillies
- 10 curry leaves
- ½ cup tamarind water (1 inch tamarind soaked in water)
- 2 tbsp fresh coconut
- 1 inch jaggery
- 1 tbsp salt
- cilantro for flavor and garnish
- Wash the lentil and the channa daal well and cook with turmeric powder, in water in a pressure cooker, instant pot or over a stove. My preferred method is the pressure cooker. Cook for 5 whistles. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely. The pressure to release will take 15 minutes. Once it is completely released, strain it and keep the liquid for the rasam and the daal can be used for other purposes. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, or iron kadahi, add a dash of oil. Put the onion skin side down, garlic, tomato and red chilies. Roast it on high heat. Let it brown on all sides, try not to burn it. Take it down and grind it to a paste. Set aside.
- Mix the tamarind water in the reserved daal/liquid stock. Add the ground paste to it. Mix well.
- In a kadahi or a stone pot, add oil. Add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, cumin seeds, chilies, curry leaves. Let it pop. Then pour the liquid. Add salt to it, rasam powder, coconut and jaggery. Turn the heat to low and bring it to a slow simmer. The moment you see one bubble and orange foam, turn off the heat, bring it down and cover. Serve hot with rice.
https://stylesatlife.com/articles/horse-gram-benefits/