BASSARU

BASSARU

Basarru - in kannada, basidu madida saru-means curry out of the water/soup drained from the cooked vegetables/dal/greens.

Bassaru is cooked in most of the Bangaloreans houses. When housewives gossip like as our friend "Madhu" says Pankajamma and Sarojamma gossips :-D (Really entertaining Madhu avare)

one among the two housewives ask -nimma maneli ivathu enu saaru (what saaru(curry) have you prepared today?) Namma maneli bassaru -(I have prepared bassaru) and she questions the other housewife -nimma maneli?(What about u?) HOwda! Namma manelu Bassare!(other housewife replies-Is it! I have also prepared the same curry).
Not that they have prepared with the same combination, this curry can be prepared with lot of combinations like- any greens with anygram/ dal and any vegetable.
Like-dil with french beans, cabbage and dal, ridge gourd and dal... These combinations are cooked and the water or the soup what you drain,to that- add some masala and season is Bassaru. And the cooked vegetable is seasoned and served as a sabzi or a side dish.
Last week I had prepared with a combination of spinach with moong bean or green gram.

Ingredients:
A bunch of spinach-chopped

1/4 cup moong beans or green gram

4 cups water

Cook the above-dont overcook. Let it cool down.Using a drainer,drain the water in a bowl and keep the greens and dal sepertely for the sabzi or side dish.

For the Masala -Ingredients:

1/2 cup Coconut grated

1/2 medium sized Onion -slightly roast on a open flame

3 garlic pods

1 tspn Pepper

1tbspn. red chillie powder

marble sized tamrind

1tbspn fresh corriander leaves-corsely chopped

For seasoning

1tspn oil

1tspn mustard seeds

3 garlic pods-corasely crushed

6-8 Curry Leaves

Method:

1. Grind the ingredients to make masala.

2. Add it to the drained water, add salt as per taste and allow to boil.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil on a medium flame, add mustard seeds, crushed garlic pods(let it turn slight brown), and curry leaves and saute.

4. Transfer the above seasoning to the curry and cook for 2min.

For the Sabzi/side dish -Ingredients:

cooked spinach and moong bean/green gram

1 meduim sized onion finely chopped

3-4 red chillies -broken

3-4 garlic pods -crushed(0ptional)

2tspn. grated coconut (optional)

2tspn oil

Method:

1.In a pan, heat oil on medium flame -add chopped onion and crushed garlic pods,cook them till they become translucent.

2.Add red chillies and saute.

3.Add Cooked spinach and moong bean/green gram, salt and saute for 4-5 minutes.

If required garnish with fresh grated coconut