October 11, 2022

Maharashtrian Tomato Saar – Coconut Tomato Soup

Name: Maharashtrian Tomato Saar - Coconut Tomato Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 3 large Tomatoes (1 lb); 3/4 cup Coconut milk (canned); 1/4 inch Ginger (crushed); 2 large Garlic (crushed); 1 Green chili (crushed); 4-5 Curry leaves; 1 tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped); 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds; 1/4 tsp Asafoetida; 1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder; 1 1/4 tsp Salt or as required; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 2 tsp Oil

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Heart warming and tangy Tomato Saar is a very quick and easy recipe. It is a kind of thin soup prepared with tomatoes, coconut, and some spices. This mildly spicy soup tastes simply amazing and can be prepared in under 30 minutes.

Piping hot tomato saar is perfect for this fall season, especially when the temperature starts to cool down. A cup of sweet, tangy, and spicy soup along with some plain rice and papad is great on busy weekdays! It goes very well with moong dal khichdi, vegetable pulao, cabbage rice, or masale bhaat.

This flavorful dish is perfect to enjoy as an appetizing soup. The creamy coconut milk blends very well with the tomatoes and adds tons of flavors in the dish. This traditional Maharashtrian recipe is made differently in each household.

Some Maharashtrian families add some onions in the dish as it gives thickness and sweetness to the dish. Tomato saar is generally made in Konkan side of Maharashtra and Goa. It is very similar to tomato rasam without adding the rasam spices.

I will highly recommend using fresh, ripened, and sour tomatoes while making this dish. Blanching the tomatoes and peeling the skin later gives the best taste to the saar. Additionally, you will not need to strain the puree later.

I have used coconut milk and diluted it with water but you can use freshly grated coconut and blend with the tomatoes in a high powered blender. This way, tomato saar will get a smooth texture.

Ingredients

Tomatoes
Coconut milk
Ginger
Garlic
Green chili
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Cumin seeds
Asafoetida
Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt
Sugar
Oil

Tomato Saar Step By Step Recipe

Blanching The Tomatoes

Boil 4-5 cups of water on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes and cover the pot with a lid on medium heat for about 6 minutes until the skin starts to separate. Switch off the heat and let the tomatoes sit in the pot for another 5 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes to a plate with the help of a slotted spoon. Set them aside to cool.

Peel off the skin of tomatoes, try to squeeze out as much juice from them as possible.

Transfer the tomatoes to a blending jar and blend into a smooth puree. Set it aside.

Making The Tomato Saar

Heat some oil in a pot on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Next, add asafoetida, curry leaves, and transfer the tomato puree.

Add crushed ginger, garlic, and chillies. Add around ¾ th cup water and mix.

Add ¼ th cup water to the coconut milk, transfer it to the pot, and mix it well.

Next, add salt, sugar, and mix everything well.

Let the saar cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes until boiled, stirring in between.

Transfer the chopped coriander leaves. Lower the heat and let the saar cook on a simmer for 5 minutes.

Tips For Making Tomato Saar

Use fresh, tender, and ripe tomatoes for making tomato saar.
Blanching the tomatoes will remove raw flavor from them, give wonderful color to the saar, and the peels will come off easily. Additionally you will not need to strain the tomato puree if you use a high powered blender.
Always use a fresh can of coconut milk for this recipe. Leftover coconut milk needs to be stored in a deep freezer and thawed for the next recipe.

Variations

You can use canned tomatoes for making this recipe very quickly.
I have used canned coconut milk for making the saar. If you want to use fresh coconut for making the saar, blend ⅓ cup coconut with the blanched tomatoes by adding some water. Blend it smooth and strain the mixture before making the dish for a smoother texture.
Add the crushed ginger, garlic, and chillies after adding cumin as well.
Skip adding garlic cloves if making a no garlic, no onion meal.

How To Store Tomato Saar?

Tomato saar can be stored easily in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

You can easily freeze it in a freezer safe container for 2 months. Defrost the saar in the refrigerator for a few hours/overnight and then boil it on a stovetop.

How To Serve Tomato Saar?

Serve the saar with plain basmati rice, pan fried zucchini bites, and some roasted papad.

It can be served as a side dish along with masale bhaat, cabbage rice, or vegetable pulao.

Serve it with batata bhaji, pickle, varan bhaat, masale bhaat, shrikhand, and poori as a festival thali.

Tomato saar tastes best when piping hot along with matki usal, undhiyu, or black eyed peas curry with some rice and roti.

More Tomato Soups

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