Upsaaru recipe
Get ready to learn how to make Upsaaru, a versatile gravy and curry (sabji) recipe, accompanied by step-by-step pictures. Upsaaru, also known as upsaru, is a popular dish in the southern regions of Karnataka, including Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya, Hassan, Tumkur, and Kolar. It is traditionally served as an accompaniment with ragi mudde (ragi balls) or rice. The name "upsaaru" is derived from the Kannada language, where "uppu" means salt and "saaru" refers to rasam or sambar. This unique recipe combines the qualities of both gravy and curry in one dish.To prepare this two-in-one recipe, you can use any green leaves except fenugreek or methi leaves, or alternatively, incorporate vegetables like cabbage, beans, or ridge gourd. The vegetables and lentils are cooked together, and the resulting stock is used to prepare the gravy or rasam (upsaaru). The remaining cooked vegetables and lentils are then tempered to create the curry component of the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch leaves or 250gm vegetables (any leaves except methi (fenugreek leaves) and any vegetable like cabbage, beans or ridgegourd)
- 1/4 cup toor dal
- 1/4 cup green gram or any other gram (optional - if not using increase toor dal by 1/4 cup)
- 2 - 4 green chillis (this recipe is supposed to be very spicy)
- Salt as per your taste
Ingredients for gravy or rasam: (measuring cup used = 240ml)
- 1 onion chopped
- 10 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1/2 gooseberry sized tamarind
- 1/4 cup grated coconut
- 1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
- 4 - 5 seeds black pepper
- coriander leaves
- Salt as per your taste
Ingredients for tempering the gravy or rasam:
- 1 red chilli
- 5 - 6 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp cooking oil
Ingredients for curry:
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tsp gram dal / chana dal
- 5 - 6 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 onion
- 1 - 2 green chilli (optional)
- 2 tbsp grated coconut
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Take toor dal and green gram in a pressure cooker and rinse.
- Add in chopped green leaves or vegetables. Add in green chillis and salt.
- Add in required water. Make 2 - 3 whistles. You can also cook using open pot method but it will take more time.
- Now take out the green chillis and 2 tbsp of the cooked vegetable and dal mixture and keep it aside. (we need it while grinding masala for upsaaru).
- Drain the vegetable and lentils stock or water completely and keep it aside.
- In a frying pan add in a tsp of oil and fry chopped onion and garlic until raw smell is gone.
- Keep all other ingredients like tomato, coconut, coriander leaves, cooked green chilli + 2 tbsp cooked mixture, cumin seeds, black pepper and tamarind.
- Transfer everything into a blender or mixer grinder including the fried onion and garlic.
- Grind until smooth using required water.
- Take a wide pan and prepare tempering using oil, red chilli, curry leaves and mustard seeds.
- Add in ground masala and fry until raw smell is gone or fry for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add in water as per your desired consistency, adjust the salt and bring to boil. Upsaaru is ready. Close the lid and keep it aside.
- Now prepare curry, take another pan and prepare tempering using oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, gram dal, red chilli, green chilli and curry leaves.
- Add in chopped onion and fry until soft.
- Add in drained cooked vegetable (leaves) and lentils mixture. Mix well.
- Adjust salt. Add in grated coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Serve upsaaru (gravy) and palya (curry) along with rice or ragi mudde. And enjoy the healthy and droolworthy food.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!