Bassaru

This bassaru or bas saaru is prepared using toor dal and dill leaves. It can be prepared with green beans, green gram, palak leaves or any other dry beans soaked in water overnight. Bassaru or bas saaru is is a two in one gravy and curry (sabji) recipe served as an accompaniment with ragi mudde (ragi balls) or rice.

Main Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

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)
A big pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as per your taste

Ingredients for gravy or rasam: (measuring cup used = 240ml)
2 - 4 red chilies (this recipe is supposed to be very spicy)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
4 - 5 seeds black pepper
1 onion chopped
10 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
1 tomato chopped
1/2 gooseberry sized tamarind
1/4 cup grated coconut
Salt as per your taste

Ingredients for tempering the gravy or rasam:
1 red chilli
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5 - 6 curry leaves
2 tsp cooking oil

Ingredients for curry:
1 red chilli
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp gram dal or chana dal
5 - 6 curry leaves
1 onion finely chopped
1 - 2 green chilli (optional)
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp cooking oil

Instructions for making bassaru or bas saaru:

• Take leaves or vegetables of your choice, rinse and finely chop them. I have used 3 bunches of sabsige soppu (dill leaves) and few beans.
• Take toor dal in a vessel, add turmeric and water and boil till 3/4th coked.
• Add in chopped green leaves or vegetables. Also add in salt. Add in required water. 
• Wait until the leaves and vegetables are cooked, Turn off the stove and let it cool a bit, drain the vegetable and lentils stock (water from cooked veggies) completely and keep it aside.

• Meantime, in a frying pan add in a tsp of oil and fry red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper.
• Add in chopped onion and garlic. Fry them until raw smell is gone.
• Next to the same pan add in chopped tomato. Fry them until soft
• At the end add in grated coconut and tamarind extract. Fry for a minute and switch off the stove.

• Now add in 2 tbsp of cooked veggies to the fried ingredients and grind until smooth paste.
• Next take this ground paste and the vegetable stock (drained water from cooked veggies) in a container.
• Add in water as per your desired consistency, adjust the salt level and bring it to boil.
• Temper it with oil, red chili, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Bassaru gravy portion is ready. Let us proceed to the curry preparation.

• Now to prepare curry, heat a frying pan and prepare tempering using oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, gram dal, red chili, green chili and curry leaves.
• Add in chopped onion and fry until soft
• Add in cooked vegetable, leaves and lentils mixture. Mix well
• Adjust salt. Add in grated coconut and coriander leaves. Mix well and Serve bassaru or bas saaru (gravy) and palya (curry) along with rice or ragi mudde. Enjoy the healthy and droolworthy food.