Birinda Saaru-Kokum Rasam

Birinda Saaru

This is one of the most loved saaru in our coastal region. Birinda as we call in Konkani and kokum in Hindi and Marathi is a tropical fruit which has a tangy flavour and filled with vitamin C. As kids we grew up drinking birinda kadi in the summers, apart from kadi the birinda saaru was famous which was generally made with dried birinda sol,i.e. dried kokum petals.

Here is a simple birinda saaru recipe for you guys.

Ingredients:

Birinda Sol/Dried Kokum petals  - 5 or Kokum unsweetened syrup or pulp - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 cups

Grated Jaggery or a small lime sized piece of jaggery- 1 tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp

Oil/Ghee - 1 tsp

Green chilly -2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chilly – 2

Coriander leaves washed and finely chopped– 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 5


Method:

Soak Kokum in a cup of warm water for half an hour, to soften and to release juice. If you are using kokum syrup you can use it directly.

Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add the kokum or kokum syrup, 2 green chillies washed and slit and 2 cups water, boil well, for about 7-10 mins.

Add salt, jaggery and boil further for a couple of more minutes. Adjust salt and jaggery according to taste.

Now take a seasoning pan, add ghee or oil, keep on low heat, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and red chilies.

Serve hot with steamed rice or enjoy like a drink.

Aps Notes:

If using syrup please make sure you buy unsweetened, I have tried the sweetened version it does not taste good at all because of the sugar content in it.

Happy Cooking,

Aps

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