Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serves: 1.5 litre

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1/4 cup toor dal
2. 2 medium sized tomatoes
3. 1.5 tsp coriander powder
4. 1 tsp pepper powder (adjust as per your spice level)
5. 1/2 tsp cumin powder
6. 1 marble sized tamarind (or as per your taste)
7. 2 tsp salt (or as per your taste)

Ingredients for tempering:

1. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2. A big pinch of asafoetida
3. 4 cloves of garlic crushed
4. 5 - 6 curry leaves
5. 2 tsp cooking oil

Instructions for making menasina saaru or pepper rasam:

1. Rinse and cook toor dal by adding required water. Add a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil for better cooking.
2. Once the dal is cooked, add in halved tomatoes.
3. And cook the tomatoes until soft.
4. Next discard the tomato peels. Mash the cooked dal and tomatoes well. You can mash it using hands or a masher or using a mixer grinder.
5. Add in required water and switch on the stove.
6. Add in tamrind extract.
7. Add in salt.
8. Add in spice powders like coriander powder, cumin powder and pepper powder.
9. Give a quick mix and brind it to boil. Do not boil it for long time.
10. Temper it with oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and crushed garlic. Serve it with hot steaming rice.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.