Tomato saar recipe with step by step pics. Tomato saar is basically a tangy soupy curry like preparation made with tomatoes, coconut and spices. This recipe comes from the coastal region of Maharashtra. No onion no garlic and vegan recipe.
I have been making this particular tomato saar recipe for many years and this is a finger-licking tasty saar that tastes awesome with steamed rice. I had one book on Indian cuisine which is out of print now and it is from this book that I had initially adapted tomato saar recipe many years back.
Tomatoes are one of my favorite veggie to go in most dishes. No wonder I am a big fan of both Tomato Rasam and this tomato saar.
The recipe uses fresh coconut and the tanginess of tomatoes is balanced by the subtle sweetness of the coconut.
For this recipe use ripe and red tomatoes. Avoid using tomatoes with a sour or khatta taste.
Tomato saar tastes best with steamed rice, but you can even have it as a soup. You can also serve it with a side veggie stir-fried dish like suran fry, baby potato fry, baby corn fry or bendakaya fry.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Tomato Saar
Cooking tomatoes:
1. Rinse 250 grams (3 medium sized) tomatoes well in fresh water. Then quarter them. Keep aside.
2. In a pan bring 1.5 cups water to a rapid boil.
3. Add the tomatoes.
4. Cover the pan and simmer on low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are tender.
5. The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool down at room temperature or become warm.
6. Then strain the tomatoes using a strainer, so that seeds are removed from the stock.
Alternatively, you can purée the tomatoes separately and then strain the purée and then grind coconut, chilies and cumin separately. Since I do not strain tomato purée, I grind everything together (step 8 below).
7. Keep the reserved stock aside.
Making tomato-coconut paste
8. Add the cooked tomatoes in the grinder jar.
9. Also add ½ cup fresh grated coconut, 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
10. Without adding water grind to a smooth consistency.
Making Tomato Saar
11. Now take the tomato and coconut paste in a pan. I have used the same pan in which I cooked the tomatoes.
12. Add the reserved stock.
13. Add ½ cup of water in the grinder jar. Swirl and rotate the jar, so that the tomato-coconut paste stuck at the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the water.
14. Now add this water in the pan. You can add water as required. You can overall add ½ to ⅔ cup water.
15. Season with salt as per taste.
16. Add ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar. You can add less or more as per your taste.
17. Mix very well and keep the pan on a stovetop on low to medium heat.
18. Bring to a boil. Then switch off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
Tempering tomato saar
19. In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. You can use any neutral flavored oil or coconut oil. Keep the heat to a low.
20. Then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
21. Let the mustard seeds begin to crackle.
22. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds.
23. Let the cumin seeds also crackle.
24. Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 red chili (broken and seeds removed). Fry for a couple of seconds till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn them.
25. Switch off the heat and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida. Mix well.
26. Now pour this tempering in the tomato saar.
27. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the tempering flavors to get infused in the saar for 3 to 4 minutes.
28. Then stir the tomato saar.
29. Now add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
30. Serve tomato saar with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir-fried dish like potato fry, tendli fry, raw banana fry or capsicum fry.
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Tomato Saar
Tomato saar is tangy curry made with tomatoes, coconut and spices. This recipe comes from the coastal region of maharashtra. It is best had with steamed rice.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
other ingredients for tomato saar
for tempering tomato saar
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
cooking tomatoes
Rinse tomatoes well in water. Then quarter them. Keep aside.
In a pan bring 1.5 cups water to a rapid boil.
Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan and simmer on low to medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are tender.
The tomatoes have to get softened. Let the tomatoes cool down at room temperature or become warm.
Then strain the tomatoes using a strainer, so that seeds are removed from the stock. Keep the reserved stock aside. Alternatively you can purée the tomatoes separately and then strain the purée. Then grind coconut, chilies and cumin separately. Since I do not strain tomato purée, I grind everything together.
making tomato-coconut paste
Add the cooked tomatoes in the grinder jar. Also add ½ cup fresh grated coconut, 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
Without adding water grind to a smooth consistency.
making tomato saar
Now take the tomato and coconut paste in a pan. I have used the same pan in which I cooked the tomatoes.
Add the reserved stock.
Add ½ cup water in the grinder jar. Swirl and rotate the jar, so that the tomato-coconut paste stuck at the sides and bottom of the jar gets mixed with the water.
Now add this water in the pan. You can add water as required. You can overall add ½ to ⅔ cup water.
Season with salt as per taste.
Add ½ teaspoon jaggery or sugar. You can add less or more as per your taste.
Mix very well and keep the pan on a stove top on low to medium flame.
Bring the tomato saar to a boil. Then switch off the flame. Cover and keep aside.
tempering tomato saar
In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the flame to a low.
Then add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds begin to crackle.
When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds.
Let the cumin seeds also crackle.
Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 red chili (broken and seeds removed). Fry for a couple of seconds till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn them.
Switch off the flame and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida. Mix well.
Now pour this tempering in the tomato saar.
Cover the pan with a lid and allow the tempering flavors to get infused in the saar for 3 to 4 minutes.
Then stir the tomato saar. Now add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve tomato saar with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie stir fried dish.
- You can add less or more green chilies.
- You can reduce the oil to 1 tablespoon for tempering.
- Add water as required.
- Instead of jaggery you can use sugar.
- Use ripe and red tomatoes for making saar. Avoid tomatoes which have a more sour (khatta) taste.
Nutrition Facts
Tomato Saar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 670mg29%
Potassium 219mg6%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 735IU15%
Vitamin C 77.8mg94%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Tomato Saar post from the archives first published in August 2017 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
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