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South Indian · Indian

Bassaru

Vegetarian

ಬಸ್ಸಾರು · bassāru

An old Karnataka home dish in two parts: dill and toor dal are boiled together, the thin cooking liquid is drained off and spiced into a punchy saaru, and the drained greens become a dry palya.

Bassaru is a South Indian soup, ready in about 55 minutes and made with toor dal (split pigeon peas) and dill. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
177

Ingredients

4 servings

Ground masala

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the toor dal (opens in a new tab), dill (opens in a new tab), beans and turmeric (opens in a new tab) in the water until the dal is soft but still holds its shape (2 whistles in a pressure cooker (opens in a new tab), or about 25 minutes simmering).

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Drain through a sieve, saving all the cooking liquid — this is the base of the saaru. Set the drained dal and greens aside.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Blend the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), coconut (opens in a new tab), coriander, cumin (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), chillies and tamarind with 3 tbsp of the cooked dal-greens mixture and a splash of the liquid to a smooth paste.

  4. Step 4

    Stir the paste and 1 tsp of the salt into the reserved liquid and boil gently until it no longer tastes of raw onion (opens in a new tab). Temper with oil, mustard seeds (opens in a new tab) and curry leaves (opens in a new tab).

  5. Step 5

    Season the drained dal and greens with the remaining salt (and a spoon of the masala, if you like) to serve alongside as palya.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Old Mysore region, Karnataka, Karnataka, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Side dishes
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), herby, tangy, earthy, garlicky
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Dill · Green beans · Turmeric · Onion · Garlic
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Pressure cooking · Tadka (tempering)

Allergens

  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

177 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 393 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 54%
  • Fat 30%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy177 kcal45 kcal
Protein7.4 g1.9 g
Carbohydrate25.4 g6.5 g
Net carbohydrate18.8 g4.8 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.5 g1.7 g
Fat6.2 g1.6 g
Saturated fat1.9 g0.5 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium896 mg228 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
609 mg
Calcium
117 mg
Iron
3.3 mg
Magnesium
78 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
59 µg
Vitamin C
12 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
140 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The saaru should be thin and fiery; the palya mellows it on the plate.

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the dal to a mush — it should hold its shape so the cooking liquid stays thin and clear.

Serve with

  • Traditionally eaten with ragi mudde (finger-millet balls) or rice, with the palya on the side.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat the saaru until boiling; warm the palya separately.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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