Amate Kai Saaru (Hog Plum Rasam)

                                                                    

Amate Kai Saaru (Hog Plum Rasam)

Hog plum is a small, crisp , sour fruit. Hog plums are most used in pickles, chutneys and tangy accompaniments with rice. It is so sour that in Nepal it is used as an alternative to tamarind.

Ingredients: (serves four)

5 hog plums
1/2 cup fresh coconut
5 green chilies
1/4 tea  spoon hing
11/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
1 table spoon ghee
1 strand curry leaves
2 dry red chilies
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tea spoon sugar
1/4 tea spoon haldi
Salt to taste
5 cups of water

Preparation:

1. In a vessel boil five cups of water and cook the washed hog plums till it turns tender
2. Cool and remove the hog plums and retain the water for rasam
3. Extract the pulp of the cooked  hog plum by squeezing  out the seeds. Discard the seeds. (I used the  skin too as the Nepali hog plums have tender skin )
4. Grind together coconut, green chilies, hog plum pulp, mustard seeds, hing to a fine paste adding water.
5. Mix the ground masala with the retained water. Add salt, sugar, haldi and give the mixture a quick boil and put off the flame.(do not over boil the rasam)
6. Prepare Tadaka with ghee, mustard, red chilies, curry leaves and add it to the rasam
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve with hot rice.