Saraswat Saambar Masala is a special masala (ground spices mix) made by the NKGSB community of KARWAR ( the Smaarth community people from the Gaud Saraswat sect). It’s made using a very few ingredients and is used in vegetables and curries with some jaggery and coconut which together taste heavenly! It’s also used in the making of the delicious fish cutlet, Tisrya Vade.
Generally the word Saambar will bring to your mind the image of the South Indian Saambar. But this Saraswat Saambar masala is simply not used for making any Saambar! It’s just the name of the garam masala made by the NKGSB community, in Konkani language!
It’s quite an aromatic and flavourful masala. It has a typical taste and flavour. There are two ways of making this masala. One way is by heating the whole spices and daals in direct sun for two to three days. The other is by roasting them on a pan. I follow the second method as I have no access to strong sunlight for 4 to 5 hours at a stretch! Here’s the recipe for the Saraswat Saambar Masala as made by my mom.
INGREDIENTS :
- 1/2 cup Corriander seeds (Dhaney/Dhania)
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
- 3/4 tbs Mustard seeds (Mohri/Raai)
- 1 tbs Peppercorns (Miri)
- 1 tbs Split Bengal Gram (Chanaa Daal)
- 1 tbs Split Black Gram Lentils, skinned (Udid daal/Urad daal)
- 15 Dry Red Bedgi Chillies
METHOD :
- Clean all the whole spices, picking out small unwanted particles if any.
- Lightly dry roast all the mentioned whole spices and daals and cool down.
- When completely cooled, grind all together in a mixer grinder to get a fine powder.
- Store in a clean dry jar and use as required.
NOTE :
Some people may add turmeric and asafoetida to this masala as well. But I prefer adding these two spices as per requirement.
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