Kokum Saaru

What is kokum saaru?

Kokum saaru is a light, sour soup-like curry that you mix with hot rice or drink from a cup. Saaru is the Kannada word for a thin, peppery rasam. Kokum gives this one its deep red colour and fruity sourness. A little jaggery rounds off the sour and a ghee tempering ties it together.

In Kannada it is often called murugalu saaru, because murugalu (ಮುರುಗಲು) is the Kannada name for kokum. On the Udupi coast some people call the dried rind punarpuli, so you may also hear punarpuli saaru. Whatever the name, a good kokum saaru should taste sour first, then peppery, with just a hint of sweet at the end.

Unlike tomato rasam, kokum saaru needs no rasam powder. The flavour comes from three things: kokum, freshly crushed pepper and cumin. That is why it is one of the quickest dishes in a Malenadu kitchen.

Where does kokum saaru come from?

Kokum saaru comes from the kokum growing belt of the Western Ghats, especially Uttara Kannada and the coastal and ghat homes of Karnataka. The kokum tree grows in the hills and along the coast from the Konkan down to Karnataka and Kerala, so most families there keep a jar of dried rind. In Sirsi, Siddapur, Kumta, Honnavar and Sagar, kokum saaru is ordinary weekday food.

Havyaka homes in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga make it often, sometimes without dal and often without onion or garlic. Konkani families on the coast use the same rind in their own dishes. Further north, the Konkan coast drinks sol kadhi, made with kokum and coconut milk. You can see where these taluks sit on our page of Malenadu districts and taluks.

Is kokum saaru the same as kokum rasam or kokum curry?

Kokum rasam is the name most people outside Karnataka use for the same idea, a thin soup soured with kokum. Kokum saaru is the Kannada name and the Malenadu version, which uses more pepper and jaggery and very little dal. A kokum curry usually means a thicker dish, such as a fish curry or a coconut gravy soured with kokum.

What is kokum and how is the rind dried?

Kokum is the fruit of Garcinia indica, an evergreen tree of the Western Ghats. Its dark red rind is dried to make the souring agent used in kokum saaru. The ICAR Indian Institute of Spices Research notes that the fruits ripen between March and May and that the dried rind is used to sour curries, dals and chutneys.

The fresh fruit does not keep well, so it is processed soon after picking. An article in ICAR’s Indian Horticulture on kokum describes how the fruits are cut, the seeds removed and the rind dried. In Malenadu homes the halves are spread on mats in the hot summer sun and turned until they are leathery and dark.

At malenadu our kokum rind is sun dried, with no sulphur. Expect it to look dark red to almost black and slightly sticky, not bright and glossy.

Ingredients for kokum saaru, explained

You need only a few ingredients and each one has a job. Here is what they are and why they matter.

• Kokum rind (murugalu): the souring agent. Darker, softer pieces give more colour and sourness.
• Toor dal: a small amount gives the saaru a little body. Leave it out for the quick version.
• Black pepper and cumin: crushed fresh, they are the main flavour. Malenadu pepper is sharp, so a teaspoon is enough.
• Green chilli or bird eye chilli: for a fresh heat on top of the pepper.
• Jaggery or joni bella: a spoon of sweetness to balance the sour.
• Turmeric: a pinch, cooked with the dal.
• Salt: add it last, after tasting, because some kokum is dried with salt.
• Ghee, mustard, cumin, dry red chilli, curry leaves and hing: the tempering that finishes the dish.

Fresh black pepper makes the biggest difference after the kokum itself. Crush it in a mortar just before cooking so the saaru smells of pepper the moment it hits the pot. A pinch of turmeric powder goes in with the dal for colour.

Liquid jaggery is the Malenadu way to sweeten saaru. It dissolves straight away, so you can add a little, taste and add more.

Kokum saaru recipe: how to make it at home

Making kokum saaru takes about 35 minutes, most of it waiting for the kokum to soak and the dal to cook. This kokum saaru recipe serves four with rice. Step photos are not available, so each step tells you what to look for.

When it is ready, kokum saaru should be thin like a clear soup, with a deep pinkish red colour and flecks of pepper. It should smell of ghee, cumin and pepper as you lift the lid. If it looks thick and muddy, it has too much dal.

Kokum saaru variations to try

Kokum saaru changes from house to house. These five variations are the most common and each starts from the same kokum water.

With coconut

Grind 1/4 cup of grated coconut with 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin into a fine paste. Add it with the dal in step 4 and simmer gently. This version is richer and a little milder. It is popular on the coast.

Sweeter, with more jaggery

Some families like a clearly sweet and sour saaru, especially for children. Double the jaggery and cut the pepper by half. Joni bella gives the best flavour here because it is not as sharp as block jaggery.

Havyaka style, close to a tambuli

In some Havyaka homes kokum is used in a cooler, tambuli-like dish that is never boiled. Grind fresh coconut with cumin and pepper, stir in strained kokum water, a little jaggery and salt, then pour a ghee and cumin tempering on top. It is mixed with rice at the start of the meal, like the menthya tambuli that is served the same way.

Quick murugalu saaru without dal

This murugalu saaru is the fastest version and is often what Havyaka homes make on a busy day. Boil 3 cups of water with crushed pepper, cumin, a green chilli and salt for 5 minutes. Add the kokum water and jaggery, simmer for 2 minutes and temper in ghee.

With bird eye chilli

Swap the green chilli for one or two crushed gandhari menasu, the tiny bird eye chillies of Malenadu backyards. They give a sharp, fresh heat that cuts through the sour. Our bird eye chilli is very hot, so start with one.

What to serve with kokum saaru

Kokum saaru is best with plain hot rice and a spoon of ghee. In a Malenadu meal it usually comes after the tambuli course and before huli and majjige (buttermilk), but on simple days saaru and rice make the whole meal.

• Rice and ghee: the classic. Mix a little saaru into the rice at a time.
• A dry palya: beans, cabbage or raw jackfruit palya with coconut.
• Happala: a fried rice or jackfruit papad for crunch.
• Pickle: a slice of appe midi or lime pickle on the side.
• As a drink: many people sip a cup of hot kokum saaru on its own.

Ghee matters here. Our desi cow ghee goes into both the tempering and the rice, so its flavour runs through the whole plate.

When is kokum saaru made in Malenadu homes?

In Malenadu homes kokum saaru is made all year, but most often in the hot months and after a heavy meal. On summer afternoons a light, sour saaru with rice feels right when nobody wants a heavy curry. After a wedding feast or festival lunch, many families cook a simple kokum saaru and rice the next day.

Kokum is also made into a sweet, cool drink in summer. Guests in Uttara Kannada are often offered a glass of kokum juice. These are habits of the region, passed down in families, rather than claims about health. The taste is simply refreshing when it is hot.

How should you store kokum at home?

Store kokum rind in a clean, dry glass or steel jar with a tight lid, in a cool place away from sunlight. Kept like this, it stays good for many months. Always use a dry spoon or dry hands, because moisture is what spoils dried kokum.

The rind may darken and turn a little sticky over time. That is normal for sun dried kokum and does not change how it cooks. If you see mould or it smells musty, throw it away.

Kokum vs tamarind: what is the difference?

Kokum and tamarind are both sour, but they come from different trees and taste quite different in saaru. Kokum is lighter and fruitier, while tamarind is heavier and slightly sweet.

	Kokum	Tamarind
Plant	Garcinia indica	Tamarindus indica
Part used	Dried rind of the fruit	Pulp around the seeds
Colour in the pot	Deep red to purple	Brown
Taste	Clean, fruity sour	Sweet and sour, heavier
How to use	Soak and squeeze the rind	Soak and extract the pulp
Where it grows	Western Ghats and the coast	Across most of India
Best for	Thin saaru, drinks, fish curry	Sambar, rasam, gojju, puliyogare

You can swap one for the other, but use less tamarind. For kokum saaru, one small lime-sized ball of tamarind replaces six to eight pieces of kokum, but the saaru will be browner and heavier. For a sour with a Malenadu character that is not kokum, try a teaspoon of monkey jack powder (vate huli) instead.

Common mistakes when making kokum saaru

Most problems with kokum saaru come from boiling it too long or getting the balance wrong. Here is what to watch for.

1. Boiling the kokum hard. Long, hard boiling dulls the red colour and flattens the fresh sour taste. Add kokum water near the end and simmer briefly.
2. Adding kokum to raw dal. Sour ingredients slow down the cooking of dal. Cook the dal fully first.
3. Using too many pieces. Kokum is strong. Start with six pieces and add more soaking water only if needed.
4. Skipping the jaggery. Without a little sweet, the saaru tastes sharp and thin.
5. Salting too early. Some kokum is dried with salt, so taste before you add any.
6. Burning the tempering. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the curry leaves crackle.
7. Too much dal. Saaru should be thin. If it is thick, add hot water.

What to cook next

Once you have made kokum saaru, add a tambuli, a palya and rice for a full Malenadu lunch. Our Malenadu food guide shows the rest of the meal and the seasons, while our list of spice and ingredient names in Kannada helps with words like murugalu and joni bella. You can find pepper, chilli and turmeric in our spices section.

Frequently asked questions about kokum saaru