It often happens that there are no fresh vegetables in the refrigerator, or that a monotonous diet becomes boring. In such situations, an excellent alternative is the spicy and very tasty snack Sav Tamatar Ki Sabzi, which can be prepared in just 10–12 minutes from one cup of besan. This popular dish in Rajasthan and Gujarat is distinguished by its sweet and sour and spicy taste, which is guaranteed to appeal to everyone.
Even if you do not have store-bought crackers or sev, you can quickly prepare a homemade version in the form of noodle-style sev from besan and then use it to make this juicy dish. Below is the simplest instruction and secret tips for preparation.
For besan noodles (sev):
1 cup of besan, 1/2 teaspoon ajwain, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and red pepper powder, 1 tablespoon oil for greasing, salt to taste, and water as needed.
For the spicy dressing:
3 medium ripe red tomatoes (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon cumin and nigella seeds, 2 green chilies, and 1 inch of ginger (finely chopped or grated), 1/4 teaspoon hing, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red pepper powder, 1 teaspoon coriander and cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee, salt to taste, and fresh green cilantro.
First, mix the besan with ajwain, turmeric, red pepper, salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl. Add a little water and prepare a thick but flowing batter. This batter can be poured through a sieve, a perforated spoon, or a pastry bag into a pan to make thin noodle-style sev, or it can simply be added to the dressing.
Heat the oil in a pan. Squeeze the batter through the sieve or bag directly into the hot oil, forming thin strands, and fry them until crispy, about 1–2 minutes. Then remove them.
In a second pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the nigella seeds, cumin, and hing. Add the ginger and green chilies and fry for one minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes along with salt, turmeric, red pepper powder, and coriander powder. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes are completely soft and release oil.
Add 1.5 cups of hot water and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the garam masala and finely chopped green cilantro. When the dressing boils well and is ready to serve, add the prepared besan sev to the dressing and immediately turn off the heat. This way, the hot snack Sav Tamatar Ki Sabzi is prepared in the Dabba style.
This dish can be served with roti, paratha, or puri.
