Plain Salna / Vegetarian Salna is a curry made with flavorful spices and coconut paste. This curry is famous in Tamil Nadu. Mostly we love to have salna for parotta. But the curry suits dosai, idli, idiyappam and aapam too.

This is a quick salna that can be made quickly. I love the simpicity and flavor of this salna. It is super easy to make and it is a one-pot dish. It is a vegetarian dish and the aroma will just tempt you.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• Onion – 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
• Tomato – 1.5 cups (Chopped)
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Green chilli – 1 (Slit)
• Mint leaves – 10
• Red chilli powder / Curry masala powder – 1.5 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric – 2 pinches
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

To temper

• Pattai / Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
• Krambu / Cloves – 2
• Elakkai / Cardamom – 1
• Brinji Ilai / Bay leaf – 1
• Sombhu / Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp (Optional)
• Annasi poo / Star anise – 1

To grind to a fine paste

• Grated Coconut – 3 tbsp
• Sombhu / Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Cashewnuts – 5
• Khasa Khasa – 1/2 tsp

Procedure

• Prepare all the ingredients required for cooking.
• In a pressure cooker, add in oil.
• Once the oil is warm, add in the ingredients under “to temper”.
• Next, add in the onions and saute till translucent.
• Add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.

• Add in mint leaves.
• Now add in the tomatoes + green chilli + 1 tsp salt and cook covered for 1 minute. Cook well till mushy.
• Add in the masala powders. Red chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and turmeric powder.

• Cook till oil starts leaving the sides.
• Add in 1.5 cups of water.
• Close the pressure cook and cook for 8 mins or for 2 whistles.

• Meanwhile, grind the ingredients under “to grind to a fine paste” and set aside.

• Once the pressure settles on its own, open the pressure cooker and simmer.
• Add in the grinded paste and wash the mixie with 1/2 cup water and add it to the cooker. Let the mixture boil in medium flame.

• Then cook in low flame for 10 or 12 mins. This helps the coconut paste to cook completely.
• Add in garam masala and give a good mix.
• In sometime, oil will be seen floating on the sides and top.

• Switch off the flame.
• Add in some torn curry leaves and mix well.
• Serve with idli / dosai / parotta / idiyappam / aapam.

Notes

• Saute all the ingredients well in each step. This ensures that there is no raw smell.
• Add more red chilli powder for a spicy version.
• Mint leaves give a nice flavor to the salna. Do not skip it.
• For a change you can add coriander leaves instead of curry leaves in the end.