In Tamil nadu, salna recipe is one of the best side dish for parotta that is served in roadside hotels. Parotta salna is a popular streetside hotel food in Madurai, Tuticorin, Salem and Chennai. Salna is a Tamil word I guess. Plain salna is also popularly known as empty salna. Empty salna is nothing but plain tomato based masala gravy without vegetables. Its a vegetarian salna recipe. Its so flavorful and tastes great not only with parotta but also with idli, dosa, chapathi and idiyappam. You can use this salna for making kothu parotta too.

Long back I had shared mixed vegetable salna recipe for parotta. It is a super hit recipe in my blog. It got rave reviews from my readers. Its my go to recipe too. Recently I came across this plain tomato salna recipe in a YouTube video just like street side hotel ones. This recipe is slightly different from mine. So I got tempted and tried it. Method of preparation of this plain salna recipe is very easy and quick when compared with my earlier version. I made it directly in a pressure cooker. So my job was done under 15 minutes. I was very happy to see the oil floating, flavorful salna. My house was completely filled with nice aroma. Myself and Raksha loved it with store bought frozen parotta.

Hot, flaky, layered parota with this plain salna is a pure bliss. Try it once. You will love it for sure. If you want to add any vegetables, you can add potato or cauliflower. Ok, lets see how to make plain salna recipe for parotta and dosa with step by step pictures and video.

Check out my vegetable salna recipe which also tastes like hotel ones. Also check out my hotel Saravana bhavan vegetable kurma for parotta, chapathi and dosa.

Do check out my homemade parotta recipe using less oil.

For variations, you can make chilli parotta and kothu parotta recipe using store bought frozen parotta.

Plain salna recipe - Empty salna for Parotta

Plain salna recipe - Tomato based masala kurma kuzhambu for parotta.

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: Side dish for parotta

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml

Cooking Oil - 3 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Black stone flower / Kalpasi - 1(optional)
Bay leaf – optional

Big Onion – 1 (big size)
Ginger garlic paste (gg paste) - 1 tbsp
Green Chilli - 1
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Mint leaves - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves – 5
Ripe tomato - 3

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Crushed fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 to 1.5 tsp (adjust)
Dhania powder/ Coriander powder –1 to 1.5 tbsp
Salt and water - as required

To grind

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - 5 or Khus khus/ poppy seeds - 1 tsp

HOW TO MAKE SALNA

Wash and chop onion, tomato, green chilli.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Temper the whole garam masala.
Add finely chopped onion and saute well.
Add gg paste, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Saute till raw smell goes off. Lastly add chopped tomato and cook till mushy.
Add required salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
Mix well for a minute. Lastly add the ground coconut paste.
Add sufficient water and pressure cook in low flame for one to 2 whistles.
Remove the cooker lid after the steam is released.
Oil floating, flavorful salna is ready. Serve with parotta, biryani, dosa and idli if you like.

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and chop tomato, onion, green chilli. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.

Saute cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add chopped big onion and saute till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes off.

Add chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Mix well. Add chopped tomato, salt and saute till tomato turns mushy.

Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder, crushed fennel powder and garam masala powder. Saute quickly in medium flame without burning the spices.

Now add 1.5 cups of water and let it roll boil. In the mean time, grind coconut and khus khus or cashew nuts to a smooth paste.

Add to the boiling salna. Mix well and close the pressure cooker with the lid. Keep the flame high till steam comes out. Now lower the flame completely and put the weight valve. Pressure cook in low flame for one whistle. You will get a nice aroma. Switch off the flame and let it rest till steam releases by itself. Then open the lid. You can see a layer of oil floating on top. Mix well and check for the consistency. If its too thick, add little water and boil for a minute. If its too thin, boil for sometime till it reaches the desired consistency. Check for taste and Serve with parotta, idli or dosa. If you like, you can have it with biryani and chapathi as well. Enjoy !