Empty Salna | Plain Salna | Parotta Salna Recipe

Empty Salna or plain salna is a very common road side gravy usually served with Parotta or Biryani. Plain salna is an onion-tomato-coconut based spicy gravy with thin consistency without vegetables or meat. Parotta is a very popular street side food in Tamilnadu and Kerala. Parotta is tore into rough pieces and then on top of it, Salna is poured and served in street side shops. Not only in street side shops, even in restaurants this Parotta with Salna combination is very popular. Conventionally it a non-veg delicacy but for the vegetarians, this empty salna is a treat. We can enrich this empty salna with mixed vegetables. In Tamilnadu, pushcart vendors prepare this empty salna in large quantities and served in a bucket as an accompaniment to Parotta, Roti, Dosa, Idly, Appam , Idiappam or with Biryani. It’s also popularly referred as “Bucket Salna”.

Tips for making Empty Salna:

1. While roasting spices with shallots and tomato, fry in medium flame to make sure the ingredients are not getting burnt.
2. Instead of frying poppy seeds, we can soak the poppy seeds and add it along with coconut to the grinding ingredients.
3. We can use Cashews instead of roasted gram. Also if you don’t have poppy seeds, you can exclude and add cashews.
4. Adding Kashmiri red chili gives a wonderful color and also keep the spice of the gravy moderate.
5. We can add peanuts and stone flower with other spices for grinding.
6. Use generous amount of oil to get the same taste as restaurants.
7. We can add cooked mixed veggies to the salna.
8. Salna is usually on the spicer side, if you want to keep it mild, adjust the green chili, pepper and red chili powder accordingly.

You may also want to try:

• Restaurant Vegetable Kurma
• Kumbakonam Kadappa
• Kadala Curry
• Restaurant Style Chutney varieties
• Kerala Style Potato Stew

Recipe Card for Empty Salna | Plain Salna | Parotta Salna Recipe:

Pin Recipe

Empty Salna recipe | Parotta Salna | Plain Salna Recipe

Course: Veg Gravies

Cuisine: Indian Cuisine, Indian Recipes, South Indian Recipes, Tamil Nadu Recipes

Equipments Needed

• Heavy Bottomed Pan
• Mixer Grinder

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Sowmya Venkatachalam

Empty Salna, as the name suggests, its a gravy without any veggies. Salna is a very popular gravy served with Parotta or Biryani. A very common accompaniment in Road side shops. Onion-tomato based gravy is made which is enriched with coconut along with other spices. A spicy and delicious treat!!!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For Grinding

• ▢ 10 nos Shallots / Baby Onions
• ▢ 2 nos Tomato medium sized, Chopped
• ▢ 3 nos Garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 inch Ginger
• ▢ 2 nos Green Chili
• ▢ 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• ▢ 3-4 nos Cloves
• ▢ 2 nos Cardamom
• ▢ 1 no Star Anise
• ▢ 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
• ▢ 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• ▢ 1 tsp Pepper
• ▢ 10-12 nos Mint Leaves
• ▢ 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
• ▢ 2 tsp Poppy Seeds
• ▢ 1 tbsp Roasted Gram Dal (Pottukadalai / Dhaliya)
• ▢ ½ Cup Grated Coconut
• ▢ 1 tbsp Oil

For Salna Masala

• ▢ 1 no Onion Sliced
• ▢ 2 nos Tomato Big Size, Chopped
• ▢ 1 Pinch Turmeric Powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
• ▢ 1 tsp Garam Masala
• ▢ 2 tsp Salt Adjust as needed
• ▢ 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves For Garnishing

Tempering

• ▢ 3 tbsp Oil
• ▢ 1 no Bay Leaf
• ▢ 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• ▢ 2-3 nos Cloves
• ▢ 2 nos Cardamom
• ▢ 1 no Star Anise

Instructions 

Preparing Grinding Ingredients

• ▢
  Heat 1 tbsp of oil and add fennel and cumin seeds. Allow the seeds to sputter.
  
• ▢
  Next, add pepper, whole garam masala (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise). Sauté for few seconds.
  
• ▢
  Now, add green chili, ginger and garlic. Give a mix.
  
• ▢
  To the pan, add shallots and sauté shallots till translucent.
  
• ▢
  Then, add the chopped tomato to the pan. Also add mint and coriander leaves. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  
• ▢
  Finally add poppy seeds and roasted gram. Sauté for a min and swtich off the flame.
  

Grinding

• ▢
  Allow the sautéed ingredients to cool off completely and take it to mixer jar. Add grated coconut to mixer jar.
  
• ▢
  Grind everything to smooth Paste. Set this paste aside.
  

Preparing Salna Masala

• ▢
  Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the whole garam masala (bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise) and give a mix.
  
• ▢
  Next, add sliced onions and saute the onions till translcuent.
  
• ▢
  Now, add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Give a mix.
  
• ▢
  Also add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Give a good mix.
  
• ▢
  Sprinkle handful of water to the masala. Cover & Cook till the oil separates and oozes out.
  
• ▢
  Now, to the cooked onion-tomato masala, add the ground coconut masala paste. Rinse the mixer with 1 cup of water and add it to the gravy.
  
• ▢
  Also add 3 cups of water. Adjust salt as needed. Stir well. Cover and cook for 15 mins in medium flame.
  
• ▢
  After 15 mins, if the gravy is very thick add water and adjust the consistency. Garnish the salna with coriander leaves.
  
• ▢
  Relish the Empty Salna with Parotta or Biryani!
  

Video

Nutritional Info

Nutrition Facts

Empty Salna recipe | Parotta Salna | Plain Salna Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)

Calories 207 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Protein 5g10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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INSTRUCTIONS WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES:

PREPARING GRINDING INGREDIENTS

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil and add fennel and cumin seeds. Allow the seeds to sputter.

• Next, add pepper, whole garam masala (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise). Sauté for few seconds.

• Now, add green chili, ginger and garlic. Give a mix.

• To the pan, add shallots and sauté shallots till translucent.

• Then, add the chopped tomato to the pan. Also add mint and coriander leaves. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.

• Finally add poppy seeds and roasted gram. Sauté for a min and swtich off the flame.

GRINDING

• Allow the sautéed ingredients to cool off completely and take it to mixer jar. Add grated coconut to mixer jar.

• Grind everything to smooth Paste. Set this paste aside.

PREPARING SALNA MASALA

• Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the whole garam masala (bayleaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise) and give a mix.

• Next, add sliced onions and saute the onions till translcuent.

• Now, add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Give a mix.

• Also add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Give a good mix.

• Sprinkle handful of water to the masala.

• Cover & Cook till the oil separates and oozes out.

• Now, to the cooked onion-tomato masala, add the ground coconut masala paste. Rinse the mixer with 1 cup of water and add it to the gravy.

• Also add 3 cups of water. Adjust salt as needed. Stir well.

• Cover and cook for 15 mins in medium flame.

• After 15 mins, if the gravy is very thick add water and adjust the consistency. Garnish the salna with coriander leaves.

• Relish the Empty Salna with Parotta or Biryani!

Sowmya Venkatachalam

IT Engineer turned full time Food Blogger. I ♡ FOOD. I also love food blogging. Did you make a recipe? Tag @Subbusktichen on Instagram. I WANNA SEE!