Kandathippili rasam / Papal / Long pepper rasam

Kandathippili Rasam

This amazing, aromatic, divine rasam is my grandmother's gift to posterity.  It is usually made on the days we have hot oil baths and is had with the meals after the bath. Kandathippili/ Papal/ Long pepper is highly medicinal and has a unique earthy flavor to it, which enabled it to be used as a spice too. This rasam can be made on cold days to ease aching muscles and on days of hard work. It is great when had during cold/flu times.


Ingredients:

Puli / Tamarind pulp/ Tamarind paste                                       1 lemon sized ball/ 1.25 tsps
Salt                                                                                             As needed
Asafoetida                                                                                  1 pinch
Sambar powder / Rasam Powder                                               3/4 tsp - 1 tsp

To powder:

Thuvaram paruppu/ Toor dal                                                     1 tsp
Kandathippili/ Long pepper/ Papal/  Piper longum                 1 stick   ( 1.5 inches long)

Kandathippili/ Papal/ Piper Longum

Red chilli                                                                                    1 nos
Dhaniya / coriander seeds                                                           1/2 tsp


To temper

Ghee / Clarified butter                                                                 1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                                                               1 tsp
Karuveppilai/ Curry leaves                                                           1 sprig


Method:                      

1.  Extract syrup from the tamarind pulp, about 2 cups worth . If  working with tamarind paste, dissolve  the paste in 1.25 cups of warm water to make the syrup.

Tamarind pulp in warm water

Tamarind syrup with sambhar powder, salt and asafoetida


2.  Boil the syrup with asafoetida, salt and sambhar powder for 10 minutes in medium heat.

3.  Simultaneously in a small flat pan, dry roast all the ingredients to be powdered  until the dhal/ paruppu is golden brown and powder it finely.

     4. Mix the powder well in the boiling rasam and add more water to reach its original level, lower            the heat to low setting and let rasam froth.

     5. In a small heated stir fry pan , add ghee, add mustard seeds to splutter and  then curry leaves/              karuveppilai to splutter too. Add this to the frothing rasam and turn off the heat.

Serve this yummy, delectable rasam with hot rice and any vegetable side dish.

Veppampoo ( Dry Neem flower) rasam

This is the recipe from my paternal grandmother. She used to make this awesome very healthy rasam  very often. I happened to watch her when she made this one time and from there I remembered this recipe to make it now.

Ingredients:

Dry neem flower                                                                   1 tsp

Tamarind/ Tamarind paste                                                    1 Lemon sized ball/ 1.25 tsps
Red chillies                                                                            1 nos
Mustard seeds                                                                         1/2 tsp
Oil                                                                                          1 tsp
Asafoetida                                                                              1 pinch
Salt                                                                                         As per taste


Method

1.) Extract tamarind syrup ( 2 cups worth) from the pulp. If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in 2 cups of warm water.
2.) Boil the tamarind syrup with salt and asafoetida for 10 minutes. Bring the heat to low and add 1/2 cup water.
3.) Add oil to a small heated stir fry pan, mustard seeds to splutter. Add red chillies and  dry neem flowers to it and mix well until the neem flowers turn black. Pour it on top of rasam and let it froth in low heat.
4.) Remove it from heat and serve it with rice and potato/senaikkezhangu/vazhakkai roast.

Kathirikkai ( Eggplant/ Aubergine) podi potta kari (Dry Curry)

I never used to eat eggplant until my mother in law made it this way. This is the most amazing kari that I have tasted with kathirikkai (Eggplant). Not the usual kind which for me was sticky-gooey kind.  It was unusual to see eggplant kari pieces as cubes instead of the finger-y kind. This is a very poor picture of a great tasting kari. I took this in a hurry.

Ingredients:

Eggplant /Aubergine                                                                           6 Nos/ 1 Nos
Salt                                                                                                      As needed

To temper

Oil                                                                                                        1 TBsp
Mustard seeds                                                                                      1/2 tsp

Masala Powder:

Kadalai Paruppu/ Channa dhal                                                             1 tbsp
Coriander leaves                                                                                   5 sprigs
Red chillies                                                                                           2 nos
Oil                                                                                                         1/2 tsp


Method:

1. Cut eggplants/ aubergines into cubes ( the size of the cubes should somewhere be between the size of sugar cubes and the size of the ice cubes)
2. Heat a stir fry pan. Add oil and add mustard seeds to splutter. Turn the heat to low.
3. Add the cubed eggplant/ aubergine/ kathirikkai  and quickly mix until all oil is uniformly coated. Turn the heat to medium. Add salt and mix. Let the eggplants cook. Mix occasionally (only) to ensure even cooking.
4. To make masala powder, heat a flat bottomed pan, add half a tsp of oil, Add the ingredients to make masala powder except coriander leaves and roast it. when the dhal/paruppu turns golden brown, add coriander leaves and roast untilit looses moisture. Grind it to a not so coarse but not too fine powder.
5. Add the masala powder to the cooked eggplant and mix well. Let it get coated on the eggplant cubes and get roasted. Leave it on stove for 10 more minutes and mix occasionally for even roasting 
6. Switch off the stove and serve the kari (curry) with rice and sambhar or rice with rasam and rice with curd or yoghurt.