Lemon ginger rasam

This version of lemon ginger rasam was concocted (by myself) when I fell severely ill due to catching a stomach bug and flu. I had severe nausea for several days with very high fever until I had the first serving of this rasam. The first serving of this rasam proved that it is anti-emetic, thus restoring my energy back from a debilitated being. It was great in reducing my flu symptoms too restoring life back to normalcy. It is super easy and super quick to make and heavenly to taste.


Ingredients


Lemon                                                   - 1 big one
Ginger                                                   -  4 inch piece
Salt                                                        - To taste
Water                                                     - 1.5 cups


To temper

Oil                                                       -   1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                     - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies                                     -  4 nos broken to two

Method

1. Grate ginger.
2. Heat a saucepan on stove. Add oil and mustard seeds to splutter. 
3. Add green chillies and stir for 1/2 minute
4. Add water.  Add grated ginger and salt.
5. Let the mixture come to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and immediately juice lemon and add the juice to this mixture and mix well.

Lemon ginger rasam is ready to be had with just rice  or anything as side dish if you wish to have one.

Mysore rasam

Mysore rasam is a delectable rasam that is very quick to make and have. I have some wonderful memories of my childhood days with this rasam. Delving into the details would be a good idea than getting bored reading about me. So,

Ingredients

Tamarind pulp/ paste                                                           1 lemon sized ball/ 1.5 tsps
Sambar powder                                                                   1.5 tsps
Asafoetida                                                                           1 pinch
Salt                                                                                      To taste
Water                                                                                   2.5 cups

To grind

Dhaniya/ Coriander seeds                                                 1 tsp
Red chilli                                                                           1 nos
Toor dal/ Thuvaramparuppu                                              1 tsp
Shredded coconut/ Dessicated coconut powder                 2 tsps / 1 tsp
Cumin seeds                                                                        1 tsp

To temper

Ghee                                                                                    1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                                                      1/2 tsp
Curry leaves                                                                         1 sprig

Method

1.  Soak tamarind pulp in hot water to extract syrup for 15 mins.
2. Extract tamarind syrup. Use 1.5 cups of water to make the syrup. If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in 1.5 cups of warm water to make the syrup.
3. Add sambar powder, salt and asafoetida to it  and let it simmer for 10 mins until the raw smell of sambar powder transforms into an intoxicating aroma.
4. Simultaneously dry roast dhaniya/ coriander seeds, red chilli and toor dal together until toor dal turns golden brown. Now add shredded coconut/ dessicated coconut powder and roast it until it becomes golden brown and remove from stove. Now add cumin seeds and give it a good mix. 
5. Dry grind all the roasted ingredients together to a powder. Add remaining cup of water to it and mix it with the boiling rasam. Bring the heat to low and let it froth.
6. Simultaneously, heat a tsp of ghee in a small stir fry pan. Add mustard seeds to splutter and curry leaves.  Pour it on top of rasam and remove it from heat.

Mysore rasam is ready to be had with hot rice and pretty much any veggie side dish or just plain appalam/papad.

Milagu rasam/ Black pepper rasam

This is my mother-in-law's version of milagu rasam/ Pepper rasam. It is great for cold/cough fever days and a very easy one to make in very less time.

Ingredients

Tamarind                                                          A lemon sized ball
Salt                                                                   To taste
Milagu jeeraga podi/ Pepper cumin powder    1.5 tsps
Asafoetida                                                        1 pinch

To temper

Ghee                                                               1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                                 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves/ karuvepillai                               1 sprig


Method

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract 2 cups of syrup out of it.
2. Add salt, asafoetida to the extracted tamarind syrup and boil it for 10 minutes in a saucepan.
3. Add 1.5 tsps of milagu jeeraga podi/ pepper cumin powder to it and let it boil for 5 more mins.
4. Add a cup of water, mix well and reduce the heat to low to let it froth.
5. Simultaneously, heat a small stir fry pan and add ghee to it.
6. Add mustard seeds to splutter and curry leaves to splutter too.
7. Pour this on top of rasam and leave it on the stove in low heat for 5 more mins to froth.

Milagu rasam is ready to be had with hot rice and any vegetable or just appalam as a side.

Jeeraga rasam/ Cumin seeds rasam

My mother in law makes the best Jeeraga Rasam in this planet! That is what I would say! When I got to know the recipe and the ridiculous easiness with which it can be made, my love for Jeeraga rasam  just shot sky high. I am just putting it down here for all of us lazy-bummed -long- tongued-losers.

Ingredients

Tamarind                                                       - 1 lemon sized ball
Payathamparuppu/ Mung dhal                      -  1.5 tsps
Cumin seeds                                                  - 1 tsp
Curry leaves                                                  - 1 sprig
Red chillies                                                   - 1 nos
Asafoetida                                                     - 1 pinch
Salt                                                                - As needed

To temper

Ghee                                                            - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                             - 1/2 tsp


Method

1.) Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 mins and extract tamarind syrup as done for any rasam.
2.) Simultaneously, soak payathamparuppu/mung dhal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilli in hot water together for 15 mins and grind it to a  runny paste.
3.) In a saucepan pour the tamarind syrup, add  salt and asafoetida and bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5 mins.
4.) Add the ground Jeeragam/ mung dhal runny paste and mix well and bring the heat to low and let the rasam froth.
5.) Simultaneously, in a small stir fry pan or iluppakarandi, add ghee for tempering and add mustard seeds to splutter.
6.) Pour it in the Jeeraga rasam and switch off the stove when the rasam is frothy enough.

This hot Jeeraga rasam is had with rice and made on days when we make paruppu usili (beans/kothavarangai/vazhaipoo etc.,). It goes ecxcellent with paruppu usili, appalam, vadaam.

Paruppu Urundai Rasam

From my paati's kitchen

Paruppu urundai rasam

Ingredients

For paruppu urundais or dhal balls 

Thuvaram paruppu/ Thoor dhal         3/4 cup

Red chillies                                         2 nos

Asafoetida powder                          2 pinches

For rasam

Tamarind/ tamarind paste     1 big lemon sized / 2tsps

Sambhar powder/ rasam powder     1.5 tsps

Asafoetida powder                        1 pinch

To powder for rasam

Thoor dhal                               1/2 tsp

Dhaniya (coriander seeds).       1 tsp

Red chillies                                1 nos

To temper

Ghee                                          1 tsp

Mustard seeds                            1/2 tsp

Method

1.) Soak thoor dhal/ thuvaram paruppu for 20 mins. 

2.) Soak tamarind in warm water to make a very watery tamarind syrup. If u have paste, dissolve it in 4-5 cups of warm water.

3.) Grind thoor dhal, red chillies, with asafoetida powder roughly without adding or just sprinkling water to a consistency ( dough) which is easy for us to make it into small balls (I know what you're thinking!! :D) . 

4.) Add tamarind syrup, asafoetida powder, sambhar/ rasam powder and salt to a large wide mouthed saucepan and let it come to a rolling boil in med- high heat.

5.) Simultaneously make small balls out of the ground thoor dhal dough and keep it aside.

Paruppu urundais/ Dhal balls 

6.) When rasam comes to a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium and add the balls one by one not exceeding 4 at a time ( if there are too many, they hit each other and break while boiling) if it is a considerable sized saucepan. 

7.) Let it boil. DO NOT STIR! If stirred, the balls break.  It takes 10 - 12 mins for the balls to boil and come to the top. Until then let it do its own job. 

Paruppu urundais coming to a float

8.) When the balls come to the top and remain at the top for about a minute, take the first batch fully out onto a plate and keep it aside and then add the second batch in.  Repeat the process. When in process, if the rasam level reches to a point where the balls cannot float to the top, add water and let the level rise to a point where u think that the balls can float. Then let it keep simmering.

9.) Simultaneously dry roast the ingredients to be powdered and powder it and keep. 

Dry roasted ingredients

10.) When all the balls are done cooking and are out, add them all in again.

11.) Mix the ground powder in a cup of water, lower the stove heat to medium low and add it and mix well. As the balls have cooked already, they will not break. Let the rasam froth in medium low heat. 

12.) Heat a small stir fry pan. Add ghee and mustard seeds to splutter. Add it to rasam to temper it. 

Slurp! Slurrrrrrrppppp! Rasam :)

Piping hot spicy slurpy paruppu urundai rasam is ready and goes very well with rice and potato fry or drumstick vengaya kari. 

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.