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Grandma's Rasam

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Anusha2917, Feb 25, 2020.

  1. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    This is so perfect.. If there was a rasam completion I feel it should be judged based on the amount of froth is formed in the final stage.. :grinning: I love the froth formation. Just perfect to remove it from the stove and enjoy with ghee and hot rice...
     
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  2. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you viji MA for your lovely write-up sharing your memories in this post. :blush::blush:

    We still have the sevai naazhi and my MIL does in that. I will tell her why Amma you do in that, let us buy sevai from outside. She won't listen. If kids/grandkids ask immediately she will start sevai preparation from scratch. I feel this energy which old people have is nothing but purest form of love for their near and dear ones .. :hearteyes:
     
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  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:It wouldn’t be a surprise if this post of your grandma connection via her special rasam turns out to be flavour of the month for best narration. Kudos to your writing skill covering the entire gamut of emotions emanating or wafting from the rasam that was just about to simmer after the transfer of thadka that was carefully done that ingredients splutter and finished just before the oil reach its flash point.

    Your served spirit of rasam with side dish - orthodox grandma. Sumptuous at that.

    2. I learnt nuances of making numerous varieties of rasam from my mother from my spouse and from chief cook Arusuvai Arasan.

    3. I remember the days, when Periamma in Bangaluru in 1950s used ask a squatting me on the floor - after serving rise on stitched leaf, “Saru bheka?” before holding the container of Sambar cum rasam In one hand and a ladle on the other. She won’t separately prepare Rasam. But later years my mom prepared Mysore rasam and taught me about its recipe. She would mix raw ingredients after cleaning and warming up in bright sun , in a thooku and would send me to a grinding mill to get it powdered separately for Sambar & rasam.

    4. My uncle taught me how to make pine apple rasam. He was against adding sprigs of coriander leaves to it.

    5. Those days every year summer, we kids were compelled to drink castor oil cold pressed on empty stomach in the early part of morning and after few hours, I used to look forward to parrupu thuvaiyal and kanda thippili rasam.

    6. There are over some sixty varieties of rasam in southern states of India. When present Madurai ruled by Saurashtra kings some four hundred years before, rasam believed to have born in Tamil Nadu.

    7. After my wedding, we had separate establishment in Mumbai and lived as a sub tenant in a flat. Very first day when spouse prepared rasam, the main tenant family felt the aroma of rasam moving them emotionally and a while later came in to taste. They were wondering how that thelivu was so tasty and so crystal clear! She revealed the secret of having added vellam (jaggery ).

    8. During those days mom & grandma used to say slow cooking adds to the taste or in other words - one gets optimal flavour or aroma. She preferred to make rasam in Kumbakonam ஈயச்சொம்பு ( a narrow mouthed medium size container made of lead) which requires meticulous care on charcoal oven .(குமுட்டி அடுப்பு)
    • This reminds me late actor Muthuraman in a scene when his embittered spouse refused to cook, in late KS Balachander Tamil movie bhama vijayam (பாமாவிஜயம்).

    9. As a bachelor, I was having regular meal at night by 7 p.m. in Raja mess that was run by a South Indian lady in Chembur. She knows that I am a good eater and demand second even third helping. In a small bucket warm rasam she brought in front of the table, where I was sitting and she was serving from a big ladle small quantity of rasam but never put me that large tomato pieces. When I demanded for it, she retorted in tamil, “ If I serve this tomato to you, how I would prove to other customers that it is tomato Rasam !

    10. I remember that after the morning pooja & prayer, dad would indicate time for neivedhyam and my mom used to bring cooked rice warm & that hot rasam as offerings to Lord.
    Before this all family members had taken Bath and mom-dad used to be till then observe மடி.

    11. Once I happen to stand and watch from a distance - a tea shop where economy meal was being prepared. Rasam was in the making. The aroma was irresistible. I went close to the old man who was gently stirring the rasam with large ladle - after transferring the tadka .
    • Looking at the wide spread blue flame at bottom of the rasam container, I enquired the old man what was the need to keep the gas still on. He said he was waiting for simmering to just to commence when he would close the gas and put the lid on.
    12. In a class room chemistry teacher looked stern at a chatting boy and demanded to say few lines about பாதரசம்.(Hg Mercury).
    The little boy said in between teeth , “ Sir my mom never made padarasam. I know only paruppu rasam).

    Thanks and Regards.

    God is flavour - God is also asafoetida( LG brand)
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2020
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  4. iyerviji

    iyerviji Finest Post Winner

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    Very true
     
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  5. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear sir,

    That's an excellent feedback. And an elaborate one , 12 that point bring an hilarious one. :laughing:

    Point number 3:
    Yes here in Karnataka everything is saaru .
    Thili saaru comes close to our rasam, bele saaru is a mixed version of our sambar n rasam, soppu saaru is keerai kootan, kaalu saaru is lentils sambhar. Best is obbatina saaru which is my favorite. It's made out of the water taken from cooking dhal. The dhal is used in obbattu (poli) .the water is used for obbatina saaru, spicy sweet very yummy saaru.

    Point 4: I have tasted pineapple rasam at a few weddings and have enjoyed the taste of it.

    Point 5: yes sometimes MIL makes thippilli Rasam.. But drinking castor oil, OMG I can't imagine.

    Point 7: my dad is 60+ and still loves thelu rasam. At times when he's home I serve him the thelu part and my husband will keep seeing that and later complain how I put thelu rasam to my dad and not to him. :grinning::grinning:both want thelu part.

    All other points you have mentioned are wonderful and very insightful..
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2020
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  6. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    ladies of the earlier genrations used to follow strict rules on in which vessel each dish must be cooked. Sambhar for instance has to be cooked in a kalchatti or stone vessel and rasam always in a lead-coated vessel. That probably contributed to the flavors. THOSE LADIES HAD NEVER HEARD OF LEAD POISONING . When i pointed to my mother that lead could poison the rasam she dismissed it with contempt and said the lead used to coar rge vessels was detoxified. Maybe she was right I have nt heard of anyone dying due to consumption of rasam.
     
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  7. Gswarna

    Gswarna Senior IL'ite

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    Wow.. what a fantastic article.. the way u narrated the golden time u spent with ur grandma is really awesome... Pls do share the wonderful rasam recipe ..
     
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  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:I am happy for your words of appreciation to my feed back.
    2. My thanks are also due to the excursion that you had taken me through varieties of Karnataka Saarus.
    3. Dads of south are all fans of all avatars of rasam. As dad I am too and my dad too.
    4. I learnt trick of mixing rasam with pyramid of cooked rice on banana leaf only from my dad. My grandma too helped me with this. On stitched dried up jackfruit leaves she would MI’s the rasam rice without letting the rasam turned into rivulets around the leaf to the floor!
    Thanks and Regards.
    God - I presume you love rasam served theluva by your cohort.
     
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  9. Anusha2917

    Anusha2917 IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you Swarna for your feedback. I shall surely share the recipe soon :)
     
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  10. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    It’s been really long time since I had meals on banana leaf. Even upma tastes so heavenly. Definitely there is some magic in that leaf!

    When I was a kid I used to struggle to ensure rasam/ sambhar doesn’t leak outside. So I was asked to mix some rice whichever direction the liquid is flowing :grinning:
     

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