Rasams- the tongue ticklers !

Mangalore Rasam - Ideal for get togethers.

Gram dhal - 1 tbsp

Urad dhal - ½ tbsp

Red chilli - 1

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

Coconut - 2 tsp

Tomato - 1 + 1

Tamarind - 2 tsp

Salt

Ghee - 2 tsp

To temper:

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Coriander leaves - to garnish

Fry both dhals, red chilli, pepper, jeera& methi in 1 tsp ghee

Switch off the flame & add coconut & 1 chopped tomato in the hot kadai. .

Cool & grind them with tamarind paste.

In a veesel, take this paste, the other tomato chopped, salt, haldi & enough water to make up the required amount.

Keep this vessel inside a pressurepan & cook for 1 whistle.

Cool, open, temper in 1 tsp ghee & garnish.
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For get togethers or functions, cook rice soft, mix very well with this rasam to a lose consistency.

Serve hot, topped with potato chips or fried mini papads & coriander leaves.

The spice level may be adjusted to your tase.

 

Onion & Mint Rasam - Have you tasted it before ?

Tomatoes - 2 medium (chop)

Mint leaves - ½ cup

Peeled small onions - ½ cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 4-5 (slit)

Rasam powder - 1 tsp

Salt, haldi

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Boiled & mashed tur dhal - 2 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

To temper in 1/2 tsp ghee:

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Red chilli - 1

Jeera - ½ tsp

Coriander leaves(chopped) - to garnish

Put a vessel on stove, add ghee, fry onions, green chillies & mint leaves.

When done, add all other ingredients, make up with required water & cook inside a pressure pan for 1 whistle.

Temper as given & garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Goddu Rasam - Make it on a day when there is a lot of work to do.

This is a simple rasam which does not require tomatoes or cooked dhal.

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Rasam powder - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Salt, haldi

To temper in 1 tsp ghee:

Red chillies - 3,4

Mustard seeds - ½ tspp

Tur dhal - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves - few.

In a vessel, temper first, add tamarind paste, rasam powder, hing, salt & about 500ml water.

Keep the vessel inside a pressure pan & cook for 1 whistle.


Variation:

The tur dhal can also be added raw to the rasam, for a different flavour.

 

Chettinadu Soup - Ideal to drink on cold winter days.

Vegetable like cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, drumstick leaves are suitable. Cut into 1 cm cubes.

Cubed vegetables - 2 cups

Onion - 1, chopped

Cooked moong dhal - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Bay leaf - 1 piece

Saunf - ½ tsp

Peppercorns - ½ tsp

Milk - ½ cup

Salt

Add 2 cups of water to dhal, mix & strain the stock.

In a pressure pan, heat ghee, temper bay leaf, pepper & saunf.

When they splutter, add onions & fry till they change colour.

Add vegetable, dhal stock & salt.

Cook for 1 whistle.

Cool, open & serve with milk.

This is not usually liquidised – you can do so, if you want.

 

Mysore Rasam - a Very Special Favourite Rasam for everybody.

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 2, chopped

Mysore rasam powder - 2-3 tsp ( to taste)

Cooked tur dhal - 1 tbsp ( or as given below )

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

To garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - few

Fresh mysore rasam powder:

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

dhaniya - 2 tsp

red chillies - 3-4

pepper - 1/4 tsp

jeera - 1/4 tsp

grated coconut - 3 tsp

hing pdr

Fry the above in 1/4 tsp ghee ( for the best flavour ) & powder.

Alternately dry the coconut in microwave -hi-3 mts & powder with the rest.

Mix 2 ½ cups of water with dhal to get thin dhal water.

If you prefer the rasam thick, use 2 tbsp cooked tur dhal.

In a vessel mix tamarind paste +salt +haldi + chopped tomatoes + above powder + dhal water to make up to the required consistency & quantity .

Keep it inside a pressurepan & cook for 1 whistle.

Cool , open & temper as given.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

It was traditional to grind the roasted ingredients & make Mysore rasam.

Since the rasam made that way is fairly thick, I suggest powdering the roasted ingredients – however this is individual preference.

 

Mochai Rasam - Delicious Mochai in a New Avatar !

This recipe is one of the olden days’ collection, I got from my mother.

Fresh mochaiparuppu - 1 cup

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Salt, haldi

To roast in 1 tsp ghee & powder:

Red chillies - 5,6 ( or to taste)

Dhaniya - 2 tbsp

Pepper - 2 tsp ( or to taste)

Jeera - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tbsp

Rice - 1 tsp

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Hing - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

To temper:

Ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

To Garnish:

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Cook mochai in 2 cups of water for 1 or 2 whistles, depending upon how fresh they are & how soft you want them.

Do not strain.

Lightly mash 2 tbsp mochai with potato masher.

Add tamarind paste, salt, haldi, the freshly made powder & 2-3 cups of water depending upon the desired consistency.

Cook for one whistle.

Cool, open temper & garnish.

If you prefer a thicker consistency, grind the roasted ingredients to a paste instead of powdering them.

If you like, add ½ cup more of mochaiparuppu.

 

Kollu Rasam - Ideal for Slimmers, yet nutritious!

Kollu or horse gram is nuitrition packed & is very good for health.

It is said to control cholestrol & helpful in dissolving kidney stones.

There is a saying in Tamil “ kozuthavanukku kollu – ilaichavanukku ellu’ !

This means, the obese ones should eat kollu & the thin ones, seasame seeds.

Well, I am just repeating what the elders say !

The recipe given below was shared with me by a Karnataka friend & in Andhra this is prepared differently.

Horse gram or Kollu - ¼ cup

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Salt, Haldi

Jaggery - little (optional)

To roast in little ghee & grind:

Red chillies - 3,4

Cinnamon - ½” (optional)

Maratti moggu - 1 small (optional)

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

Khus khus - 1 tsp

Copra - 2 tbsp (or grated coconut)

Hing - ½ tsp

To temper:

Ghee - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Lightly roast kollu to remove the raw smell & soak in water for 3 hrs.

Pressurise with 1 cup of water in a vessel inside a pressurecooker or pan, on low heat for 15 mts after the first whistle comes.

Kollu will not become mushy like tur dhal, but cook fairly soft this way.

Drain & reserve the water – it is very good for health.

Roast the given ingredients & grind to a paste with 2 tbsp of the cooked dhal.

Mix tamarind paste, haldi, salt, ground paste, drained water Add more water to make up to the required consistency.

The rest of the cooked kollu can also be added – however, this is one’s preference.

This rasam has a thicker consistency than usual rasam.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Open & temper as given.

 

Coconut milk - Lemon Rasam - an appetiser !

Cooked moong dhal - 1 tbsp

Coconut - 2 tbsp

Salt , haldi

Lime juice - 1-2 tsp (to taste)

Coriander leaves - few, chopped

Fry in ¼ tsp ghee & powder:

Pepper - 1 tsp (or more to taste)

Gram dhal - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - few

To temper:

Ghee - ½ tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Add 1 ½ cups water to moong dhal, blend & take the stock.

Add 1 cup warm water to coconut , liquidise & strain the milk.

Mix the above two, add salt, haldi & the prepared powder.

Mix well, keep inside a pressure pan & cook for one whistle.

Cool, open add lime juice & coriander leaves.

This is very good to drink, though mild for mixing & eating with rice.

 

Easy Rasam - Light on the stomach after New Year Parties !

Pepper - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Red chillies - 2,3 ( or to taste)

Dhaniya - 1 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Tur dhal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Tamarind - 2 tsp

Tomatoes - 2

To temper in 1 tsp gingelly oil:

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Grind all the ingredients fine to a paste.

Add 3 cups water, salt & haldi.

Keep the vessel inside a pressurepan & cook for one whistle.

Temper as given.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

Mor Rasam - two methods of doing it.

First recipe:

Sour Buttermilk - 2 cups

Salt

Fry in few drops of oil each separately & grind to a paste:

Tur dhal - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Red chilli -1

Jeera - ½ tsp

Pepper - ½ tsp

Methi seeds - ¼ tsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Omum - ¼ tsp

Red chilli - 1

Add the paste to buttermilk, mix well, cook till it foams well & is about to boil.

Remove & temper.

Second recipe:

Sour buttermilk - 2 cup

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Sat

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Omum - ¼ tsp

Green chillies - slit

Mix rice flour & salt with buttermilk.

Keep on the stove & when it froths, remove & temper.