RASAM (INDIAN SOUP)

A small intro about Rasam.

Rasam is a popular soup in South India. It is had with rice and some fried curry. In Restaurants it is served as Mulligatawny Soup. You must be familiar with this name if you visit restaurants often and if you like spicy soups. The name is actually derived from Tamil which is spoken in Tamil Nadu a state in South India and where I belong to. Mulligatawny is mulaguthanni . mulagu is wholepeppercorn and thanni is water which means pepper water. Rasam is supposed to be very good for health as it contains lot of spices like wholepepper, corianderseeds, cuminseeds, which are very good for stomach and stomach disorders. In North India Rasam is very popular in restaurants people have it in glass with papad.You can know more about rasam here. There are many ways of making rasam but I’m going to give the traditional recipe for making Rasam which is normally made at our home. First you need to make Rasam powder.

POTATO CURRY (FRY)
Ingredients for making Rasam powder(serves3-4)
Coriander seeds - 1Tbsp
Cumin Seed - ¼ Tbsp
Yellow lentils - 1/4Tbsp
Whole black pepper corns - 1/2Tbsp
Asaefotida powder - a pinch
Whole Red Chillies – 2
Put all the ingredients in a small jar of mixer and powder it coarsely. It can also be dry roasted for few minutes till it gives a nice aroma and then can be powdered. But should be careful while roasting . It should not get burnt. You can get informations about lentils here
TAMARIND

Ingredients for making Rasam
Tomatoes medium sized - 2
Tamarind - size of small gooseberry. Soak it in ½ cup of water before 30 mins ( you can avoid tamarind and can squezz juice of a lemon and add at the last)
Garlic - 4-5 pods (crushed)
Turmeric powder - ¼ Tsp
Coriander Leaves - a small bunch (chopped finely)


Ingredients for tempering
Ghee - 1Tsp
Mustard seeds- ½ Tsp
Curry leaves - a sprig
Whole red chilly- 1
Tempering:
Take a small pan add ghee to it and when it becomes hot add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts spluttering add curry leaves and whole red chilly and switch off the stove.

METHOD:
Take a pan and add a glass of water and bring it to boil. When the water boils add the mashed tomatoes, turmeric powder and let it cook for 5-8 minutes. 2. Now squeeze the tamarind soaked in water and filter the water once and add it to the cooked tomatoes and again bring to a boil. 3. Add another 2-3 cups of hot water to it to make it watery let it boil for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. 4. Now add the Rasam powder and crushed garlic to the boiling rasam and let it boil for another 5 minutes till it gives a nice aroma. 6. Now add salt as per taste and switch off the stove. Add the tempering to it and garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice and fried potatoes or have it hot as soup in a bowl.

If you are using lemon instead of tamarind skip the step 2 and add the juice of a lemon switching off the flame.

Try this recipe and tell me how it turned out. If you know any recipe similar to this let me know and also let me know about your thoughts in the form of comments :)

PONGAL ( RICE COOKED WITH SPLIT GREEN GRAM )

Serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

plain raw rice - 200 gms (approx-1teacup)

Split green gram - 1/4 cup

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Tempering :

Ghee+ cooking oil - 4-5 Tbsp ( if u r calorie conscious can reduce ghee and add more cooking oil )

Whole pepper corns - 1 Tbsp

Cumin seeds - 2 Tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Finely chopped ginger - 2 Tsp

Green chillies - 2 (slit length wise)

METHOD :

Dry roast the split green gram in a pan slightly till it gives a good aroma on low flame. Make sure it does not turn brown. Now wash the rice along with roasted split green gram for 2-3 times. Add water to the rice and split green gram mixture ( the ratio is for rice add water as 1:3 and for split green gram it is 1:1) add 3 and 1/4 cups of water and asafoetida powder and pressure cook it till it gives 5 whistles.

Now for tempering add oil+ghee mixture to a pan and when it becomes hot put the peppercorns, cumin seeds, chopped ginger and green chillies one by one and fry till ginger slightly changes colour. You can add salt as per taste in the tempering or you can add it along with the rice before pressure cooking. ( I noticed if I add salt with rice before pressure cooking the rice does not cook properly so I add it in the tempering).

After the pressure drops open the lid and add the tempering to the rice mixture and and mix nicely. The rice should be mashed nicely with the help of a round ladle. Serve hot with sambar, chutney.

P.S This is a very healthy dish and in South India this is a special dish served in all special occasions like marriages, parties, and in festivals like diwali and pongal. If you don't like to have whole pepper corns you can ground pepper corns along with cumin seeds in a mixer to a coarse powder and add it to the tempering.

POTATO CURRY FOR POORI

INGREDIENTS
Potatoes - 1/2 kg ( boiled and mashed roughly )
Onion - 3 ( sliced length wise )
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece ( chopped finely )
Tomatoes - 2 ( cut each into 4 - 5 pieces )
Green chilly - 2 ( slit length wise )
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - as per taste


TEMPERING :
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Split white lentils - 1 Tsp
Bengal gram - 2 Tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig


METHOD :
Take a pan and add oil for tempering, when the oil becomes hot add mustard seeds and when it splutters add split white lentils and bengal gram and curry leaves and when the lentils turn golden add onions,ginger and green chillies and saute till the onions turn transparent. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix gently, then add turmeric pwd and salt and add 1-2 cups of water. When the water starts boiling add the tomatoes and simmer the flame to medium. When the gravy becomes a little think remove from flame and serve hot with poories or chapatis.

* This potato curry is used to make masala dosa, For making masala dosa the potato curry should not be watery, so add very little water so that all the ingredients get mixed well and now make dosa and place this curry in the middle of dosa, fold it and serve hot with sambar and chutney.

GRAVIES FOR RICE AND CHAPATIS( KUZHAMBU )

YOGURT KUZHAMBU (MOUR KUZHAMBU )

INGREDIENTS :
Sour curd - 2 cups
White pumpkin - 1/4 kg
scraped coconut - 3 Tbsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Garlic - 2 pods
Coriander seeds - 1Tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Bengal gram - 2 Tbsp ( soaked for 1/2 hour )
Asefoetida - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - as per taste

TEMPERING :
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1Tsp
Split white lentils - 2 Tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Onion - 1 chopped finely

METHOD :
Churn the curd in a mixer and keep aside. Make a paste of coconut, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, green chillies and soaked bengal gram along with asefoetida and turmeric powder adding a little water and keep aside. Now take a non stick pan and pour oil for tempering, when it gets hot add the mustard seeds and when it splutters add the white lentils and when it turns golden add the curry leaves and chopped onions and saute till transparent. Meanwhile dice the white pumpkin and cook till it turns soft by adding little water ( or ) one can pressure cook the pumpkin for 2 minutes. Now add the coconut paste to the tempering and add little water and also add the cooked pumpkin and reduce the flame and cook for 5 minutes stirring in between. Now add the churned curd along with salt and when it starts boiling immediately turn off the flame and serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

SPLIT GREEN GRAM LENTILS GRAVY ( DHAL )

INGREDIENTS :
Split green gram - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 2 ( thick round slices )
Potatoes - 2 ( cut into medium sized cubes )
Onions - 3 ( cut into finger sized strips )
Green chilly - 3 ( slit length wise )
Tomatoes - 3 ( cut each into 4 pieces )
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Asefotida powder - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - as per taste

TEMPERING :
Ghee - 1 - 2 Tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch chopped finely for garnishing.

METHOD :
Pressure cook split green gram with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, turmeric powder and asefoetida powder to give 2- 3 whistles in a pressure pan or cooker. Take a pan and add the ghee for tempering and when it becomes hot add cumin seeds and curry leaves and off the flame. When the pressure in the pressure pan drops add the tempering and mash the lentils with a laddle and add some water to make it a little watery consistency. Now bring it to a boil and add salt and let it boil for 5 minutes and now remove from the flame add the chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and serve hot with chapatis, rice and it is also a great combination for idly and dosa.

SOUTH INDIAN FILTER COFFEE

Coffee powder ( not instant one ) - 4 Tbsp (if you have a small filter)

Boiled milk - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups or as needed to fill the filter

METHOD :

Boil water in a sauce pan. Take a filter and put the coffee powder and when the water boils pour the water inside the filter till the rim, tap the filter very gently with a spoon so that the decoction will go to the bottom of the filter soon. Take a vessel and pour the filtered decoction and then add milk and sugar to the decoction and mix well. Add sugar as per your taste. Now the coffee is ready and sit back, relax and sip the traditional south Indian filter coffee.

TIPS : Always add milk to the decoction and never add decoction to milk.Do not heat the decoction separately as it tend to loose its flavour.

VEGETABLE CURRIES FOR RICE AND ROTIS

CURRY LEAVES

WHITE PUMPKIN CURRY


INGREDIENTS :
White pumpkin - 1/2 Kg
Scraped coconut - 4 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Garlic - 2 pods
Green chilly - 4
Bengal gram - 3 Tbsp (soaked in water for 1/2 hour )
Onion - 1 medium sized (finely chopped )
For Tempering :
Oil - 1 Tbsp
mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Split Gram - 2 Tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
METHOD :
Cut white pumpkin into medium sized cubes. Take a pan and add oil for tempering, when it becomes hot add mustard seeds and when it starts to splutter add the split gram and when it becomes golden add chopped onions and curry leaves and saute till onions become transparent. Now add the chopped pumpkin and saute for 5 minutes and then add the soaked Bengal gram and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook till the pumpkins turn soft. Meanwhile in a mixer make a paste of coconut, garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds with 1/4 Tsp of turmeric powder (optional) by adding little water. Now open the lid and check if the pumpkin is well cooked, then add the coconut paste to the pumpkin and add salt to taste and let it boil for 10 minutes and you can smell the aroma of garlic. The pumpkin curry is now ready and turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

TIP : If you feel the curry is little watery mix a Tbsp of cornflour or rice flour to 1/4 cup of water and add it to the pumpkin curry and let it boil for 5 minutes till the curry becomes thick.


LADIES FINGER DRY CURRY
INGREDIENTS :
Ladies finger - 1/2 kg
Tomato - 3 ( cut into finger length strips )
Onion - 4 ( cut into finger length strips )
Coriander powder - 2 Tbsp
Chilly powder - 2- 3 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 11/2 Tsp or as per taste
Oil - 4 Tbsp
METHOD :
Cut the tip of ladies finger on both sides and make a slit in the middle till the centre. Take a non stick pan and add oil to it and when the oil becomes hot add a Tsp of cumin seeds to it and when it slightly changes colour add the ladies finger and saute for 2 minutes. Now reduce the flame of the stove to Sim and let it cook till the ladies finger becomes soft and slightly crisp. Saute the ladies finger every 3-4 minutes till it becomes soft. Now add the onions and saute it for a minute and leave it till the onions become transparent, now add the tomatoes mix well and add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt , mix well and let it cook for another 5-8 minutes till the masala gets coated to the vegetables. Now the dish is ready and serve it with chapatis or rice.
TIP : Keep the flame of the gas stove in Sim throughout cooking, so as the vegetable does not get burnt.

BOTTLE GUARD CURRY ( KOOTU )

INGREDIENTS :

Bottle guard 1/2 kg

Onion 1 small size ( chopped finely )

Coconut (scraped) 3 Tbsp

Red chilly powder 2 Tsp

Cumin seeds 2Tsp

Split green gram 1/4 cup

Salt as per taste

TEMPERING

Oil 3Tsp

Mustard seeds 1 Tsp

White split lentils 2 Tsp

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Chopped onion 4 Tbsp

METHOD :

Peel the skin and cut bottle guard into medium sized cubes. Take a pressure pan and put the bottle guard pieces along with split green gram, add little water and pressure cook till it gives one whistle . Make a paste of coconut, cumin seeds, onion and red chilly powder and keep aside. In a pan pour oil for tempering and add mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering add the white lentils, when it becomes golden add curry leaves and chopped onions and saute till transparent. Open the pressure pan and add the coconut paste and the tempering to the bottle guard and add salt and bring it to boil, add a little water if required, the curry should neither very thick and nor very dry, it should be in medium consistency. Let it boil for 5-7 minutes and now remove the bottle guard curry from flame and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

vegetable pulao

VEGETABLE PULAO
INGREDIENTS :
Potato 3
Carrot 2
Green peas 1/2 cup
beans 100 gms
Cauliflower small size 1
Tomato 2 small size
Red chilly pd 2 Tsp
Turmeric pd 1/2 Tsp
Fennel seeds 2 Tsp
Cinnamon 2 medium sized
Cloves 4
Pepper corns 10
Cardamom 2
Black cardamom 1
Ginger paste 1 Tbsp
Garlic paste 2 Tbsp
Chopped coriander and mint leaves 2Tbsp
Basmati rice 1 cup (washed and soaked for 1/2 hour )
salt As per taste
METHOD :
In a mixer make a coarse powder of cinnamon,cloves, fennel, black pepper, cardamom and black cardamom and tie the powder in a muslin cloth and keep aside. Take a pressure pan and add 4 to 5 Tbsp of oil and when it becomes slightly hot add the garlic and ginger paste to it and saute it for a minute in low flame, then add the vegetables one by one except for tomatoes and saute the vegetables till they are slightly cooked . Now add tomatoes and saute for a minute and then add chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and keep it in medium flame sauteing often for about ten minutes. Now add the soaked basmati rice to the vegetables in the pressure pan and add 2 cups of water and add salt and the powdered masalas tied in muslin cloth to it and close the pan . When steam starts coming put the weight to the pan and reduce the flame to medium and after two whistles turn off the flame and let the pressure to release itself. Now open the pan and remove the muslin cloth and add chopped mint and coriander leaves and squeeze juice of half lemon and serve hot with onion raita.

VEGGIE MAIN COARSE FOR BREAKFAST

SOFT DOSA(RICE PAN CAKE)
WITH CHUTNEY

Now a days most of the modern ladies and girls does not know our traditional south Indian recipes.Here Iam starting with some basic recipes and how to convert these basic recipes into different types of mouth watering dishes.
IDLY
INGRIDIENTS:
Boiled rice (raw)- 4 cups
Split Urad Dal(ulundhu) 1 cup
Fenugreek (methi) seeds 1Tbsp
METHOD
Soak boiled rice and split gram in two separate vessels.Add methi seeds to the soaked dal.Leave it for 6 hours.If you are using a wet grinder,first add the soaked dal and methi(vendhayam) in the grinder and let it grind for at least 1/2 hour to get spongy idlies.At the beginning add 1 cup of water and later add water little by little every 5 to 10 minutes till you get a very soft,light,and spongy consistency.Now after emptying the dal add rice to the grinder and make a fine paste by adding water little by little every 10 minutes.There is no time span for grinding rice,one can empty the rice when it reaches the fine paste like consistency.Add salt to the paste according to taste and mix the rice paste to the dal paste,mix it nicely with the hand otherwise the rice paste goes to the bottom because of its weight and the dal will remain at the top.Now let the batter ferment for at least 8 hours in summer or 15 hours if it is winter.After it has fermented take idly moulds or small bowls slightly oil it and pour a spoonful of batter in moulds or in bowls.Now steam it in a pressure cooker for 10 to 12 minutes.Now take out the moulds carefully and let it cool for 2to 3 minutes and then carefully take out the idlis with a help of a spoon or knife.Serve hot with chutney,sambar,podi.
If you do not have a wet grinder then you can use the mixer and make the batter.But do not grind the dal for too much time as in wet grinder.Empty the dal as soon as it becomes a fine paste,follow the same for grinding rice.The rest is the same above mentioned procedure.
TIPS : For making the batter for idly the ratio of rice and Dal is 4:1,but sometimes it depends upon the quality of dal.If the dal becomes too fluffy the next time you change the ratio to4:3/4 or 4:1/2.The first time you can't make out.In the second time you can make out the quality of dal and change the ratio accordingly.It is all about experience and trial and error method that makes one an expert.
One can use the same batter to make dosas. Always mix the batter nicely with a spoon before making dosas.
Never use caustic or cooking soda to ferment the batter as it causes stomach disorders.
Now let me tell you about how one can convert left over idlies into a tasty upma.
IDLY UPMA
Crumble the left over idlies with your hands. Chop 2 to 3 onions finely,take 2or 3 dry red chillies and break into medium sized pieces,chop some curry leaves and keep it aside.Now take a pan or kadhai put 2to 3 Tbsp of oil and when the oil becomes a little hot add a teaspoon of mustard seeds and when it splutters add 2 Tbsp of urad dal and when the dal becomes golden in colour add the chopped onions,red chillies,curry leaves and leave till the onions become transparent.Now add the left over crumbled idlies and mix it well,check salt and add if needed as the idlies already have salt.Now take it in aserving plate and garnish it with some fresh curry leaves and serve hot.

COCONUT ONION STEW

ONION 4

TOMATOS 3
GREEN CHILLY 2
SCRAPED COCONUT 4Tbsp
SAUNF (fennel seeds) 2Tbsp
TURMERIC PWDR 1Tsp
METHOD:
Cut onions lengthwise,cut tomatoes to medium sized pieces,slit green chillies.Take oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,when it splutters add urad dal and when it turns to golden add onions and when onions turn transparent add tomatoes and green chillies,now reduce flame to medium. Meanwhile make a paste of scraped coconut,saunf,turmeric powder with a little water in a mixer.Add this paste to the onion tomato in the kadhai and add little water and add salt to your taste and let it boil for 5 minutes. Now remove from the flame and serve hot with idly or dosa.
TIP If you find the gravy a little watery mix 1 Tbsp of corn flour in little water and add it to the gravy and keep it on flame for 5 minutes and when it becomes thick remove from flame and serve.This method applies to almost all gravies.

VEGGIE CHUTNEYS FOR VEG LOVERS

DHANIA CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS:
Dhania leaves _ 250gms
Dry red chillies - 10- 12
Urad dal(split gram) - 1Tbsp
Channa dal(bengal gram) -1Tbsp
Jeera(cumin seeds) - 2Tsp
Hing(asafoetida) -1/2Tsp
Tamarind pulp -2to3 Tsp according to taste.
FOR TEMPERING:
Mustard seeds - 1Tsp
Split gram - 2Tsp
Curry leaves - a few sprigs

METHOD
Wash the coriander leaves with plenty of water and remove only the roots and not stems,keep it aside.Now take a heavy pan (kadai) and dry roast the split gram till golden in colour.Do not turn it black.Remove split gram and now dry roast Bengal gram followed by jeera.When jeera splutters take it and keep aside.Now add 2Tsp of oil to the pan and fry the red chillies and keep it aside.In the same oil fry the hing also.Now take the coriander leaves and fry it in the pan by adding little more oil,when the leaves shrinks and slightly changes colour off the flame.In a mixer first powder the roasted dry ingredients . Now add dhania leaves along with tamarind pulp and grind it to a fine paste.
For tempering heat a pan add 3Tbsp of oil and when it becomes hot add mustard seeds,when it starts spluttering add split gram(urad dal) and when it becomes golden add curry leaves and dhania paste and reduce flame and add salt to taste.When the paste leaves the sides of the pan remove from flame and serve hot with idly or dosa.It is also a good combination for curd rice.

TOMATO CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS :
Tomatoes 1/2 Kg
Onion 2
Green chilly 8 to 10
Turmeric powder 1/2Tsp
Asafoetida 1/4 Tsp
TEMPERING :
Oil 3Tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2Tsp
Split gram 2 Tsp
Curry leaves a few sprigs.

METHOD
Boil 1 to 2 cups of water in a pan . Add turmeric powder and asafoetida powder to it .Now add the chopped tomatoes, onions, and green chillies to the boiling water.When tomatoes and onions are well cooked off the flame and let it cool.Mean while in a separate pan add oil and when the oil becomes hot add the mustard seeds and when it splutters add split gram when it turns golden add curry leaves and switch off the flame.Now grind the boiled tomatoes in a mixer coarsely.It is enough if you turn on the mixer for 5 seconds.Do not grind it to a very fine paste.Pour the coarsely pasted tomato and onion in a pan and let it boil,add salt to taste and add the tempering to the chutney. After 2 to 3 boils remove from flame and serve hot with idly,dosa,chapattis or poories.

PODI(GUN POWDER)
INGREDIENTS :
Urad Dal(ulundhu) 2Cups
Channa dal(kadalai paruppu) 3/4 Cups
Dhania seeds 1/4 Cup
Red Chillies (dry) 100 Gms (accoding to taste)
Curry Leaves A Handful
Asefotida 1 Tsp
Salt According to taste.
METHOD :
Take a kadai and dry roast all the above mentioned ingredients seperately except for red chillies. Now add a Tsp of oil to the kadai and fry red chillies and remove from flame. Let the ingredients cool a little,now first powder the red chillies in the mixer and then add all other ingredients with salt and powder it. The powder should neither be very coarse nor very fine,so that it tastes very good. Empty the powder in a sheet of paper, so that it cools down and then store it in an air tight container. This powder can be had with idly or dosa, add some gingelly oil to the powder when having it with dosa or idly for better taste.
* Fry urad dal till light golden, do not turn it black.
*Dry roast the coriander seeds for 3 to 4 minutes in medium flame,do not over roast it.
*Can fry curry leaves along with urad dal or can be roasted separately as per your wish.