Tomato Rasam using Homemade Rasa Podi

A simple rasam, rice and potato fry is a heavenly combination, best for one of those cold nights. Rasam is a staple in most south Indian homes and so is the case in our home as well. My younger daughter loves rasam and she has it with almost everything, Idly, Dosa, even Chapathi. She loves to drink it as such, like a soup. 

So here is how I make the tomato rasam with the Rasam Powder. Don't ask me why I took so long to post this. Anyways, better late than never isn't it?

Serves 3 to 4

What you'll need

1. Tuar Dal – 1 tbsp
2. Tamarind – small gooseberry sized ball
3. Tomato – 1
4. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
5. Rasa Podi – 1 tbsp
6. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
7. Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Curry Leaves – few sprigs
10. Coriander Leaves – Finely chopped – 2 tbsp

For tempering

1. Ghee – 1 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Jeera – ½ tsp

Method

1. Pressure cook dal, mash well adding about 1.5 cups of water. Keep aside.
2. Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract about 2 cups of thin tamarind extract.
3. Add finely chopped tomatoes, asafoetida, turmeric powder, rasam powder, jaggery and salt to taste.
4. Also add the curry leaves.
5. Let this come to a boil, simmer for 8 to 10 minutes on low heat.
6. Now add the cooked dal water, check for seasoning. Adjust taste and add more water if required.
7. Simmer on low heat until the rasam froths up. Do not allow to boil.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
9. Heat a small frying pan with ghee, add mustard seeds, once they start crackling add jeera and pour over the rasam.

Cover and keep until serving.

Enjoy with plain steamed rice, a vegetable curry and some papad.

Homemade Rasam Powder/Rasa Podi

Rasam podi or Rasapodi is an indispensable part of my kitchen pantry. As the name suggests this powder is used to make Rasam. I use it not only in rasams but also in different curries. It adds a wonderful flavor to a simple potato fry, lady's finger fry etc.

Now coming to the recipe, this is my grandmother's recipe, which my mother adopted and now I too am following the same. It gives a wonderful flavor to the rasam. Making this powder is quite simple, just gather the ingredients, roast, cool and grind. But care should be taken while roasting. 

What you'll need

1. Coriander Seeds / Dhaniya – 3 Cup
2. Tuar Dal – 1 Cup
3. Channa Dal – 1 Cup
4. Jeera – ¾ Cup
5. Black Pepper – ¾ Cup
6. Mustard – ¼ Cup
7. Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam – ¼ Cup
8. Dried Red Chillies - 1 Cup

Method

1. Dry roast all the ingredients one by one.
2. Cool completely.
3. Grind into a powder and store in airtight containers.

Note

1. Though this powder has a long shelf life, I suggest you prepare in smaller quantities to retain the freshness.
2. Take care while roasting, never roast on high flame, always roast on a medium flame.
3. Also, keep stirring, while roasting so that the whole thing is roasted evenly.
4. Store in clean and dry airtight containers and use a dry spoon.

Thengai Thogayal

After coming to Amsterdam, cooking our traditional recipes has become once a week occasions. Throughout the week its some kind of variety rice or roti subji. Its only on the weekends that I am able to cook the traditional fare. Eating variety rice and rotis all through the week leaves me craving for some simple yet delicious Palakkad Chamayal. 

Thogayal is an accompaniment for rice and is usually served along with Molagootal in our house. It can be had mixed with plain steamed rice too. Many who are not very familiar with South Indian cooking may confuse between Thogayal and Chutney. Thogayal is like a chutney but is quite thick when compared to Chutney. The urad dal form an important part of any thogayal. Also many variations of thogayals see the addition of vegetables like carrots, ridge gourd, pumpkin etc. My personal preference being once with some vegetables. The addition of vegetables adds a slight sweetness to the thogayal. Together with the tamarind, red chillies and coconut it makes a yummy accompaniment.

Today's post is the basic Thengai Thogayal. Now off to the way my mom makes it:

What you’ll need

1. Fresh Scraped Coconut – 1 cup
2. Urad Dal – 3 tbsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 2 or 3
4. Asafoetida – a small piece
5. Tamarind – small piece
6. Oil – 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Few Curry Leaves

Method

1. Heat a Kadai with oil.
2. Add the asafoetida piece, once it puffs up well, add the urad dal and fry on medium heat till golden.
3. Also add the red chillies and fry till they turn bright.
4. Add the tamarind and coconut and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat.
5. Cool and grind along with salt.
6. Add a tsp or two of water and grind to a coarse paste semi solid paste.
7. Transfer to a bowl.
8. Serve with plain rice, Molagootal or curd rice.

Note:

The consistency of thogayal is usually thick and coarse.
You can add coriander leaves, sauteed carrots or ridge gourds. I will post a version of these soon.

Raspberry Peach Iced Tea

This month the Groovy Gourmets, decided to prepare a drink from Foodgawker, which is dairy free.  With the kind of weather here, I would have really liked to have something hot but then on one sunny day, I prepared this delicious fruit flavoured Iced Tea.

I guess there are no strict rules to prepare this iced tea. You could flavour it with a any fruit of your choice like strawberries, oranges, or even just lemon. I am sure it would be a welcome change from the regular drinks.

What you'll need

1. Tea Bags – 3 (I used Lipton Black Tea)
2. Fresh Raspberries – 1 cup
3. Peaches – 2
4. Sugar or Honey as per taste
5. Mint leaves for garnish

Method

1. Bring 3 cups water to boil. Place the tea bags in it and let it steep for full 5 minutes.
2. Discard the tea bags and let it cool.
3. Peel the peaches and chop into small pieces.
4. Blend the peaches and raspberries until smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve.
6. In a large vessel, whisk together raspberry peach mixture, brewed tea and sugar/honey.
7. Refrigerate until chilled.
8. Serve over ice, with more raspberries, peach slices and mint leaves.

Maaladdoo

Hello Friends!

Feels great to be back to my blog after a break of almost a month. Thought of starting my posts with a sweet and simple dish – Maaladdoo. It is  fairly simple to make with very few and commonly available ingredients.

Makes about 15 small laddoos

What you’ll need

1. Pottukadalai/Porikadalai/Chutney Dal – 1 Cup
2. Sugar – 1 Cup
3. Ghee – ½ Cup
4. Cardamom – 3 to 4 pods
5. Cashewnut – 10 to 15, broken into small pieces

Method

1. Powder the Pottukadalai.
2. Powder the sugar and cardamom.
3. Mix the two powders thoroughly. You can sieve them together for even mixing.
4. Roast the cashewnuts in little ghee and add it to the pottukadalai sugar mixture
5. Divide this mixture into two halves.
6. Heat the ghee, until melted and hot.
7. Add ghee little by little to the pottukadalai sugar mixture and mix with your hands until you are able to shape the mixture into balls without crumbling. This would require about ¼ cup of ghee.
8. Now shape the mixture into small balls and smoothen it between your palms.
9. The laddus will be soft in the beginning but will set in a while.

Store in airtight containers.