Rasams

Rasam powder (rasa podi)

Makes about 2 cups of rasam powder.

2 cups red chillies
2 cups whole cilantro/corriander seeds
2 TBS Black pepper
1 TBS toor dal
1 TBS channa dal
3 TBS jeera
1 TBS black mustard seeds

Dry roast all of the above except the jeera and mustard seeds. Grind to powder all of the above (include the jeera and mustard seeds).

2 tsp of this powder for about 2 cups of rasam.

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All rasams, serve 4.
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Paruppu Rasam

Ingredients:

1.5 tsp tamarind paste
3 tsp Rasam powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida (heeng)
1 tsp pepper cumin powder (1:1 ratio)
4 ripe roma tomatoes (pureed)
4 cups water

1 cup toor daal, (pressure) cooked with 2 cups water and 1 pinch turmeric and salt, pureed.

Garnish:
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Seasoning/tadka:
1 tsp sesame oil
1 dried red chilly
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
a pinch of asafotida

Boil together the 1st six ingredients. When it comes to a boil, add the toor dal. Salt to taste. Boil again. Turn gas off. Add the cilantro leaves and seasoning.

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Lemon rasam

3 cups water
Moong dal - cook 1/2 cup in 1 cup water, salt and a pinch of turmeric
1/8 tsp asafoetida
Ginger, 1/2 finger size, peeled and chopped lengthwise (thin strips)
1.5 tsp pepper jeera powder
Salt to taste

To add when the stove is off:
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 2 lemons

Tadka:
1/2 tsp oil
mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
a pinch of asafotida

Boil the 1st six ingredients together. Turn the stove off. Add the lemon juice and cilantro leaves. Then the tadka.

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Milagu rasam or Tanjaoor rasam

6 cups water
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/8 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp raw toor dal

Tadka:
1 tsp sesame oil or ghee
mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
3 tsp pepper cumin powder (1:1 ratio)
2 dried red chillies

Boil stuff in the 1st set (the toor dal needs to soften). Fry stuff in the 2nd set. Mix together. IF you add a cup of cooked toor dal to this, it's called Tanjaoor rasam.

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Mysore rasam

3 tsp scraped coconut fried in a little oil to golden color

Fry the following in a little oil
2 tsp whole corriander/cilantro/dhania seeds
3 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp raw toor dal
1/2 tsp channa dal

Grind/pound to a coarse powder the following:
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

Mix all of the above together (except the fried coconut). Plug this in, in the place of rasam powder, into the paruppu rasam.

Boiling fried coconut in water for too long, makes the rasam taste a little weirdly oily. So, add that at the very end.

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Garlic rasam

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
5 cups water
2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

Masala:
Fry in a little oil (1/2 tsp):
1 tsp channa dal
1 tsp toor dal
2 tsp corriander/cilantro/dhania seeds
4 red chillies
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi ke daane / mendiyam)

Make 1.5 tsp pepper jeera powder in 1:1 ratio, and add with the fried masala to a grinder, to make a powder.

Method:
1 tsp oil in the pot, with the black mustard seeds thrown in. A few pinches of asafoetida. Curry leaves. Let the seeds splutter. Throw in garlic and saute for a minute (don't let it change color - it needs to stay yellow, not turn brown).
Add the water and tamarind paste and bring to boil. Add the powdered masala and let it come to a boil again.



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Brinjal Rasam

More rasam