Udupi Rasam

Udupi is a small town in Karnataka. It’s very famous for its temples and its cuisine.

And rasam is one of the very famous dish from this cuisine.

It’s one of the yummiest rasam that I have ever made and my family loves it too. 

If you are a person who is fond of rasam, I have no doubt that this will top your list of favourites:)

  

Ingredients

Tamarind- small gooseberry sized 

Tuvar dal ( pigeon peas)- 1/2 cup

Tomatoes- 2-3

Green chillies- 2

Salt to taste

Jaggery- 1 tsp

Haldi- 1/2 tsp

Coconut- 2 tbsps

Udipi rasam powder- 2-3 tsps

Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsps ( garnish)

Ingredients for Udipi Rasam powder

————————————–

Coriander seeds – 1/4th cup

Red chillies – 1/4th cup

Split black gram dal – 11/2 tsps

Cumin seeds – 11/2 tsps

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsps

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsps

Sesame oil – little 

For tempering

—————–

Ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida ( hing/ Perungayam) – 2 pinches 

Method

To make the rasam powder

———————————

Heat little oil in a pan. Add all the ingredients mentioned for the rasam powder and roast till you get a good aroma and the spices becomes crisp.

Cool and grind it a powder.

  

Soak tamarind in one cup of water for 30 mins. Squeeze well and extract juice from the tamarind. 

Wash and soak tuvar dal for 30 mins. Drain the water and add 1 cup of fresh water.

Wash and chop tomatoes. Wash and slit green chillies. 

Add the tomatoes, green chillies and turmeric powder to tuvar dal and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Mash the cooked dal well and keep it aside.

  
Grind coconut to a paste.

In a pan, add tamarind extract, turmeric powder hing, jaggery and salt to taste. 

Let it boil for few mins till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away.

Add coconut paste and let it boil for few mins.

Dilute the rasam powder in a cup of water. Add this and cooked and mashed tuvar dal to the rasam. Check the consistency and add more water if required. Check the seasoning and let it simmer. 

  
Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard, jeera and little hing. When the mustard stops spluttering, add it to the rasam. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee:)

  
   
 

  

Beetroot Rasam

This is another unique rasam from Karnataka cuisine. Jayanthi aunty, who shared her lovely recipe for jack fruit seeds rasam, gave this recipe too:)
It’s simple to make but very delicious. And anyone will fall in love with its beautiful colour. This can be served as a soup too.

 I made it for the first time today and it was a super hit with my family. Hope you all would like it too:)

  
Ingredients

Tuvar dal ( pigeon peas ) – 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/4th tsp

Chopped beet root – 1/2 cup

Tomatoes – 2 

Tamarind – small goose berry sized 

Grated jaggery – 1/2 tsp

For the spice powder

———————————

Coriander seeds( dhania) – 5 tsps

Urad dal ( ullundhu) – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/ vendhayam) – 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 5-6

Grated coconut- 1 tbsp

Oil – 1/2 tsp

For tempering

———————-

Melted ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida ( hing/ Perungayam) – 2 pinches

Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Method

Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 20- 30 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Wash and soak tuvar dal for half an hour. Drain the water, add fresh water, chopped beetroot ,turmeric powder and half of chopped tomatoes and pressure cook for 4/5 whistles. The dal and the vegetables should be cooked soft.

  

Cool and grind this to a puree.

Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and add all the ingredients mentioned for the spice powder. Roast till you get a good aroma. Cool and grind this to a powder. 

  
In a pan, add the tamarind extract, remaining tomatoes, grated jaggery and salt to taste. Let it boil till the tomatoes turn soft and the raw smell of tamarind goes away.

Add the dal puree, spice powder and 2 cups of water and mix well. If it’s very thick, add little more water. This rasam is thicker than the usual rasam consistency. Check for the seasonings. 

  

Let it simmer on a medium flame. Switch off the gas, once it starts simmering.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for few seconds and add the tempering to the rasam.

Garnish the rasam with chopped coriander leaves and serve the rasam hit with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee. This can be served as a soup also:)

   

 

Jackfruit Seeds Rasam

I have made so many types of rasam and I look forward to learn more. I never hesitate to try unique recipes. And I have come to understand that Karnataka cuisine has many delicious varieties of rasam.

One such rasam that I learnt very recently is Jackfruit seeds rasam. I learnt this from Jayanthy aunty, a very special and a sweet person whom I met at Chef at large, Chennai meet:)

She gave the recipe in detail. It was so unique and interesting that I couldn’t wait to try her recipe.

And I so glad that I made it today. I followed her recipe with very minute changes. Have to say friends that it’s one of the most delicious rasam that I have made till now:)

  
Ingredients

Jackfruit Seeds – 20

Tamarind- small gooseberry size

Tomatoes – 2 medium sized

Green chillies – 2

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Grated jaggery- 2 tsps

Salt to taste 
For the rasam powder

Oil – 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 5 tsps

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Jeera ( cumin) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/ vendayam) – 1/2 tsp

Pepper – 1/4th tsp

Mustard – 1/4th tsp

Red chillies- 6-8
For tempering

Ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Red chillies – 2-3

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Hing – 2 pinches

Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Method

Remove the skin from the seeds, wash well and boil the seeds till it becomes soft.

Cool and grind to a coarse paste.

   
 

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 20-30 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Wash and slit green chillies.

Add tomatoes, tamarind extract, salt to taste, grated jaggery and turmeric powder in a pan. Boil well till the tomatoes turn soft.

  
Roast the ingredients mentioned for rasam powder in little oil. Cool and grind to a powder.

  
Mix the jackfruit seeds paste, 3 tsps of rasam powder and 2 cups of water well so that there are no lumps. Add this to the boiled tamarind mixture. Mix well. Check for the seasonings. If it’s thick, add little more water. This rasam is more thicker than the regular rasam.

Let the rasam simmer on a medium flame. Do not let it boil.

  
Heat ghee in a pan. Crush the garlic cloves.Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add red chillies, crushed garlic and hing. Sauté till the garlic turns golden. Add the tempering to the simmered rasam.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee:)

  

Kalyana Rasam

Rasam with rice is very much a comfort food for me. I like many types of rasam and I always look forward to learn more varieties. I learnt this rasam from my sister Uma. 

This is almost like pepper rasam ( a very therapeutic rasam), but varies in the quantity of spices used in making the rasam powder.

It’s very easy to make and absolutely divine.

All of us loved it at home. Hope you all would like it too:)

  
Ingredients 

Tamarind- gooseberry sized

Tomatoes- 2 medium sized

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Grated jaggery – 1 tsp

Salt to taste 

Ghee- 1 tsp

Mustard – 3/4th tsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi) – 1/4th tsp

Asafoetida ( hing) – pinch

Slit green chillies- 2

Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp 

To make the rasam powder

Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp

Tuvar dal – 2 tsp

Pepper – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 4-5

Method

Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 15-20 mins. Squeeze well and take the extract.

Wash and cut the tomatoes into cubes.

Dry roast the ingredients mentioned for rasam powder till you a get a good aroma. Cool and grind to a powder.

  

Add the tamarind extract, tomatoes, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt to taste in a pan.

Let it boil well till the tomatoes become soft and the raw smell of tamarind goes away.

Mix the rasam powder in 2 cups of water and add the tamarind mixture. Mix well and check for the seasonings.

Let it just simmer. Do not boil after adding the rasam powder.

  

Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering add jeera, fenugreek seeds, green chillies and hing. Sauté for few seconds and then add to the rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

  
Serve the rasam hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee. It can be served as a light soup too 🙂

  

  

Special Rasam

You are considered to be a good cook, if you can make a good rasam. Though it does not require great skills to make rasam, somehow some people make great rasam. One such person is my mom. Till now, I don’t think that I can make rasam like her:)

Actually this is not my mom’s recipe. This is Shri Arusuvai Natrajan’s recipe, about whom I have mentioned in my earlier posts.

When I was reading the recipe and found that he has not mentioned use of rasam powder, I found it very intriguing. Couldn’t wait to try out this recipe.

Needless to say that am very happy that I made this recipe. As usual, I made some small changes. It’s probably one of the best rasam recipes that I have tried. It actually tasted like the rasam that is served during weddings. 

I really enjoyed making this and eating this with hot rice. Hope you all would like it too:)

  

Ingredients 

Tamarind- plum sized soaked in 3/4th cup of water.

Red chillies- 4-5

Green chillies- 3-5

Tomatoes- 2

Hing- 1/4th tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Tuvar dal ( tuvaram paruppu) – 1/2 cup

Pepper- 1 tsp

Jeera- 11/2 tsp

Jaggery- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves- few

Ghee- 1 tsp

Mustard- 1/2 tsp

Jeera- 1/2 tsp

Garlic- 4-5 cloves 

Chopped coriander leaves

  

Method

Wash and soak tuvar dal for 30 mins.

Pressure cook adding 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder for 3-4 whistles. It should be cooked very soft. Mash the dal well and keep it aside.

Meanwhile, squeeze the tamarind well to get the extract. Add 3/4th cup water again to the tamarind and take the extract again. Repast it one more time.

Wash and chop the tomatoes. Take off the stem and tear the red chillies. Wash and slit the green chillies.

Add these to the tamarind extract along with salt, Jaggery and curry leaves. Mix well and boil till its reduced to half.

  

Make a coarse powder of jeera and pepper.

Add the mashed dal, pepper jeera powder and 1 cup of water to the tamarind mixture. 

Mix well and check for the seasonings.

Let it simmer till the rasam froths up well.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add jeera and crushed garlic. Sauté for few seconds and add it to the rasam. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee:)

   

 

Thair Vadai

Thair Vadai 

Yogurt is known as thair in Tamil. Thair vadai is South Indian version of Dahi Vada.

It’s a very popular snack in South India. This rich, delicious and melt in mouth snack is 

one of my family’s favourite too:)



Ingredients 

For the Vadai

While urad dal- 1 cup

Rice – 2 tsps

Salt to taste.

Hing- 2 pinches

For the yogurt ( thair) mixture

Yogurt- 2 cups

Coconut- 1/2 cup

Almond flakes- 1/4th cup

Green chillies- 2

Salt to taste

Sugar- 1 tsp

For Garnish

Grated carrots- 4 tbsps

Chopped coriander leaves- 2 tbsps

Boondhi – 1/2cup

Method 

For the vadai

Wash and soak urad dal for 2-3 hrs. 

Drain completely and grind to a smooth and fluffy batter adding water little by little. 

Batter when dropped should fall down smoothly. It should not be sticky.





Heat oil in a pan. When it reaches the smoking point, reduce the gas to medium flame. 

Wet your hands and take a small portion of the dough. Flatten it slightly, put a hole in the centre with your thumb and drop it gently into the oil. Cook till the underside becomes golden. Turn it gently and cook till the other side becomes golden.

Remove the vadas, drain off the oil and keep them aside. Make all the vadas.





For the Yogurt ( thair) mixture

Beat the yogurt well. There should be no lumps at all.

Grind coconut, green chillies, almond flakes and jeera to a smooth paste.

Add this paste, salt to taste sugar to the beaten yogurt and mix well. Keep it in the fridge.



To assemble to Thair Vadai

Soak the vadais in water for 10 mins. Squeeze well and arrange them on a serving dish. 



Pour the yogurt over the vadais.

Garnish with grated carrots, chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle boondhi on top and serve:)





Cream of Coconut and Cucumber Soup

During summer it’s very important to include foods that hydrate and cools down our body. What can be better than tender coconut water and cucumber? 

A contest has been announced in Chef at Large ( a food group in Facebook) to create Summer soups. 

I have created this refreshing, healthy, soothing, delicious, easy to make no cook

soup- Cream of Coconut and Cucumber Soup:)

I really enjoyed making this. Hope you all would enjoy too.

Wishing all the lovely ladies a very happy Women’s Day:)



Ingredients

Chopped cucumber- 1 1/2 cups

Tender coconut flesh- 1 cup

Tender coconut water- 2 1/2 cups

Ginger chopped- 1/2 tsp

Green chilli chopped- 1 tsp

Chopped mint leaves- 1 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut, mint leaves and cucumber slices for garnishing



Method 

Blend cucumber, coconut flesh, tender coconut water, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger, lemon juice and salt to a very smooth puree.

Chill for some time.

Garnish with grated coconut, cucumber slices and mint leaves and serve.



Quick Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a comfort food for me. There are many varieties of rasam. Generally, rasam is simple to make. And this tomato rasam is the simplest one. It’s very light, healthy, therapeutic and yummy too:) It’s my son’s favourite.
Hope you all will enjoy too:)

Ingredients

Tomatoes- 6 medium size
Green chillies- 2
Ginger- 2 inches
Garlic – 4-5 cloves
Turmeric powder- 1/4th tsp
Rasam powder- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Melted ghee- 1 tsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Jeera- 1/2tsp
Hing- 1/8th tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Method

Wash and chop tomatoes and green chillies.
Peel garlic. Peel, wash and chop ginger.
In a blender add all the chopped vegetables, salt to taste, turmeric powder and rasam powder. Add one cup of water and blend to a smooth purée.

Strain. Add one more of cup of water and let it boil well for 10 mins on a medium flame. Check the seasoning and consistency of the rasam. Add more water if required.
If more water is added, let it simmer for few more mins.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add jeera and hing. Pour the tempering over the rasam, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with little melted ghee. This can be served as a soup too:)

Chow Chow and Tomato Soup

It was raining and was a cold night yesterday in Chennai. And I was having a bad cold and a sore throat.
I wanted to make something warm, soothing and healthy for myself. So, decided to make my usual spicy tomato soup. When I opened my fridge, I found only 3 tomatoes. Hardly enough for a family of four.
Then I saw one Chow chow( chayote) left in the fridge. Since it has a fleshy body and mild sweet taste, I thought that it will not be bad to add in the soup. Thank God, I was not wrong:) In the next half an hour, I was able to treat myself with a warm, soothing and a sumptuous soup. And the best part is that my family also loved it. Hope you all would like it too:)

Chow Chow or Chayotes (pronounced chahy-oh-tee) are a light green, pear shaped fruit with a single, large pit and edible flesh and skin. The flesh of the chayote is mild in flavor and has a texture somewhere between a potato and cucumber. It’s rich in vitamin C and Potassium.

Ingredients

Onions- 2
Tomatoes( medium size) – 3
Chow Chow- 1
Garlic- 6-7 pods
Rasam powder – 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tsps
Butter- 1 tsp
Cinnamon- 1 inch stick
Bay leaf- 1

Method

Wash and chop onions, tomatoes and Chow chow. Peel the garlic pods.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
To the hot oil, add cinnamon and bay leaf. After few seconds, add garlic and onions. Sauté till the onions turn pink. Now add tomatoes and chow chow, salt to taste, rasam powder and mix well. Sauté for few mins and then add 3 cups of water.

When it starts boiling, close the pressure cooker and cook till it gives 3 whistles.

After the steam subsides, open the lid. Let it cool. Blend the soup to a smooth purée. Add more water if required. Check the seasonings.
Simmer on a low flame. Add a tsp of butter while simmering.

Let it simmer for few mins. Take off the gas, transfer to a soup bowl, add very little butter and serve hot with soup sticks or a toast or Papad:)