Thursday, September 1, 2011

Rasam



For me, any kind of food that reminds me of Amma is soul food. Because she put her heart and soul into whatever she cooked... and all her love. Rasam was almost a daily affair. You could use a readymade powder (MTR is best) but nothing beats the rasam powder you can make at home. Have with rice or drink as soup... Of the many varieties of rasam (more to follow) this one is the simplest.

Basic rasam powder
Ingredients
1tbsp tuvar dal
1tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1tbsp pepper corns
3 red chillies (would recommend adding more pepper if you want it spicy)
A pinch of asofoetida powder

Dry roast all ingredients and powder finely.

Ingredients for rasam
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of jaggery
1 small piece of tamarind
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 green chillies slit
1tbsp boiled tuvar dal (optional)
1tsp mustard and 1tsp cumin (for tempering)
Salt to taste
1tsp ghee
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing

Mix the tamarind with water and squeeze out the juice. Make 3 cups and bring to boil in a vessel. Add turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes, salt, slit green chillies and jaggery. Add 1tbsp of the rasam powder. Check for taste... if you want it spicy add a little more. Boil for 5-7 minutes on medium heat till tomatoes are tender. Add tuvar dal, adding water to bring to rasam consistency. Lower flame and boil for 5 more minutes till a thin foam like layer appears on top. Switch off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. In a pan, add ghee, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they splutter, switch off flame. Add a pinch of asofoetida... and pour over rasam.

Tip: If you want to omit tamarind, squeeze juice of a lemon at the end (after you remove rasam from the stove)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Kerala Upma

I had never tasted tapoica in this form until I got married. All credit goes to Amma for making me fall in love with this signature Palakkad speciality. Enjoy.


Ingredients
3 medium sized tapoica (available frozen at Lulu, Khimji's Mart, etc)
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 inch piece of ginger chopped
2 medium sized onions finely chopped
2tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp channa dal
1 tbsp oil
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Chop tapoica into medium sized cubes and boil with salt and turmeric in water. Strain when tapoica becomes soft but don't overcook. Let it cool.
In a pan, add a little oil, add mustard seeds, the dals and curry leaves and allow to temper. Then add chillies, ginger and onions and saute well.

Add the tapoica pieces and mix well. After five minutes switch off flame.

Vengaya Sambhar - Sambhar for the Soul

This is a Tambrahm Sunday favourite... and usually had with potato podimas. Usually brunch if you woke late and skipped breakfast. Amma's signature dish that the taste buds still remember after so many many years... Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 medium sized onions, chopped (not finely, but into medium-sized chunks)
1 marble sized tamarind
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 small cup tuvar dal (boiled and beaten well in a blender)
1tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asofoetida
A small piece jaggery (optional)
1tbsp oil
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing

For the sambhar powder
2 tbsp channa dal
4tbsp coriander seeds
1tsp methi seeds
4-5 curry leaves
6 whole red chillies (adjust this according to taste)

Roast the ingredients for sambhar powder in 1tsp of oil. Remove. Chope the tomatoes and saute in the oil. Grind all adding a little water till it reaches a fine paste consistency.

Soak the tamarind in 3 cups of water. Fry the onions till golden brown in a pan adding roughly 2tsp of oil.

In a vessel, add tamarind water, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt and bring to boil. Add the sauted onions, and keep flame on medium. Once the raw taste of the tamarind has gone, add the sambhar paste. Let it boil for a while. Add water according to what consistency you prefer. Add the dal water. Keep on medium flame until a foam like layer appears on top. Switch off flame, garnish with coriander leaves. In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil, add mustard seeds and one red chilli. Let the mustard splutter and then pour it over the sambhar.