Orange Neem flower Rasam / Orange Vephampoo Rasam

 

I have not planned to make this rasam. Mandarin oranges which I bought from the grocery store were too sour and we were able to enjoy those little ones. Initially I thought of making orange marmalade but I dropped that idea as I did not want to use any sugar. Finally I decided to make a spicy healthy rasam using these oranges.  The sourness of these oranges perfectly substituted in this rasam and I didnt need to use any tamarind at all.  Addition of neem flowers to this rasam makes it even more balanced in taste. Nowadays, I like to add neem flowers in all my rasams as they are very good for treating stomach related problems, for treating intestinal worms, etc.,  Totally, this rasam contains the mixed taste of all the healthy ingredients and its an excellent Vitamin C booster.

Our family enjoys a cup of rasam daily as an appetizer, including my kids which in turn triggers me to try out different varieties of rasam. After I tasted, I see a slight resemblance between this rasam and pineapple rasam. With a side of  potato fry or hot rice, it tasted heavenly. Try this rasam in your kitchen and let me know your feedback. 

Ingredients

Orange Juice of  15 little Mandarins

Tomato - 2 medium

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Rasam powder - 2 tsp

Salt - As required

Water - As required

Toor dal water - 1/2 cup ( Optional )

Coriander leaves - To Garnish

For Seasoning 

Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

Hing - 1 Dash

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds / jeera - 1 tsp

Dry red chili - 1

Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 3 or 4

Dried neem flower - 1 tbsp

Preparation Process

• Peel the Mandarin oranges and extract the juice using a blender. Filter the pulp and keep the orange juice ready. Crush the tomatoes in the blender and keep the tomato pulp ready.
• In the cooking vessel, add half a cup of water,tomato pulp, turmeric powder,rasam powder,salt and little hing. Close the lid and allow them to cook for few minutes till the raw smell goes off.
• Add the orange juice into the vessel and allow them to cook for a minute on low flame. Add required amount of water as per your consistency. Do not boil the rasam after you add the orange juice.
• Start the seasoning on a separate tadka pan on its side. Add all the ingredients for seasoning in the tadka pan. When its done, pour the tadka over the rasam.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
• Switch off the flame.
• Enjoy with hot rice and a nice veggie fry of your choice. 

Tips

• Do not boil the rasam after you add the orange juice. Switch off the flame after a minute and let the orange juice gets cooked with the existing heat.
• I prefer to add little black pepper powder, cumin powder in the tadka. This definitely adds more flavour and punch to the rasam. This is my mom's method of seasoning especially for rasams.

Kandathippili Rasam / Long Pepper Rasam

Kandathippili Rasam / Long Pepper Rasam is one of the traditional rasam recipes of Tamil Nadu. This rasam has numerous health benefits. It helps to cure severe cold, soothes cough and it is used to cure stomach related problems and good for digestion. It increases the appetite, removes toxins from your body and boosts immunity.

My mom used to make this rasam whenever we complained of any body aches, especially after coming back home from a long trip. 

In our household, rasam is enjoyed by everyone and they all love to drink the rasam as an Appetizer.

Ingredients

For Rasam Base :

Thick Tamarind Water - 1 cup 
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - As Required
Jaggery - 1 pinch
Crushed Tomatoes - 1.5 Cup
Water - As Required
Corainder Leaves - To Garnish 
Cooked Toor Dal Water - 1 cup

For Seasoning:

Ghee - 2 tsp
Hing - 1 pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - Few

For Grinding :

Coriander Seeds - 3 tsp
Black Peppercorn - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 1
Kandathippili ( Long Pepper ) - 6 sticks

Preparation :

• Soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract the tamarind juice and keep it ready.
• Roast the ingredients for making the Kandathippili powder and grind them in the mixer.
• Add all the ingredients for making the rasam in the cooking vessel. 
• Adjust the consistency by adding required amount of water.
• Close the vessel and allow the rasam to boil for 4 or 5 minutes.
• When the raw smell of the tamarind completely goes away, add the kandathippili powder, toor dal water and mix them well.
• Allow the rasam to cook for few more minutes on medium flame till you see a frothy layer on top of the rasam.
• Switch off the flame and do the seasoning separately.
• Pour the tadka over the rasam vessel.
• Garnish with crushed coriander leaves and enjoy this healthy homemade rasam with hot rice and ghee.

Tips

Try to make rasam always in "Eeya Sombu" , a pure tin vessel and enjoy. 

Pineapple Rasam / Annasipazha Rasam

Pineapple Rasam is one of my favourite rasams / soups. The unique flavours of this rasam emanating from the vessel during the preparation process itself  kindles your hunger and the spicy delicious rasam is an excellent accompaniment in any South Indian Meal. Whenever I see a pineapple at my kitchen, I make sure that a portion of this golden yummy fruit gets transformed as I like.!!!

Coming to the preparation process, it takes less than 15 minutes to make this rasam. Quality of the pineapple plays a key role in this rasam. 

Ingredients

Fresh Tasty Pineapple chunks - 2 cups

Tamarind extracted water - 1/2 cup

Tomato Puree - 3/4 cup

Pineapple Puree - 1 1/2 cup

Water - As Required

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Rasam Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin & Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - To Taste

Green Chilli - 1 

Fresh Ginger- A small cube

Cooked toor dal - 1/4 cup

For Tempering

Asafoetida - A Dash

Tomato pieces - 1 tbsp

Pineapple pieces tiny - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 Stem

Dry Red Chillies - 2 

Ghee / Clarifies Butter - 1/2 tbsp

Method

Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice and keep the filtered thick tamarind extract water ready.

Cook the toor dal and dilute 1/2 cup of the cooked toor dal and keep it ready.

Make the Pineapple puree by grinding the cleaned pineapple chunks, a green chili and the ginger cube in a blender without adding any water and keep it ready.

Make the tomato puree by grinding a fully ripen tomato in a blender and make it ready.

In a cooking vessel, add the tamarind extract, pineapple puree, tomato puree. To that, add turmeric powder, rasam powder, little asafoetida, half the quantity of cumin&black pepper powder and required amount of salt.. Add a cup of water and cover the vessel with a lid. 

Allow the content to cook till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.  At this stage, add the diluted dal water into the rasam vessel. Add required amount of water into it. 

Cover the lid and allow them to cook on a low flame.

Meantime, do the tempering process. In a tadka / tempering pan, add ghee first. When its heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chili, curry leaves, asafoetida and the remaining cumin/black pepper powder in order. When they are nicely tempered, pour them over the rasam.

Keep it on the stove till you notice nice froth on the top layer of the rasam. Switch it off once you get enough froth on the top.

Serve the hot, spicy, aromatic rasam with hot rice and ghee and enjoy. It can be a good appetizer too.

Tips /  Suggestions

Addition of  tamarind extract is optional. I basically like to blend the pineapple flavour with tamarind in my rasam. 

Do not boil the rasam for more time, then you might loose the real flavour and freshness. As soon as you get enough froth at the top layer, switch off the stove.

Vaazhaithandu Rasam / Vaazhaithandu Mor Rasam / Banana Stem Buttermilk Rasam

As we have started getting Banana Stem quite often in our area, I wish to make us of this vegetable in my kitchen frequently. Previously I have blogged few recipes using Banana Stem in my blog. This week I wish to make some watery form of this Banana Stem. Have tried raita, curry, kootu, Mor Kootu, etc., with this banana stem already. This Mor Rasam was very tasty and it can be enjoyed with a side of Kathirikai Kara curry / Brinjal Spicy Fry , Ladies Finger Fry / Bindi Fry or any suitable curry. You can make this delicious and healthy rasam during special occasions in this simpler way and get more appreciations.!! 

Ingredients

To Grind :

Hing - 1 Dash
Fresh Coconut Flakes - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 4 or 5 Medium
Ginger shredded - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp
Curd - 1 tbsp
Water - Enough to make a paste.
Banana Stem Medium - 1

Tempering :

Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Hing - A Dash
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5 or 6
Dry Red Chillies - 2 or 3

Salt - To Taste
Thick Buttermilk - 1 or 2 cup Enough to have the rasam consistency.
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Water - As required.

Procedure 

• Take out the outer covers of the Banana Stem / Vaazhaithandu completely. Chop the inner banana stem into tiny pieces and add them into a bowl of water. Add few tsps of curd into the water in order to avoid discolouration.
• Grind all the banana stem pieces with the remaining ingredients as mentioned above and make a smooth paste.
• In a cooking vessel, boil the grounded paste along with some turmeric powder, hing and little water till the paste cooks to a desired level. 
• Add required amount of buttermilk and water into the vessel and bring them to the rasam consistency but not too watery like tamarind rasam. Add salt at this stage into it.
• Let it boil for another 1 or 2 minute. Switch off the flame. 
• Do the tempering with all the ingredients as mentioned above and pour them over the banana stem rasam. 
• This rasam can either be enjoyed alone or can be mixed with hot rice.

Pomegranate Rasam / Maadhulampazha Rasam / Danimmapandu Chaaru

Pomegranate, a healthy and an antioxidant rich fruit is a symbol of healthy and eternal life. The tiny little red seeds inside the fruit are highly beneficial to the human heart and they melt away heart blockages. They lower Cholesterol and blood pressure and helps in preventing both heart attacks and strokes. Being a powerful and an extra dense fruit, its not wise to exclude this fruit from our menu. We could make a rich smoothie out of it, could add the seeds in our curd rice, raitas and in salads. Recently I read about this Pomegranate rasam in a magazine and decided to try it out in my kitchen. 

Neither tamarind juice nor tomatoes are needed to prepare this healthy rasam. I made this rasam only with the nutrient pomegranate juice. I assure you that it will be liked by your kids who refuse to eat pomegranate seeds. This rasam could be given as a good appetizer too.

Ingredients

Big Ripe Pomegranates - 3 or 4
Boiled Toor Dal - 2 tbsp

Coriander Leaves - To Garnish
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Black Pepper Powder - 3 tsp
Green chillies - 2 ( slit into halves )
Salt - To Taste
Water - As required.


For Tempering :
Oil - 3 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp ( Optional but yummy if added!!)
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4 or 5
Dry Red Chillies - 2 medium
Pinch of cumin pepper powder.


Method

• Take out the Pomegranate seeds and make a puree out of it using a blender. Strain the Pomegranate juice to filter only the juice without any seeds or precipitates. Keep the clean pomegranate juice ready.
• Meantime cook the toordal in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles. Add half a glass of water to the mashed toordal paste and keep the toordal water ready.
• In the rasam making pan or small vessel, add the Pomegranate juice along with the powders, hing, green chili slits,required amount of salt and a glass of water. Allow them to boil on medium flame for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell goes off. 
• Add the Toor dal water into the rasam and allow them to sit on low flame. Once you see the froth on the top of the rasam surface, switch off the flame.
• Do the tempering separately and pour the sizzling tempered contents over the rasam.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it as an appetizer. Or it can be served with hot white rice and a spicy veg curry.

Tempering :

Heat the tadka pan on a medium flame. Add oil / ghee into the pan. Once its heated, add Hing, Mustard seeds and Cumin Seeds. Once they sputter, add a pinch of cumin pepper powder, curry leaves, dry red chillies into it. When they get fried, pour them over the hot rasam. 

Tips 

• Make the cumin black pepper powder freshly and add to the rasam as it gives a nice aroma and spiciness to the rasam.
• Always add atleast a pinch of this powder in your tadka/tempering as it enhances the taste of the rasam.
• You can add a tsp of ghee during tempering along with oil. But addition of ghee is purely optional.
• You can adjust the Sambar Powder level according to the spiciness of the powder. Our homemade sambar powder will not be that spicy, so I add between 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp.
• Avoid choosing a big broad vessel for making rasams, instead go for a medium sized vessel with a narrow opening on its top.
• Try to switch off the flame as soon as you notice the froth on the top of rasam surface. This gives rasam a unique taste.

Simple Rasam / Gottu Rasam - With No Dal / Paruppu

 

Gottu Rasam is generally made without any dal and the process is quicker and simpler. Its spicy with a punch and could be given as a soup too..On any cold nights, this rasam would be perfect as it has a blend of all spices in it with the tangy tomato taste. I  and my husband love to have this rasam on a small ever silver tumbler just before meals. Its a heavenly food for the kids especially when they have running nose, stuffy nose or severe cold.

Ingredients

Tomato - 1 Big cut into tiny cubes

Tamarind Juice - 1/2 cup

Water - As required

Salt- To Taste

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 Dash

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Sambar Powder - 2 tsp

Sugar - 1 pinch

Special Rasam Powder - 2 tbsp ( Made instantly for this Gottu Rasam )

Coriander Leaves shredded - 2 tbsp

Instant Rasam Powder :

Black Pepper Seeds - 2 tsp

Methi seeds / Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam - 1/4 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp

Tempering / Tadka :

Ghee - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera / Cumin Seeds - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 small stem

Dry Red Chillies - 1 or 2 small

Procedure :

• Wash the tomato and cut it into tiny cubes and keep ready. Soak tamarind in warm water and make the tamarind juice ready.  Dry roast all the ingredients as mentioned above for making the instant rasam powder and grind them in a mixer grinder and keep the rasam powder ready.
• In a vessel, add tamarind juice, hing / asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambar powder, freshly made rasam powder, salt, sugar and little water and allow them to boil for 3-4 minutes. Then add the tomato pieces into it and let them get cooked with all the spices in it. Close the lid when the rasam is boiling as the taste and flavour would be retained.
• When you get a nice aroma, add desired amount of water into the vessel and reduce the flame to low.
• Once you see a thin layer of foam on top of the rasam, switch off the flame. Meantime, do the tempering process and pour them over the rasam.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy a glass of this spicy, tangy hot rasam first.

Tips / Notes :

I don't add garlic to this Gottu Rasam as it might change the taste of the rasam. You can add if you like the taste of garlic in it.

Spicy Tomato Rasam / Chaaru

In winter, most of the time we try to have this Spicy tomato rasam in our meal. Flavour of ripe tomatoes with the mix of spices gives us a special treat to the throat and makes us stay away from unnecessary cold.
During my childhood, no meal was complete without rasam in the menu.

Ingredients
Cooked Toor Dal - 4 tbsp.
Tamarind Juice - 1/2 Cup.
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1 tsp ( for excellent flavour).
Salt - 1 tbsp.( Add to your taste, i generally add little less in my dishes.)
Sugar - 1 pinch.
Sambar Powder - 1.5 tbsp
(I have a luxury of getting this sambar powder from my mom from India).
Good Ripe Tomatoes - 2 medium sized.
Coriander Leaves - Little to spread it on top of rasam.

For grinding :
Black Pepper Seeds - 1.5 tbsp.
Jeera - 2 tbsp.
Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Red Chilly - 1 Medium size.

For Tadka :
Mustard Seeds - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - Little
Curry Leaves - 5 or 6.
Red Chilly - 1.

Method :
1. Cook the toor dal, mash it and keep it separately.
2. On a thick bottomed vessel, add the tamarind juice extract without any dust or pieces.
3. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, sambar powder, salt, sugar to the juice.
4. Add some water to this mixture and cover it.
5. Let it boil for sometime till the rawness of tamarind goes away.
6. Add the cut tomatoes into the mixute and also the add the grinded powder.
7. Let it cook on a medium flame for five minutes.
7. Add the cooked dal water into the rasam mixture.
8. Close the lid and reduce the flame greatly so that a layer of foam forms at the top layer of the rasam.
9. Switch it off and add the tadka to the rasam mixture.
10. Finally add the crushed coriander leaves into the rasam.

It can be given in a small glass as an appetizer in get-togethers, parties.

Tips
My Mom always says that the rasam has to be taken out of the stove after a complete layer of foam is formed. It tastes great with that and I experienced that personally.