Paruppu Rasam - Rasam with Dhal

Rasam- the very word evokes love and warmth.  Rasam is my ultimate comfort food, with it's aromatic blend of spices that soothes an upset stomach, a rancid cold that will not go away, a nagging feeling of restlesness.  This is also the Rasam that my family and friends beg for when they are sick. Now, there are as many types and tastes for rasam as there are households in South India.  This is a recipe made in my family for generations- each person following the same recipe and yet ending up with a different taste...   This is a Rasam that only tastes good when you use your hands to mix.  Make sure you wash them well, before plunging them in to have fun...

Main Ingredients:

Dhal- toor dhal- softly cooked and mashed ( 1/2 cup- after cooked)
Tomato - 1 large
Tamarind- Lime size ball

Spices to be ground:  Use a pestle and hand grind this to a very coarse powdery paste. As shown in picture to the right...

1/2 spoon Black Pepper
1/2 spoon Jeera ( cumin)
1 clove of garlic



Seasoning:
Mustard seeds
Jeera
Red chillies
Hing ( asofetida) - a pinch

Curry leaves - 10
Coriander leaves- handful


Method of Preparation:

1. Mix the dhal, Tomato and Tamarind in 2 cups of water.  Hand mash all three ingredients until you get a orangeish- yellowish liquid...

Add caption

2. Add the mashed up spices and mix again till combined - Again use your hands.
heat it up in a pot, until it starts to froth and a delicious aroma wafts all around you.

3. Add the Curry and Coriander leaves

turn off the heat.

4. In a seperate pan, heat 1 spn of oil or Ghee and add the seasonings in the order specified.  Add the Jeera only after the mustard sputters and spits.  Do not let it burn.  Just enough to be golden.  remove and add it into the Rasam pot.

Serve with hot rice...  Or drink it plain as a soup.

Fried idlis or Kaima Idlis - Sharavana Bhavan style

Fried Idlis

Leftover idles can be put to excellent use in this recipe that's fantastic on your taste buds while not doing your waist any favors...  Why???

Ingredients:

leftover idlis- Do not use Hot idles.  But rather let them cool and sit out for at least 1/2 day in a covered container. This makes it not absorb as much oil and makes for a firmer end product...

onions- 1 large chopped into small pieces
tomatoes - 2 large - pureed
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsps
Green chillies - 2 - minced
curry leaves- 2 sprigs
coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch


spices:

turmeric
chilli powder
coriander powder
Shan masala - Tikka masala - 1.5 tspns
sugar - 1 spn

Fried idlis ready to be masalized

ketchup -maggi optional



seasoning:

mustard
urad dhal
saunf ( fennel seeds)

Preparation

1.  Chop the Idlis into 1- 2 inch bits and deep fry it till golden brown and crisp.
2.  In a large wide pan- heat 2 tblspns of oil
3.  Add the seasonings and saute for a few minutes
4. Add green chillies, ginger/ garlic paste and saute till it turns golden
5.  Add the Onions and salute till transparent.
6.Add the Curry leaves and tomato puree and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat.
7.  Add the spices listed in order...  Sautéing in between each addition.
8.  After another 10 minutes of sautéing, the gravy should lose its rawness.
9.  Add the fried idles to the gravy and saute for 3 minutes
10.  Add cilantro/ coriander leaves and serve with Raitha.  Or Plain is pretty yummy too.