Moving to the US opened my eyes literally to a whole new style and method of cooking. In the beginning to keep boredom and silence at bay I used to keep the television turned on. Channel surfing brought me to the "Food Network" channel. I started slowly getting hooked on to some shows. I was asterisk by the amount of work that goes into cooking. Presenting food well is as important as cooking it. Another thing I learnt is the art of chopping vegetables. It makes a whole lot of difference to cooking food. In a brief period I gained a lot of knowledge about different cuisines. So these days when we order at an Italian restaurant I don't have to act dumb when they say the foccacia sandwich is made up of aioli and grilled vegetables.
I wanted to share some of the recipes I love and have tried. More importantly those recipes with which I have seen success.
I thought a lot about where I should begin. What is it that we all crave when we are traveling and are tired of insipid hotel (airline?) food. The answer is "Rasam" The recipe I wish to share today is that of the ubiquitous "Rasam". Rasam is a staple diet with south Indians. It is our version of a spicy,peppery clear soup. Nothing better than rasam to open up clogged sinuses. It is comfort food in the truest sense. The best thing to eat with hot rice when you are ill and feel indigested. Don't want to sound immodest but over the past 5 years I have sort of hit upon the right combination of ingredients to make the perfect rasam. So here is my recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup Toor dal (split pigeon pea)
1/4 cup coriander leaves (coarsly chopped)
7-8 curry leaves
small piece of jaggery
1 1/2 tsp rasam powder
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 big tomato
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
3 1/2 cups Water
Method:
Cook dal with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker (it needs to cook really well atleast 3 whistles). In another vessel combine the chopped tomatoes, coriander leaves, curry leaves, 1 cup water, rasam powder, jaggery and the tamarind paste. Let this concoction boil for about 15-20 mins. Take the dal out of the cooker and churn well to get a smooth consistency. Once that is done mix the dal to the boiled concoction. Add salt. Now let the whole mixture boil nicely. For the tadka take the oil ( I prefer 1 tsp ghee; it adds a new dimension) and add the mustard seeds. Once they sputter add the hing and pour into the rasam.
Rasam aficionados argue that the taste of rasam depends only on the quality of the rasam powder used. I disagree, I have tried with several varieties of home made as well as ones available in Indian stores (like MTR) the results are the same.
My personal tips for making tasty rasam:
1. Cooking Dal well and churning it
2. Boiling the concoction well (close lid to retain flavor), ofcourse keep a watch not to burn it. This kind of steeping brings the bold flavors of the rasam powder to the fore.
3. Using all the ingredients as mentioned above. Outwardly it appears dal, rasam powder, salt and tomato are the main ingredients. But the combination of all the above is what makes it tasty
Do try it out! Happy eating then :)
6 comments:
In my opinion, "Rasam" is divine food. Please blog about the interesting variations of rasam like pineapple rasam, lime rasam, black-grape rasam,kokum rasam, without-dal rasam (I call it the sick-man's rasam), pepper rasam, ginger rasam, butter-milk rasam..I guess the list is endless. Hoping to see this soon.
Nirmala,
You mention really interesting and lip smacking variations to the rasam. Could you share these recipes with us. I am eager to try it out. Black grape and buttermilk rasam sound exotic!!
Wow! the word rasam creates energy and enhances interest during any meal of the day. Nice to see your rasam receipe. The rasam in the photo looks yummy :) I agree that the important aspect of rasam is to maintain its flavor troughout the prepration process. Try adding curry and coriander leaves just after mixing dal to the boiled concoction. This will retain the flavor of the leaves. Waiting for more receipes from you :)
Add a pinch of Jeera while Rasam is boiling. It adds different flavor.
Shylini,
I will try to add the curry leaves and coriander leaves towards the end and try out the rasam.
This one's a keeper.
I tried it and loved it!
Thanks a ton!
Supriya
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