TANZANIA RASAM (AKA PERIMA RASAM)

Rasam in South Indian kitchen is like soup for westerners. One can drink it as it serves the purpose of an appetizer. But it takes 3rd place in order of eating in South Indian daily menu. The reason most probably being that it helps in digestion as it contains both pepper and cumin as its main ingredients.

There are many different ways of making rasam which helps to overcome the boredom or monotony that i sometimes feel. There are people who feel their lunch or dinner is incomplete if they don't take rasam as a part of their meal. Rasam-rice alone is accepted as light dinner in the absence of sambar. Even when someone is running a cold or down with high temperature rasam-saadam is preferred.

There is a custom followed in South Indian Brahmin families to make rasam without using tamarind on DWADASI DAY (twelfth lunar day of both waning and waxing fortnight). They use lime instead of tamarind on that day. One such recipe for rasam came into use called PORITHA RASAM. It tastes yummy and has the strong aroma of pepper. Some use tomatoes while making rasam and also add lime juice before serving. I tasted this rasam while at Dar-es-salaam prepared by my sister, Rama, in the most authentic Iyengar way. When every step of preparation is followed as given in this recipe which I took from her, this yummy rasam is sure to satisfy your taste buds. I would suggest to have curd pachadi and some fried curry as accompaniments in the menu the day you prepare this rasam.

PORITHA RASAM

TOOR DAL 1/4 CUP (A FISTFUL AND ANOTHER 1/2 FIST)

TURMERIC POWDER 1/2 TSP

LG

SALT TO TASTE

FRY AND POWDER:

(EXCEPT CUMIN SEEDS)

UDITH DAL 3/4 TSP

CHENA DAL 1/2 TSP

PEPPER 3 TSP

RED CHILLIES 3

CUMIN SEEDS 1 1/2 TSP

FOR TEMPERING IN GHEE:

MUSTARD SEEDS 1/2 TSP

CURRY LEAVES LITTLE

LG A PINCH

PREPARATION:

PRESSURE COOK TOOR DAL. FRY THE INGREDIENTS GIVEN UNDER "FRY AND POWDER" IN LITTLE OIL. COOL AND POWDER ADDING CUMIN SEEDS.

METHOD:

TAKE A VESSEL WHICH HAS A CAPACITY TO FILL 4 GLASSES OFLIQUID.USUALLY

WE USE "EEYA KINNAM" IN OUR HOUSES WHICH HAS THE CAPACITY TO MAKE RASAM

FOR A FAMILY OF 4 TO 5 MEMBERS. IT CAN HOLD 4 TO 5 GLASSES OF RASAM (LIQUID).

DILUTE THE COOKED DAL AND POUR IN THE VESSEL TO THE LEVEL OF 3/4 MEASURE.

ADD SALT, TURMERIC POWDER, CURRY LEAVES AND LG AND BRING TO BOIL ON LOW FIRE.

MIX THE POWDER (WHICH IS KEPT READY) IN A LITTLE WATER AND ADD TO BOILING DAL WATER.

WHEN THE RASAM IS FOAMY SLOW DOWN THE HEAT. REPEAT THIS TWO TO THREE TIMES NOT ALLOWING THE RASAM TO BOIL MUCH. ADD THE TEMPERING AND COVER THE RASAM VESSEL WITH A LID TO RETAIN ITS AROMA. SERVE WITH HOT RICE.

Podi

When it comes to podis, there is nothing to beat Kandipodi in Andhra cuisine which is called Parruppu podi in tamil. Also in the list are Karivepilai podi (Curry leaves podi), Thengai podi (Coconut podi), Pudina podi (Mint Leaves Podi) and Murungai keerai podi ( Drumstick Leaves podi).

In the South Indian hotels esp in Andhra we find these podis along with pachadis (gongura and avakai) on the table ready for our service. And in all andhra house hold no meal is complete without having hot rice with ghee mixed in podi. The recipe is known as "annamlo podi" (literally meaning powder in rice). Since we grew up in Hyderabad we are used to starting with dry type rice with podi and fried curries as the first dish in our lunch. It is easy to make children eat when there is podi at home. This can be preserved for 3 weeks or more once it is prepared.

Here, first in order of my favourites, I should tell about coconut podi which is the recipe taught by my husband's grandmother. Followed by the ones which i tried from a telugu cookery book written by a famous author. I would like to thank cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com posted by MRS.SRIVALLI for curry leaves podi in a different style - UNDER KARIVEPAKU-PODI-SPICED-CURRY-LEAF. I like my friends to follow the same as i enjoyed the taste

of that powder.

I)COCONUT PODI/THENGAI PODI

CHENA DAL 1 CUP

UDITH DAL 1/2 CUP

LG 2 PINCH

DRY CHILLIES 3

GRATED COCONUT 1 CUP (FROM HALF COCONUT)

SALT TO TASTE

IN HOT KADAI ROAST DALS AND CHILLIES. ROAST COCONUT TILL IT IS DRY.

COOL ADD LG AND SALT AND COARSELY POWDER IN MIXIE.

II)DRUMSTICK LEAVES/MURUNGAI-KEERAI PODI

MURUNGAI KEERAI PODI 2 TBLSP

SEASAME SEEDS 1/4 CUP

UDITH DAL 1/4 CUP

RED CHILLIES 15 TO 20

GARLIC (WITHOUT PEELING SKIN) 10 CLOVES

TAMARIND GOOSEBERY SIZE

SALT

METHOD:

CLEAN LEAVES, WIPE WITH CLOTH. DRY ON A DRY CLOTH. WHEN DRIED DRY ROAST TILL CRISP.

MAKE POWDER AND USE 2 TABLESPOON OF POWDER FOR PODI.

DRY ROAST UDITH DAL, SEASAME SEPERATELY. THEN IN LITTLE HOT OIL FRY CHILLIES.

COOL AND POWDER TOGETHER.

LAST ADD LEAVES POWDER,SALT TAMARIND AND GARLIC AND POWDER.

N O T E

WITH SLIGHT VARIATION YOU CAN MAKE CURRY LEAVES PODI AND ALSO MINT (PUDINA) PODI.

CURRY LEAVES PODI: USE CURRY LEAVES POWDER INSTEAD OF DRUSTICK LEAVES POWDER

LIKE ABOVE. OMIT SEASAME SEEDS. ADD CHENA DAL (1/4 CUP) ALONG WITH UDITH DAL.

MINT/PUDINA PODI: FOLLOW SAME PROCEDURE AND INGREDIENTS LIKE DRUMSTICK LEAVES

POWDER BUT OMIT SEASAME SEEDS AND GARLIC FOR THIS PODI.

TOMATO PULAO

This is a Andhra Style Tomato Pulao. Made with Tomato puree and coconut milk, the flavour of the rice is mild yet yummy!

RICE 1 CUP

TOMATO 3-4 med sized pureed (1 cup)

ONION 1 (Thinly Sliced)

GINGER GARLIC PASTE 1 TO 1 1/2 TSP

GREEN CHILLIES 6

PUDINA AND CORIANDER 1 bunch each

PEPPER 1 TSP

LAVANG/CLOVES 1 TSP

COCONUT MILK 1 Cup

RED CHILLI POWDER 1/2 TSP

GHEE/OIL

(THE MEASURE OF GHEE OR OIL SHD BE 1/10 OF QUANTITY OF RICE)

SALT

Preparation :
Soak rice for 10 min.
Blanch tomatoes, peel off skin and make puree.
To extract coconut milk, use fresh or frozen coconut .Blend in mixer and make a smooth

paste. Add warm water and strain for one glass milk.

Procedure:

Heat ghee/oil, add cloves and pepper. When they splutter add the thinly

sliced onions and saute. Then add slit green chillies and little salt and fry.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute. Add pudina and coriander paste, red chilli powder

tomato puree and coconut milk.

For 1 cup of rice 2 cups liquid is required.

Hence use 1 cup tomato puree and 1 cup coconut milk. Allow to boil, then add

rice, salt some mint leaves and mix and cook for 15 min till rice is done.

garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

The proportion for one measure rice is two measure liquid. In that 1/2 will be tomato puree

and 1/2 will be coconut milk.

VENDAKAI/BENDI PARRUPPU USILI

I went to chennai for a short trip last week.

It always gives pleasure to vist our native place

that too when you come back after a stay in other

country.Though in Hyderabad which is my hometown,

it gives great happiness to meet relatives after

a gap of one year.Not to mention about the festive

feeling the moment you land in chennai and pass

through the streets where you come accross the

temples and the flower shops with the aroma of

malligai welcoming you. Being the month of

AADI, you can witness the subeeksham everywhere.

The season of Amman festival in Hyderabad (called

Ammawari Jatra) just finished,I had chance to

witness people making KOOZHU in front of temples

in chennai.

I met my sisters-in-law in chennai, and had opportunity

to exchange views about many traditional recipes and

the posts i made in my blog.They too were ready to

share the signature recipes of their in-law's and

the ones which my husband's grandmother used to make.

I like to post them in my blog.

Paruppu usili called ARAICHU KELARAL by Iyengars is

common.Usually the vegetables used to make the same

are French Beans,Cluster Beans and my mother used to

make with snake gourd too.The practise is, when the

quantity of vegetable is less which is not enough

to make a side dish as curry for a family consuming

1/2 kg, they resort to paruppu usili which increases

the quanity because we add dals for the making

with the less quantity of vegetable.This recipe also

finds place in the menu of all the functions where

food is served in pandhis.

But for a change I had this vendaikai/Bendi paruppu

usili in my sister-in-law's place which is prepared

in their Mylapore house.They are from Thiruvahindrapuram.

Ingredients

Vendaikai 1/2 kg

For usili-grind to coarse paste:

toor dal 1 cup

Red chillies 5

Lg little

salt

For tempering:

Mustard 1 tsp

Udith dal 1 tsp

chena dal 1 tsp

Red Chillies 2

Curry leaves

Soak dal in enough water.Clean and cut bendi. Heat oil add bendi and saute.

Add salt required for bendi and fry till done.When it is crispy remove and keep aside.

Grind soaked dal adding red chillies, salt and Lg to a coarse consistency.

Heat oil in pan and add tempering items and ground dal paste and saute.

when done and look almost fried add cooked bendi and mix well.Fry for a while and see that

the bendi peices dont stick to each other.The curry should look dry.

VAZAITHANDU/BANANASTEM PACHADI

INGREDIENTS

VAZAITHANDU 1

CURD 1 CUP

SALT

OIL 2 TSP

FOR PASTE:

MUSTARD 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLIES 2

SEASAME SEEDS/GINGELLY SEEDS 1 TSP

FOR TEMPERING:

MUSTARD 1/2 TSP

UDITH DAL 1 TSP

CHENA DAL 1 TSP

JEERA 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLy 1

CURRY LEAVES FEW

Take fresh and tender banana stem and cut into small pieces. Add salt to this and keep

aside.

Heat oil in a pan add tempering items except red chillies and curry leaves.

Squeeze the cut vazaithandu to remove water and add to the tempering and saute.

cover and cook. Add curry leaves and red chilles(Adding chillies late is to avoid

pachadi getting hot and to just give a good look for pachadi with red colour).

Remove when vazaithandu is done and cool.

Make paste of mustard, red chillies and seasame seeds using little water.

Beat curd and add the paste and mix well.Add cooked vazaithandu to this.

Add required salt and mix.

Garnish with cut coriander leaves and serve.