Rasam

Rasam

Rasam is a soothing dish, a sort of comfort food for the South Indian. It can soothe one's nerves and relax the digestive system.  There are various kinds of rasams, tomato rasam, milagu rasam, lemon rasam, mysore rasam and so on. Again methods of preparing rasam vary from region to region.

Here I shall give you the method I learnt from my mother in my early cooking days. It is quick, easy and really tasty!! Nothing like Mom's cooking......

Ingredients

• 1 small lemon size ball of tamarind soaked in warm water

• 2-3 tomatoes medium size...not over-ripe.
• 2 green chillies (split into halves)
• A few scrapping of ginger
• A small bit of asafoetida (hing) or 1/2 tsp. of asafoetida (hing) powder

• 1/2 cup of tuvar dal (thuvaram paruppu)

• A small bunch of coriander leaves (chopped fine)
• A few twigs of curry leaves
• 1 1/2 tsps. salt

• 2 tsps. rasam powder (rasa podi) ( https://radhascooking.blogspot.com/2019/09/rasam-powder.html)

For tempering

• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli broken into bits
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• 1/4 tsp. jeera

Method of preparation

• Wash the tuvar dal (thuvaram paruppu)  and pressure cook it alongwith tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and asafoetida.
• After 2 whistles, simmer the pressure cooker for 5-6 minutes.
• On cooling, mash the dal well and keep aside.

• Extract the tamarind juice. Make up the tamarind extract to about 2 cups. Add the rasam powder, curry leaves and salt and cook on medium flame for about 8-10 minutes, till the smell of tamarind has gone.

• Now add the mashed dal mixture to the tamarind extract and cook on low flame till it boils and bubbles appear on the surface. Simmer for a few more minutes.
• Switch off the flame.
• Add the chopped coriander leaves and cover.

• Take ghee in a kadai and heat it.
• When hot, add the mustard seeds, broken chilli, asafoetida. When the mustard seeds sputter, add the jeera and temper the rasam.

Rasam ready to be served in bowls

Serve the rasam in bowls. 

Many people love drinking the rasam...It is also eaten as rasam sadam with hot rice.

Idli/dosai milagai podi (Gun powder in Brahmin jargon)

Idli/Dosai milagai podi

In most homes, idli and dosai are eaten with chutney and sambar. But you always find a bowl of milagai podi too to add on to the taste. In my home idli milagai podi is a must! This is a recipe which I learnt from my neighbour in Mumbai 30 years ago.

Ingredients

Idli podi ingredients

• 20-25 numbers
• 1/2 cup Urad Dal (ulutham paruppu)
• 1/4 cup- Channa Dal/ kadalai paruppu 
• 1/4 tsp  Asafoetida/Hing
• 1 tsp.White Sesame seeds (optional)
•  1 tbsp  Salt
•  1 tsp Oil 
• A bit of jaggery

Method of preparation

• Roast red chillies is a little oil.  Keep aside.
• Roast urad dal, channa dal and hing in the same kadai and keep aside.
• Roast the sesame seeds for less than a minute and transfer to a plate.
• On cooling grind the ingredients  (with the salt) in a blender.
• Add a bit of jaggery in the last turn of the blender.

Idli milagai podi is ready!!

Dosais (Dosa)

Making Dosais (dosas)

Dosai is a popular South Indian dish, a fine pancake made of rice and dals of various kinds. It is a protein rich dish as it has urad dal alongwith rice in the batter.
(Note: I use the same batter for all dosai-masala and sada, besides idlis and uthappams.)

Instructions to make dosais

• Prepare the dosai mavu ( https://radhascooking.blogspot.com/2019/09/idli-and-dosa-batter.html).
• Allow the batter to ferment overnight and then use the mavu.
• Stir well and check the consistency. Add a little water if necessary. It should be thinner than the idli mavu, so that it can be easily poured on to the tava. 

Pour a ladle of mavu in the centre and spread

• Heat the tava until it is hot.
• Pour a ladle of mavu in the centre of the tava and slowly spread the mavu in concentric circles till the edges of the tava.
• Drizzle the dosai with a mixture of ghee and oil and cook on a medium flame till golden brown and the edges begin to rise up from the tava.

Drizzle the dosai with a mixture of ghee and oil 

• Flip the dosai round and baste with oil round the dosai.
• Serve the dosai with chutney and sambar.

Turn the dosa round when golden brown

Sada Dosa is ready to be served with idli/dosai podi. (https://radhascooking.blogspot.com/2019/09/idlidosai-milagai-podi-gun-powder-in.html)

Check out other dosa recipesRava dosa  //  Masala dosa  //

Idli and dosa Batter

Idli mavu/Dosai mavu

Idlis are a favourite breakfast dish. It is popular in the south and is proving to be a healthy breakfast even in the north. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani is rumoured to be very fond of idlis, sambar and chutney!

Idlis have several variations, like rava idli, oats idli, kanchipuram idli and so on. Here I have given the basic batter for making rice idlis which involves soaking the urad dal and rice  for a few hours, grinding them and letting the batter ferment.  This batter or mavu can be used as idli on the first day after fermentation, dosai on the second day and as uthappams on the third day. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups of urad dal (black gram)
• 4 cups of parboiled rice (puzhungal idli arisi)
• 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds (methi)
• 2 tbsps of aval (beaten rice)
• Salt to taste

 Method of preparation of the batter

Soaked urad dal, methi and rice

• Wash the urad dal and rice separately 3 or 4 times.
• Add the fennel seeds to the urad dal while soaking in water.
• Soak both the rice and dal in water for a minimum of 4 hours.
• Soak the aval (beaten rice) about 15 minutes before grinding.
• (Note: I generally soak the rice, urad dal and methi in the same container. But you can soak it separately and grind separately if you find it more convenient).
• After 4 hours drain the water from the rice and dal and grind in the mixer or wet grinder if you have one.
• (Note: If using a mixer be cautious of the motor heating up as the parbpoiled rice can be tough to grind.)
• Grind the rice and dal till soft and frothy. But be careful while adding water. The batter must be of  dropping consistency.
• Transfer the ground batter to a tall vessel. Add salt and mix it well using your hand. The heat from the hand helps in fermentation.
• Keep it asides overnight.

idli batter in tall container 

(Note: If using idli rava (which is parboiled rice ground into a rava consistency) use 1 1/4 cup of it for ever 1 cup of parboiled rice).

Making the idlis

• Stir the fermented idli batter and check the consistency. It should drop slowly from the spoon.
• Prepare the idli cooker by pouring water into it and heating it.
• Ladle the batter into the greased idli plates and steam for 10 minutes in the idli cooker.
• Check that the idlis are cooked using a toothpick. It should come out clean when poked.
• Remove the idli stand and allow the plates to cool.
• Carefully remove the idlis from the idli moulds using a spoon.

(Note: I found that using a handful of old cooked rice instead of aval for the batter was excellent! however, many orthodox families may not approve!! Do use your discretion...)

Idli batter poured into the moulds in stand

Idlis can be made the next day for breakfast.

Rasam Powder

Rasam Powder (Rasa Podi)

Rasam means "elixer" and truly it is a great dish to have daily. However rasams in the south vary depending on the region and the tastes of the people. This is my favourite Jyoti mami's recipe and it has stood me in good stead over the years. The ingredients can either be sun dried or roasted on a low flame.  Families differ in their spice levels. So I suggest that depending on the palate of your family you can vary the chillies. Again Kashmiri or Bydagi chillies are moderate in their "karam" level, which is why I use them. 

Ingredients:

Ordinary red chillies

Bydagi red chillies

• 1 cup -dried red chillies ( Kashmiri or Bydagi)
• 1 cup -Coriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 1/2 cup - Tuvar dal 
• 2 tbsps. Channa dal 
• 2 1/2 tbsps. pepper
• 2 tbsps cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 small bit of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsps turmeric
• Curry leaves - few bunches 

Rasam powder ingredients

Method of preparation

• Clean all the ingredients one by one.
• Wash the curry leaves and wipe dry. 

• Roast the tuvar dal and channa dal in a kadai till they turn golden brown.
• Transfer to a plate or paper to cool.

• Next roast the red chillies and dhaniya with the flame in low. When the chillies become crispy transfer the ingredients to a plate to cool.

• Roast the cumin seeds, pepper and hing and keep aside.
• Roast lightly the curry leaves and keep aside.

Roasted ingredients in mixie

• Once all the above roasted ingredients have cooled, grind them in a blender alongwith turmeric. The pwder should be a little rough as shown in figure.
• Store in an airtight jar and use as required.
  

Sambar Podi

Sambar podi (Sambar powder)

Sambar powder

Sambar is a staple of South Indian cooking. Although there are any number of ready made sambar podis available in the market, I believe home-made ones are the best. They last longer and you can choose the ingredients with care. 

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried red chillies packed tightly  (I generally use bydagi chilli but other varieties can also be used. )
• 1 cup coriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 1/3 cup  tuvar dal
• 1/3 cup channa dal
• 2 tbsps. fennel seeds (methi)
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tbsp. pepper (milagu)
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 small lump of asafoetida (hing)
• a bunch of curry leaves
• 1 tsp of oil

Method of Preparation

1. Dry roast the coriander in a kadai for a few minutes. Keep aside to cool. 
2. Again in the same kadai, dry roast the tuvar dal, channa dal, methi, hing and jeera and keep aside to cool.
3. In a little oil roast the red chillies and pepper till you get the aroma. Keep this aside to cool.
4. Lastly, lightly dry the curry leaves on the hot kadai.

(Note: In some families the ingredients are sun dried, cooled and powdered.)

• Powder all the roasted ingredients with the turmeric in a blender. The powder should be finely ground.
• Cool the powder on a newspaper and then store in an air-tight tin. 

Bisi Bela Bhat

Bisi Bela Bhat

Bisi Bela Bhat 

Bisi Bela Bhat  is  a very popular South Indian dish, especially in Karnataka. 

The word Bisi means hot, bela is lentils and bhat is rice. Basically it is rice and dal cooked together with ample vegetables and ground spices, with a generous dollop of ghee.

Ingredients

For the bath

• 1 cup of rice
• 3/4 cup of tuvar dal

• 1 lemon sized tamarind
• Salt to taste
• A generous amount of ghee
• Jaggery- a tiny blob to add at the end

Vegetables

Vegetables- cut into small pieces

The following vegetables can be included in this dish. 

• 1 large onion (cut fine) or a handful of peeled shallots
• Carrots
• Beans
• Capsicum
• Peas
• Radish (mullangi) ..optional
• Cluster beans
• Cauliflower
• Drumsticks

Take a cupful of assorted vegetables depending on availability. All vegetables have to be cut evenly into small cubes. If using drumstick, cut into 2 inch pieces and cook separately. Remeber to add with the cooked vegetables in the bath.

Generally carrots, cauliflower, peas and beans are used to give colour to the dish.

For the ground paste

Bisi bela bhat powder ingredients

• 3-4 red chillies -preferably byadgi
• 2 tbsp. coriander seeds-dhaniya
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• 1 tsp. chana dal
• 4-5 grains of fennel seeds-methi
• 1 inch cinnamon stick -lavanga pattai
• 2 cloves
• 1 small marathi moggu
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1 small bit of asafoetida-hing
• 1 tbsp. grated coconut
• In a kadai roast the red chillies, urad dal and chana dal.
• Then add the coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves and marathi moggu.
• Separately roast methi seeds and hing and keep aside.
• Powder the the roasted mixture and keep aside.
• Grind the coconut along with the mixture and keep aside. 

For the seasoning

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 red chili broken into bits
• A few curry leaves
• Hing powder

Method of Preparation

• Wash the rice and tuvar dal together.
• Add 3 cups of water to the rice and a tsp. of salt to the mixture in the pressure cooker.
• Pressure cook the rice and dal together for 3 whistles.

• Soak the tamarind in warm water.
• Extract the juice.
• Mix 1 tsp. salt to the tamarind extract and keep aside.

• Take a pan and add a tbsp of ghee to it.
• Add the onions/shallots and saute. 
• When golden brown add the other vegetables and saute for a few minutes.
• Add about 1 cup water and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) to the vegetables.
• Cook with the pan closed with a lid till the vegetables are more or less done.

• Heat the tamarind extract for a few minutes till a few bubbles appear.
• Add the cooked vegetables to the extract and let it cook and soak in the tanginess of the tamarind.
• Open the pressure cooker and mash the rice dal mixture well.
• Now add the rice dal mixture to the cooked vegetables and tamarind extract and stir well. Add a 1 cup of water to get the mixture to blend well. 
• Add the ground paste and stir well. 
• Switch the gas/induction off.
• Take a little ghee in a kadi. 
• Add mustard seeds, red chillies, hing powder and curry leaves.
• Pour the seasoning on the bath.
• Add the lump of jaggery to the bisi bela bath and stir well.
• Serve with a generous dollop of ghee.

Bisi Bela Bath is ready to be served hot with pappadam, raita or chips!

Pavarkkai Pitlai

Pavarkkai Pitlai

Pavarkkai -bitter gourd

Pavarkkai or bitter gourd is a delicacy is most South Indian households. It can be made into pitlai which is a version of kozhambu, crisp chips,  as well as pickle.

The health benefits of Pavarkkai are many. 7-Health Benefits of Bitter Gourd

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium sized bitter gourds
• 1/2 cup of tuvar dal
• 1 lemon-sized tamarind
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• A few curry leaves
• Salt to taste ( about 1 1/2 tsps.)
• A lump of jaggery (optional)

Method of Preparation

• Soak the tamarind in warm water for about 20 minutes and extract its juice.
•  Pressure cook the tuvar dal with the turmeric powder.

Cooked tuvar dal

• Chop the bitter gourds into small pieces and keep aside.

Chopped pavarkkai

Ingredients to be ground

Ground ingredients

• 4 tsps coriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 2 tsp. urad dal
• 2 tsp channa dal
• 5-6 peppercorns
• 5 red chillies
• A few curry leaves
• Asafoetida - a small lump (hing)
• 2 tsp. oil 
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

• Roast the coriander seeds, urad dal, channa dal, peppercorns, red chillies, curry leaves and hing in a little oil till colour changes to golden brown.
• Grind the roasted mixture with the grated coconut.

Procedure

• Saute the chopped pavarkkai pieces in a little oil in a kadai till it is partially cooked.
• Pour the tamarind extract into the kadai.
• Add salt and a little turmeric.
• Allow the mixture to boil till the raw smell of tamarind has gone.
• Now add the cooked tuvar dal and stir for a minute till the consistency is uniform.
• Then add the ground paste and cook till the pitlai starts boiling.
• Drop a lump of jaggery at the end.

Tempering

Take a tsp. of oil and temper with 1 tsp.mustard seeds, 1 chilli broken into bits, and hing, and a few  curry leaves.

Pavarkkai pitlai

Pavarkkai Pitlai ready!!
Serve with hot rice.

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Manathakkali Keerai Curry

Manathakkali keerai poriyal 

Manathakkali keerai

Manathakkali is Black night shade in English. This keerai is rich in antioxidants, iron, vitamins, calcium and minerals. It is good for the treatment of mouth ulcers as well as stomach ulcers besides helping control diabetes. This keerai is among the veggies readily available in Thondamuthur where I currently live. 

Ingredients

• Manathakkali keerai - 1 bunch
• 1 onion -finely chopped
• 1/2  Tsp mustard seeds
• 1  Tsp urad dal
• 1/2  Tsp jeera
• 2-3 red chillies
• 3 Tbsp -grated coconut
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation

Picked and cleaned keerai leaves

• Pick only the leaves of the keerai and clean well.  Chop the leaves and keep aside.

• Heat oil in a kadai. Add the mustard seeds and jeera. When it splutters, add the urad dal, red chillies broken into halves.

• Add the finely chopped onion and saute till it turns golden brown.

• Now add the manathakkali keerai to the kadai and stir well. 

• Close the kadai and let the keeerai cook in its own juice.

• When it is nearly done, add the required salt.

• Stir well . When it is done, add the grated coconut and stir well.

Manathakkali keerai poriyal

Manathakkali keerai is ready to serve. . 

Javarsi (Sago) idli

Javarsi (Sago) Idli

Javarsi- sago

Javarsi idli is a quick and healthy South Indian breakfast for busy mornings with no grinding and no hassle. Served with sambar and chutney this is a filling and gluten-free dish. 

Sago contains antioxidants and resistant starch and has been linked to many benefits, including improving risk factors for heart disease and enhancing exercise performance.

Ingredients

• 1 cup javarsi (sago)

• 2 cups  idli arisi           

• 2 cups curd

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ENO salt

Method of preparation

• Wash the idli arisi well.

• Add the sago and curd to the rice (idli arisi).

• Mix well. Add sufficient water to make the batter idli consistency.

• Keep overnight to ferment.

Ground sago idli batter

Grease the idli moulds and get the idli cooker ready.

• Whisk the idli mix well. Add a little more water if needed.

• Stir in 1 teaspoon salt.

• Add 1 teaspoon ENO salt to the batter and quickly mix it in, moving the ladle in one direction only till bubbles start forming. 

• Quickly ladle the batter into the greased idli plates and steam for 10 minutes in the idli cooker.

Idli moulds with batter

Javersi idlis are ready.

Sago idlis ready to eat

Paruppu Usili

Paruppu Usili- cluster beans


This is a Tamil Brahmin favourite and goes very well with rasam as well as vettha kuzhambu. The main ingredients are cluster beans with tuvar dal.  

Kothavarangai-Cluster beans

Ingredients

• Cluster beans beans – 1 cup chopped fine.
• Tuvar dal (tuvaram parippu) – 3/4 cup
• Channa dal (kadala parippu) – 1/4 cup
• Dried red chillies – 2 to 3
• Hing/asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Salt – to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• Oil- 2-3 tbsps.

 Method of preparation

• Soak tuvar dal and channa dal in water for  2 hours.
• Cook the chopped cluster beans in  a pressure cooker. One whistle and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Grind the dals, dried red chillies, hing, turmeric powder and 3/4 tsp salt coarsely with minimum water.
• Take the ground paste out and make it into medium sized balls.
• Place in idli moulds and steam the dal balls for 10 to 15 minutes. (test with toothpick to see if done).
• Transfer the dal balls into a plate and crumble it  like bread crumbs.

• Pour oil in the kadai and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Add the cooked cluster beans and salt when the mustard seeds splutter.
• Stir fry and add the crumbled dal balls and stir well.
• Close the kadai and cook for a few minutes.

Paruppu usuli-ready to serve

More Kuzhambu (Curd based dish)

More Kuzhambu

More kuzhambu is a curd based dish, popular in South India. The vegetables which can be added are ash gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, carrot, capsicum,drumstick and lady's finger.

Preparation of vegetables
Generally the vegetables are chopped into 2 inch long pieces as shown in the figure.

For the kuzhambu

• 1 cup of good quality curd
• 1 tsp salt
• A pinch of turmeric 

 Whisk the curd with salt and turmeric well and keep aside.

For the ground paste

• Soak  1 teaspoon tuvar dal and 1/2 teaspoon channa dal in warm water and keep aside for a while.
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 1 teaspoon jeera
• A few curry leaves
• 3 tablespoons of grated coconut

Grind the above ingredients to a smooth paste.

Cooking the vegetables

Cook the cut vegetables in water with a little salt and turmeric. The cooked vegetable  should not be too mushy. 

• Add the ground paste to the kuzhambu and stir well.
• Add the cooked vegetable and stir well.
• Cook on low flame till a few bubbles appear. 
• Add a small piece of jaggery to the kuzhambu.
• Switch off stove and leave to stand.

For the tempering

• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. of mustard seeds
• 1 red chilli- broken into two bits
• A few curry leaves
• A small pinch of  powdered asafoetida 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add the mustard seeds, broken chilli,curry leaves and asafoetida .

More kuzhambu

Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with hot steaming rice.

Rava Idli---Quick and tasty

Rava Idli

For idli batter

1. 1 cup rava
2. 1 cup curd
3. 1 tbsp green coriander leaves
4. 1 teasp. salt
5. 1 teasp. ENO salt

For seasoning

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tbsp cashewnuts- broken (optional)
• A few curry leaves
• 1-2 finely chopped green chillies
• a pinch of asofoetidia

Oil for greasing idli plates

Making the batter

• In a deep bowl, take 1 cup rava and add the 1 cup curd to it.Add chopped coriander. 
• Add the salt and 1 cup of water. 
• Mix well with the help of a flat ladle or whisk. It should be a smooth dough like for chappati.
• Keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Rava dosai batter

Tempering for rava idli

• Heat the oil and ghee in a kadai and add the mustard seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter.
• Add the urad dal. 
• Saute the cashewnuts. 
• Add the curry leaves, green chillies and asafetida. 
• Now to the rava batter add water little by little to get medium consistency.
• To this add the tempering and stir.
• Add 1 tsp Eno salt and stir with ladle uniformly and quickly in one direction only. A few bubble will be seen on the batter. 

Quickly ladle the batter into the greased idli plates and steam for 10 minutes in the idli cooker.

Rava idli batter in idli moulds

On cooling use a spoon to carefully take out the rava idlis.

Serve hot with chutney

sambar and 

podi (https://radhascooking.blogspot.com/2019/09/idlidosai-milagai-podi-gun-powder-in.html )