Thursday, December 23, 2010

Mysore Rasam

Season's Greetings! It is the holiday season alright and it is raining cookies all over. The blogs have been full of mouth watering attractive cookies. Our newspaper has been carrying recipes and pictures of cookies for a few weeks now. The kids have been behind me, imploring me to make atleast a few. I have a couple of recipes bookmarked.

Baking does not come naturally so any excuse comes in handy but with a resolution to get to it before the year end. Hopefully. I bet this rasam makes up for the lack of cookie baking :) Just kidding guys.

The only South Indian restaurant around our parts for a long time - Udipi Palace had this Rasa Vadai which became a huge favorite. I am going under the impression that was Mysore Rasam, could have been Udipi Rasam for all I know.

The rasam unlike the rasams I make is thick and serves as a combination of both rasam and sambhar. This is perfect remedy when you are under the weather and want to wake up your tongue with a zing.

What is also different about the Mysore Rasam is the addition of coconut and jaggery. I skipped the former and added a bit of the latter. The other ingredients to be roasted and powdered are very similar to this hotel sambhar. The more I read about the rasam I realize the origins of this rasam is not Mysore but somewhere in Tamil Nadu. But who cares it is tasty.



Mysore Rasam
Ingredients
1. 1/2 cup of toor dal cooked with 4 times the water till it is soft and mushy
2. 1 tbsp chopped onions or shallots
3. 2 garlic cloves chopped
4. 1 cup tamarind pulp from a small lime sized ball of tamarind
5. 2-3 tomatoes chopped (the redder the better)
6. salt to taste
7. 1 tsp ghee
8. seasonings: curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds
9. handful of chopped coriander leaves
10. 2 tsp of jaggery

For the spice powder
1. 1/2 tbsp channa dal
2. 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
3. 1 tsp cumin seeds
4. 1/2 tbsp pepper corns (adjust to taste)
5. 1/2 tsp methi seeds
6. a small tiny piece of asfoetida
7. 1 tbsp coconut (optional, I did not add)
8. 1 tbsp dried curry leaves powder
9. 6-8 red chilies

Roast channa dal first till brown and the rest of the ingredient till they change color. Roast the coconuts last. Make a powder in a spice grinder or a paste in a blender

Method
1. In a wide mouthed vessel, heat the ghee and add the seasonings.
2. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook
4. Now add in the tamarind juice and the spice mix and let it cook for 4-5 minutes and the liquid comes to a boil
5. Pour in the mashed dal with as much water as required
6. Add salt, jaggery, coriander leaves and switch of the heat when the first bubbles start to appear

Serve with rice or eat as a soup.



Have a great holiday. Will see you all shortly.

15 comments:

  1. I have been seeing it almost regularly last few days, looks very very tempting.

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  2. Hi, ISG -- that recipe serves one, right? If I am making it, it might be just enough for me ;)

    Rasam sambhar-style looks delicious and I know what you mean about baking - I don't practice often but I am bitten by the baking bug this year and have some cookies in the works as I speak.

    Have a wonderful holiday break and I hope all these warming dals are making short work of the cold.

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  3. I have had this Rasam in a restaurant in Secunderabad and loved it a loved, they are a little sweet compared to our rasam.
    Amma added a little grated coconut towards the end instead of grinding. Looks delicious..

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  4. slurp,..wish u merry christmas

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  5. This one is my fave. Rasam. I love to drink it, when this Rasam is being served in many marriages here in South. The spice mix is good. Must make it. Happy holidays!

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  6. Happy Holidays to you and your family- it must be fun for the kids with a few days off from school perhaps?

    I would exchange all the cookies in the world for some of that rasam- it looks sooo good right about now.

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  7. we're having an unusually cool winter and reading about this makes me feel warm - and the spice comes as a relief from all the cakes and biscuits I've been encountering everywhere. Happy holidays and a happy new year!

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  8. this is a good recipe for my favourite rasam !! wishing u n family a merry festive season and a great year ahead !!

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  9. In Mysore Rasam, onion & garlic are never used

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  10. Linda, absolutely for all 3 meals :) I have resolved to bake by the end of the year but let's see.

    Cilantro, that reminds me I forgot to mention, I added a tiny bit of jaggery. The sweetness was not noticeable but it brought out the sour and spice taste very well. I skipped the coconut.

    Nupur, you got yourself a deal :)

    Anonymous, for each their own. I wouldn't dream of making a rasam without garlic and onion.

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  11. This looks so delicious..I do think adding coconut and jaggery do give a little sweet taste..never mind , love rasam or sambhar with rice..well it started with Christmas but the initial euphoria has subsided in my home..we are back to our routine cooking :-)..
    Wish you and yours a very happy new year..hugs and smiles

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  12. Happy New year Indo.

    I am done with baking and dough for the next few months. Enough !!!

    I will live on rasam for now :)

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  13. I have never heard of this before. This looks something nice to make. I want to try it. Thanks.

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