Mysore Rasam

My mom has been preparing this Mysore Rasam for quite a few years now. Apparently her sister (my aunt) shared this recipe with her when she lived in Mysore a few decades back. The source of this recipe happens to be my aunt's neighbor in Mysore.

This Rasam doesn't need any Toor Dal base as the Rasam powder lends a very thick consistency. A very flavorful and filling Rasam for Day 3 of BM 13.

Ingredients - 

Tamarind lime sized
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Sugar 2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Seasoning (Ghee 1 tsp, jeera/Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, curry leaves few, Asafoetida a generous pinch)
To Grind -
Tomato 1/2 cup
Chana dal 2 tsp
Urad dal 2 tsp,
Dhania/Coriander seeds 3 tsp
Pepper corns/ Miriyalu 7-8
Jeera / Cumin seeds pinch
Red Chilli / Endu Mirchi 1-2
Coconut (fresh recommended but i used dry) 1 Tbsp
Cinnamon / Chekka 1 inch
Clove / Lavang 1-2
Rathi Puvvu /Pathar ka Phool a big pinch
Marathi Mogga 1/2 piece

Mysore Rasam

Method Of Preparation -


In a small heated pan, dry roast each of the ingredients (except the tomato) separately until they are golden brown and they smell very good.


Set aside and let them cool.


Grind them to a fine powder and in the end add the tomato and a little water to make a smooth paste.


In a heated sauce pan, heat ghee and add mustard and cumin seeds. After they splutter, add curry leaves and asafoetida.


Transfer the paste and add about 3-4 cups of water. Add salt, turmeric, sugar and tamarind paste. Let it come to a boil. 


Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from fire.


Serve with Rice and enjoy the rich Rasam !


Preparation Time  25 min
Makes 4 cups

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Posted by Harini on Saturday, February 18, 2012

Onion Rasam

From the traditional Poornam Charu which I posted yesterday, let us move on to this totally non-traditional, bachelor friendly Rasam. This is quick and easy and just as lip smacking as any other Rasam. 


My SIL let me on their childhood 'secret' recipe. Apparently, my husband's older siblings used to make this rasam when my MIL was not in sight. This used to be more of an afternoon snack when there would be some leftover rice. I am not sure if my MIL was aware of her kids sneaking into the kitchen just to experience the thrill of having made something so tasty for themselves. :)


I personally dislike the after taste of raw onions in my mouth. But my SIL convinced me to make this rasam upon the insistence of S. Now with that kind of lobbying, I couldn't resist. But when I made this and was forced to taste it, I just got addicted to it. [I had to brush and rinse my mouth to get rid of the onion after taste and smell is a different matter altogether!! :)]. Needless to say S got so very nostalgic about this Rasam. 

Check it out this addictive Onion Rasam for Day 2 of BM 13.

Ingredients -  


Tamarind lime sized
Onions finely chopped 1/2 cup
Rasam Powder 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Sugar/Grated Jaggery 2 tsp (or as needed)
Coriander Leaves finely chopped as needed

Seasoning (Ghee/Oil 1 tsp, Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida a pinch, Curry leaves few)

Onion Rasam


Method Of Preparation -

In a cup of water, boil the tamarind and remove from fire. Upon cooling, add more water, extract the tamarind water and discard the pith.


In a bowl, add the tamarind water, onions, rasam powder, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and sugar. Mix until well blended.

Add some more water and adjust the taste as needed.

Mix in the chopped coriander leaves. The above Rasam need not be boiled or heated. 

Prepare the seasoning by heating a teaspoon of ghee or oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.  

After the mustard seeds pop, remove and transfer the seasoning into the prepared rasam.

Serve it with Rice and enjoy !


Preparation Time 10 min
Makes about 2 cups

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Posted by Harini on Friday, February 17, 2012

Poornam Charu

Here we are in the 13th edition of Blogging Marathon started by Srivalli. This time, the themes were pretty challenging and I chose to blog about '7 types of Rasam' for the next 7 days starting today. 

The weather for us out here in the Mid-West definitely warrants hot and spicy Rasam to ward off the cold bug, so to say! And today's Rasam has nothing to do with warding off the cold, but is an apt Rasam for a festive day!! 


In our family,  we make some specialty sweets for certain festivals/auspicious occasions made out of Poornam (Chana Dal-Jaggery paste) like Holigalu(Bobbatlu), Kudumulu, Poornam Boorelu to name a few. And inevitably some poornam gets leftover and that poornam makes its way into the Rasam making the Rasam ever so special. 


Trust me the Rasam tastes divine with the addition of the Poornam. So here is Poornam Charu for Day 1 of BM 13

Ingredients - 

Tomato Cubed 1 cup
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Salt as per taste
Chana dal 1/3 cup (Optional)
Poornam 2-3 Tbsp (See Note)
Rasam Powder 2 tsp
Tamarind juice 1 Tbsp (or as per taste)
Water about 4 cups
Coriander leaves for garnish
Seasoning (Oil/Ghee 1 tsp, Jeera/Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp, Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves a few, Hing / Asafoetida 1/8 tsp)
 
Note - To prepare the (Poornam) - 
For the quantity of poornam required for this Rasam, we need 2 Tbsp Chana Dal and2 Tbsp grated Jaggery.

Boil Chana Dal on the stove top or the pressure cooker using just enough water, until it is cooked al dente.  Drain the cooked dal and make sure there is no water left. [Use this water in the rasam known as Senaga pappu kattu].

In a heated sauce pan add a few drops of water and transfer the grated jaggery. After the jaggery melts, remove from fire, sieve the jaggery water and set aside.

Grind the boiled Chana dal adding the jaggery water to a thick paste. 
Poornam Charu

Method Of Preparation - 

Boil Tomatoes in about a cup of water and set aside. There are three ways of proceeding next.
1. De-skin the tomatoes and grind the tomatoes. 2. Grind the tomatoes and leaving some as is 3. Just add chopped tomatoes.

In a heated sauce pan, add oil/ghee and the rest of the ingredients. After the mustard seeds splutter, add the tomato paste. [or just saute the tomatoes in the seasoning until they are mushy and proceed as below.]


Here, if desired, boil Chana dal with water and blend and use it to partly substitute water or use the Sesangapappu Kattu if available.

Add about 4-5 cups of water and turmeric, poornam, salt, rasam powder, tamarind juice and bring the rasam to a boil.

Reduce the flame and let the flavors blend in for about 3-4 min and garnish with coriander leaves. Cover with a lid until ready to serve.

 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13

Preparation Time 17-20 min (If Poornam is ready :) )
Makes 4 cups

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Posted by Harini on Thursday, February 16, 2012

Vennai Puttu

For the January edition of ICC, Srivalli selected this specialty from Tamil Nadu. This recipe has been shared by Priya as narrated by her grandma. Isn't it wonderful that we have such a rich heritage passed on by generations and we are able to keep up the traditions using technology by digitizing it. 

My grandmother and other elders at home who belong to a totally different generation, who grew up without electricity or the modern day gadgets find it fascinating that we are able to publicize the hidden 'treasures' through the world wide web [I doubt they understand how widespread the web is :)].

I am not sure about the origin of this recipe or why it is called vennai puttu when there is no vennai (butter) in the recipe. But it was a pleasure to make this and we thoroughly enjoyed this halwa. Surprisingly my older one loved it too. It turned out more like the regular sooji halwa in taste and consistency except that there is jaggery in this halwa.

Ingredients - 

Raw Rice 1/2 cup (I used Idli Rava)
Jaggery 1/2 cup (more if preferred)
Cooked Chana Dal 2 Tbsp
Coconut thinly sliced/shredded 1 Tbsp
Cardamom Powder 1/2 tsp
Nuts fried in Ghee (I used a few cashews and almonds)



Vennai Puttu


Method Of Preparation -


Soak the raw rice for 2-3 hrs and grind to a fine consistency using as little water as needed. [I skipped the grinding part as I used Idli Rawa!]


Meanwhile in another small pan, melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and strain for any impurities and set it aside. String consistency kind of syrup is not needed, just melted jaggery is sufficient.


In a heavy bottomed pan (or a non stick sauce pan), boil 1 cup of water and pour the rice batter.


Keep stirring for about 10 min until the rice is cooked well. 


Now mix in the jaggery syrup, the cooked Chana Dal and Coconut [I skipped coconut].


Keep stirring until the whole thing comes as a single mass. Since no ghee is added, it might stick to the pan, but make sure it is not scorched.


Remove from fire and spread it uniformly on a greased plate. I spread a parchment paper on a plate avoiding greasing the plate. :)


Cut into desired shape and press the fried nuts and sprinkle some grated coconut. The pudding/halwa can be moulded into any shape as desired.


Preparation Time 30 min
Makes about 18-20 pieces

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Pumpkin Roti
I had some leftover pumpkin puree from my experiment of Vegan Pumpkin Scones. So I made these Rotis with the pumpkin puree for a variation in rotis. No one could sense the presence of pumpkin and I had fun time quizzing them. :)


Ingredients - 


Whole Wheat Flour 2 cups
Pumpkin Puree 4-5 Tbsp
Salt as per taste
Chat Masala / Garam Masala 1/2 tsp or as per taste
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp or as per taste
Pumpkin Roti

Method Of Preparation -
 
In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and knead well with very little water. Since the pumpkin pulp will have some moisture, add water gradually and make dough. 


Cover the dough for about 10-15 min while the rest of the stuff is arranged.


Make about 12 equal portions of the dough and roll out rotis and cook both sides on a hot griddle/tava.


I like to store the chapatis in an insulated and serve them warm and soft with some curry!


Preparation Time 20 min 
Makes approx 10-12 rotis

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Posted by Harini on Monday, February 13, 2012

Almond Ginger Snap Cookies

Sometime back I saw some Ginger Snap Cookies in a supermarket aisle and was wondering how the taste of ginger would tickle our taste buds. After a look at the ingredient list I felt that those cookies are better left on the shelves than in our pantry (and eventually into our tummies). But thanks to Kalyani's Magic Mingle #2, I could make my version of Ginger Snap Cookies and satisfy my curiosity and craving.

 The cookies were not so sweet, not so gingery but just slides down your mouth with the awesome taste of almond and ginger swirling...yumm..

Adapted from here
Ingredients - 

Almond Meal 1 cup (I cup almonds powdered fine)
Salt a pinch
Baking Soda 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp
Ginger Powder 1 tsp
Cloves 4-5 Powdered
Cardamom Powder 1/8 tsp (or more)
1 Tbsp Ghee (or unsalted butter)
Honey 1 Tbsp (I used Agave Nectar)
Cinnamon and Sugar for topping (Optional) 



Almond Ginger Snap Cookies


Method Of Preparation -


Preheat the oven to 300 F and prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix in all the ingredients except honey and ghee and mix well. 

Rub in the ghee into the almond meal and mix until it resembles crumbs. Add honey and mix well to make a stiff dough.


Pinch a tablespoon of dough and roll them into thick discs (I flattened them with a fork) and arrange them on the prepared baking tray 2 inches apart as they will puff out while baking.

I sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on each cookie for some extra zing!


Bake them for 12 min and carefully flip them and bake them for another 3-4 min. But be careful with the temperature and baking times as each oven might behave differently.


Cool them on a cooling rack and enjoy! But be careful when transferring onto the cooing rack. They might not be firm.


They might be soft to touch but will firm up upon cooling.


Preparation Time 5 min + Baking Time 15 min + Cooling 10 min
Makes 8 cookies

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Posted by Harini on Friday, February 10, 2012

Vegan Whole Wheat Cookies

Here is yet another wednesday and mind you not an ordinary wednesday at that! Today we Blog Hoppers have spread out a virtual feast as part of Blog Hop Wednesdays. So check them out here.

I have been paired with Nayna of Simply.food for the 14th edition. It was lot of fun going through her blog and a difficult choice to pick just one recipe to showcase here! I bookmarked many recipes out of which I decided to go with these Whole Wheat Cookies for now. 

The texture and taste were very good. These cookies reminded me of the 'Good Day' Biscuits. I agree that these cookies were not the melt in your mouth kind but the smell and taste were very similar! The kids had a feast too. 

Please note that there was a difference in temperature settings and baking time and hence a batch of these cookies had slightly burnt under sides.
Vegan Whole Wheat Cookies

Ingredients - 

Whole Wheat Flour 1 1/2 cups
Baking Powder 1 tsp
Nuts, Coarsely Powdered 1/3 cup (Walnuts,Almonds, Cashews)
Coconut dessicated 1/4 cup
Salt 1/4 tsp
Apple Sauce 1/2 cup (I used sweetened)
Sugar 2/3 cup (I added brown sugar)
Oil 3 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
Almonds chopped 3 Tbsp for garnish
Notes - 
The original recipe calls for addition of milk to knead the dough. But I found the dough was a little runny and I had to add 3-4 Tbsp of extra flour to make a stiff dough. So I didn't have to add milk at all.
Also I baked these cookies for 15 min at 400 F but the bottoms very slightly burnt. So I would reduce the temperature to 375 F the next time. 

Vegan Whole Wheat Cookies


Method Of Preparation -


In a mixing bowl, add the flour, coconut, salt, baking powder and coarsely powdered nuts and mix well.


In another bowl, add apple sauce, oil, vanilla extract and sugar. Mix well until the sugar melts.

Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix well to form a stiff dough. Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate the dough for 30 min. (I refrigerated the dough for about 10 min).

Preheat the oven to 375 F. 


Pinch small portions of the dough and shape them like discs of 1 to 1 1/2  inch diameter. Flatten them further with a fork and garnish with coarsely chopped almonds.


Prepare 2 baking trays by lining them with parchment paper. 


Arrange the cookies in the baking trays at least 1 inch apart and bake them for 15-18 min or until the bottoms turn light brown.


Remove the cookies onto a cooling rack and enjoy!


Store the cookies in a cookie jar and use within a few days.

Linking it to -


Preparation Time 10 min + Baking Time 15 min 
Makes 18 cookies

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Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

I have been observing for the past so many months. Whenever I ask my older one what she would love for her lunch box, pat comes the reply 'Alu Curry with Rice'. I am amazed at the kind of loyalty exhibited by her :)  And Again for dinner she would love to have Potato Wedges!!

S who is a Potato freak himself, appreciates her affinity to the tuber and brought home a bag of baby potatoes asking for roasted baby potatoes. Upon googling, I came up with this simple recipe which came out very crispy and watching the 'freaks' enjoy the potatoes is a delight in itself!!

Ingredients - 

Baby Potatoes 1 lb
Rosemary (dried) 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Garlic Mashed 1 Tbsp
Olive Oil 1 Tbsp

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic


Method Of Preparation -

In a small bowl, add oil and mix in rosemary, salt and mashed garlic. Mix well and set aside.


Wash and dry the potatoes. (Don't peel them). Quarter the baby potatoes and sprinkled the herbed oil and mix well until all the potatoes are coated with the oil.


Preheat the oven t0 400 F.


Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.


Arrange the potato pieces in a single layer and bake for 30 min. Make sure the potatoes are tossed in between for even roasting.


I wanted a nice golden brown crunch and so I broiled them in high for about 5 min keeping a keen watch over them. 


Preparation Time 10 min + baking time 35 min
Serves 5-6

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Posted by Harini on Sunday, February 5, 2012

Alu Capsicum Masala 2


This version of Alu-Capsicum Masala has been in my drafts for some time now. This curry was created in my kitchen upon my husband's request to make a gravy which is bright red in color and very spicy one too!! I then remembered that by adding tomato ketchup and kashmiri chilli powder we can arrive at the bright red color of the gravy and so here it is!!


Ingredients - 


Alu/Potatoes peeled and diced 4 cups
Red Capsicum/Red Bell Pepper diced 2 cups
Onion chopped 1/4 cup
Tomato chopped 1/2 cup
Salt as needed
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder 2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup 1 Tbsp

Seasoning (Oil 1 Tbsp , Jeera 1 tsp, Fennel seeds (Sounf) 1 Tbsp)


For Gravy - 
Onion chopped 1/2 cup
Tomato chopped 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic paste 1 Tbsp


Alu Capsicum Masala 2


Method Of Preparation - 
For the gravy - 
In a heated wok/kadai add a teaspoon of oil and saute the onions until they are golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and tomatoes. After the tomatoes are mushy, remove from fire and let it cool.


Grind the above to a fine paste and set aside.


For the Curry - 
Meanwhile, in the same wok/kadai add the remaining oil, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Saute the onions until they golden brown. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are mushy.


Now is the time to add the potatoes, red capsicum and the gravy paste which we set aside.


[I parboiled the potatoes and red capsicum to make the process faster. It is totally optional]


Sprinkle in the turmeric, red chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder and salt. Also stir in the tomato ketchup.


Add a little water and cover with a lid and let the vegetables cook until they are tender. 


Mix well and let it simmer until oil oozes out.


Remove from fire, garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with roti.


Preparation Time 40 min
Serves 4-5

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Posted by Harini on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Mango Kulfi


Last summer I had prepared Mango Rabdi/Mango Kulfi and I had also prepared Mango Kulfi the easier way. Ironically, I had misplaced the pictures in another computer and so totally forgot about these kulfis. 


Yesterday when I was looking for some files in my other computer, I came across these pictures and dreamt of summer [:)] and decided to post it for Day 7 of  BM 12. Don't you think it is a crime to forget about such a delightful dessert?? 


Ingredients - 


Evaporated Milk 1 can (approx 350 ml) - I used Fat Free
Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/2 cup - I used Fat Free
Whipped Cream 1 cup (I didn't use)
Mango Pulp 1 cup (I used canned but fresh mango pulp works best!)
Cardamom Powder 1 tsp (Optional)
Chopped Nuts 3 Tbsp


Mango Kulfi


Method Of Preparation -


Mix the evaporated milk and the condensed milk and bring to a boil. Cool the mixture and then whisk whipped cream (if using) and mango pulp.


Mix in the chopped nuts.


Freeze the above mixture for about an hour or two. When it is just about to solidify, remove and whisk again so that ice crystals don't form.


Now pour into popsicle moulds and cover and freeze them over night.


To unmould, run in hot water or dip in hot water and slowly twist off and remove. 


Enjoy on a summer afternoon or for a dessert!! Kids and Adults enjoy this alike!!


Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12. 

Sending these Kulfis to 

 Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment and 



Suma's CEDD  hosted for Raven 


A re-cap of the past 2 weeks of Blogging Marathon - 



Week 1 - Delicious Dals
Day 7 - Kudumulu ~ Toor Dal-Jaggery Dumplings
Day 6 - Red Chori Beans - Bottle Gourd Sambar
Day 5 - Toor Dal Chutney ~ Pigeon Pea Chutney ~ Kandi Pachadi
Day 4 - Masala Vada ~ Chana Dal Fritters
Day 3 - Bottle Gourd - Lentil Curry | Sorrakaya-Senagapappu Koora
Day 2 - Kabuli Chana Fry ~ Garbanzo Beans Fry
Day 1 - Mixed Lentil Khichdi


Week 2 - Kid's Delight - Something Sweet

Day 7 - Mango Kulfi - The Easier Way
Day 6 - Godhuma Rava Halwa ~ Wheat Rava Halwa
Day 5 - Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Day 4 - Vegan Chocolate Cupcake
Day 3 - Vegan Sweet Potato Kheer
Day 2 - Carrot Poli ~ Carrot Bobbattu
Day 1  - Eggless Orange-Corn Muffins

Preparation Time 10 min + Cooling Time 7-8 hours
Makes 6-8 (depending on the size of popsicle moulds)

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Godhuma Rava Halwa


We always make this Godhuma Rava Halwa as an offering to Lord Satyanarayana (Another form of Lord Vishnu). We perform this puja once/twice every year. I never had the opportunity to take a picture so far, as we perform the puja in the evening and the halwa is distributed to the attendees after the puja and is usually over by the end of the evening. But a few weeks back (Vaikunta Ekadasi), we had a huge gathering for the puja and surprisingly there was a little halwa left after the gathering. So I took the pictures the following day. :)


This is a popular halwa at home with the kids and the adults as well. Usually a little more ghee is added but I prefer that the ghee content be kept to a reasonable amount. The usual ratio of Rava:Ghee:Sugar is 1:1:1. 


This is for Day 6 of  BM 12.


Ingredients - 


Godhuma Rava / Wheat Rava 1 cup (fine variety)
Milk 2 1/2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 1/2 cup
Garnish with fried nuts and sliced /chopped banana


Godhuma Rava Halwa


Method Of Preparation -


In a heated non-stick kadai/wok, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast the Wheat Rava until it gives out a nice aroma (about 3-5 min). [Roasting is optional but I prefer roasting it.]


Pour the milk and 3-4 Tbsp of ghee and mix well so there are no lumps. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low-medium. 


After about 10-12 min check to see if the grain is cooked through. Now is the time to add in the sugar. Make sure sugar is added after the rava is cooked. 


Mix well until the halwa comes together as a single mass.


Keep adding the remaining ghee as needed. Once there is glossy finish to the halwa and it doesn't stick to the sides, remove from fire, garnish with fried nuts and banana.


Since I offered this as naivedyam, we enjoyed it after offering it to God!!


Godhuma Rava Halwa


Check out the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 12. 

Linking this Halwa to 

 Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment



Preparation Time 30 min 
Makes 2 cups

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