Recipes - Daal & Rasam

Ingredients :

Tuvar dhal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup.
Tamarind - lime size.
Tomatoes - 2
Green chillies - 1
Rasam Powder - 3 teaspoons p73 
Sugar - 2 teaspoon (optional) - 2-1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1-3/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Seasoning
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Red Chilli - 1
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Black gram dhal - 1/2 teaspoon

Method :

Pressure cook tuvar dhal with one cup of water and a pinch of turmeric powder for ten minutes - when cold, mash well. Soak tamarind in two cups of water for ten minutes, squeeze and strain out the liquid. Boil tamarind water with turmeric powder, slit green chilli, tomatoes (chopped) salt and sugar till the raw smell of tamarind disappears and the tomatoes are cooked. Add the mashed dhal, two and a half cups of water, and the rasam powder and boil for five minutes till slightly thick. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves. Remove from fire.

Heat ghee in a pan, add the mustard seeds, red chilli and black gram dhal. When mustard seeds splutter add hing powder-pour the seasoning over the rasam. Serve rasam hot with steaming rice and papads.

Ingredients :

Tomatoes 2 large ripe ones
Water 4 cups or stock of boiled dal
Red chillies 2 whole
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Mint leaves 1 tiny sprig
Coriander leaves 1 tiny sprig
Garlic 1-2 flakes grated
Clove-cinnamon powder 2-3 pinches
Sambar masala 1/2 tsp.
Pepper corns 8-10
Cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida 2 pinches
Jaggery 1 marble sized ball of / 1/2 tsp. sugar
Tamarind 1 small strip
Ghee or oil 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Put whole tomatoes in boiling water, let simmer for 3 minutes. Keep aside for 5 minutes. 
2. Heat 1/4 tsp. oil in a small pan, add pepper corns and 1 tsp. cumin seeds. Roast till aromatic, grind to powder. Keep aside. 
4. Remove tomatoes from water, peel away skin. Grate or mash till fine. 
6. To the thick pulp, add roasted whole chillies, all leaves, all masalas, salt, tamarind, jaggery and mash well either with hand or with a hand blender. 
7. In a deep pan, add stock or water to this pulp. 
9. Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard and remaining cumin seeds, asafoetida and allow to splutter. 
10. Add garlic and stir, add carefully to the rasam. 
11. Bring to a boil, check spices and salt. 
12. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside covered for 10 minutes before serving. 

Serve hot as a soup or with steaming hot plain rice and papads. 

Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 5 servings.
Shelf life: Best fresh and hot; though masala pulp may be frozen and used later.

Fry the following lightly until golden brown in a spoon of ghee and grind in a mini blender jar to make a paste:

Ingredients :

Coriander seeds  2 spoon
Black whole peppers 1 spoon
Gram dal 1 spoon
Red chillies 2-3
Asafoetida
Grated coconut - 2 spoons(Add last).

Method :

Cook 1/2 cup of toor dal in a pressure cooker. Cut 1 large tomato and add 2 cups of water to it. Add salt, sambar powder, asafoetida, tamarind juice and heat the mixture until the raw smell of tamarind is gone. Add steamed toor dal and the ground mixture. Keep it on low heat for sometime. Add 1/2 spoon rasam powder. Add splattered mustard, green coriander leaves and curry leaves.

Ingredients :

Toor dal 1 cup, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
Tamarind paste
Jaggery or sugar 1 tbsp.
Sambar masala 2 tbsp.
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.
Dhania powder 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder 1 tsp.
Cumin and mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. each
Red chillies 3 whole
Curry leaves 1 stalk
Onions 4
Pumpkin or bottle gourd 1/2 cup, boiled and cubed
Tomato 1 large
Coriander leaves 1 tbsp,. chopped
Garlic 2-3 flakes
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tbsp.

Method :

1. Add tamarind, 1/2 tomato & 1 onion chopped, to dal. 
2. Pressure cook till dal is done very soft.
3. Churn or whisk cooked dal till smooth. 
4. Grind to a paste, 1 onion, 1/4 tomato, jaggery, garlic, all dry masalas. 
5. Chop the remaining onion and tomato to medium or fine pieces. 
6. Heat oil, add seeds, curry leaves and allow to splutter. 
7. Add onion, pumpkin, tomato and stir fry for 2 minutes. 
8. Add paste, and cook for further 2 minutes. 
9. Add dal and bring to a boil on high. 
10. Add enough water to get sambar consistency. 
11. Simmer for 12-15 minutes on low heat.
13. Add chopped coriander before serving. 
Serve steaming hot with hot idlis, coconut chutney and ghee. 

Note: If using ready made masala, supplement with the following:
1 tsp. dhania seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 stalk curry leaves, 1/2 tsp. methi seeds, roasted and ground together with the ingredients for paste.

Making Time: 30 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time) Serves: 4-5 servings 

These recipes are mainly for preparations from the state of Andhra Pradesh which is famous for very hot food! These are the "magic powders" my mother uses to turn any dull meal into a feast. A tea-spoon of these powders added to the cooking can turn any novice cook into an expert! When you make these powders store them in the refrigerator for retaining freshness for up to one year!