Paruppu Urundai Rasam / Lentil Dumplings in Spicy Broth ~ Day 129

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Preparation time: 15 minutes + 1-hour soaking time

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

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Ingredients:

For the Paruppu urundai / dumplings:

• Toor dal - 3/4 cup
• Chana dal - 1/4 cup
• Red chilies - 6
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste
• Rice flour - 2 tbsp
• Sesame oil / Nallennai - 1 tbsp

For the rasam powder:

• Toor dal - 1 tbsp
• Whole black pepper - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chilies - 2
• Curry leaves - 3

For the Rasam:

• Tamarind juice - 1 cup (soak a small lemon sized tamarind in hot water, squeeze the juice and discard the pulp)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Ground rasam powder
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Ghee / clarified butter - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the toor dal, chana dal, and red chilies in enough water for 1 hour. Drain the water completely after soaking and grind into a coarse paste along with asafoetida and curry leaves.  Transfer the paste into a bowl and add the rice flour, salt, and sesame oil. Mix well and set it aside.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients for the rasam powder until aromatic.  Let cool and make a fine powder.  
3. In a wide-bottom saucepan, combine the tamarind juice, ground rasam powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, and salt along with 4 cups of water.   Bring it to a boil.
4. Take a small golf ball size ground dal mixture and make a ball and drop it gently into the boiling broth.  Add 4 balls at a time at each corner of the saucepan.   DO NOT STIR THE BROTH  after dropping the lentil balls.  Let it boil gently until the dumplings start to float to the top.  Add 4 more ball and again wait for them to float.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  
5. Cook the rasam with the dumplings for 10 more minutes on medium heat. 
6. Heat ghee in a small skillet.  Splutter mustard seeds and add it to the rasam.  Add the coriander leaves and mix gently.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice with a dollop of ghee.

Kollu Rasam / Spicy Horse Gram Soup ~ Day 61

Horse gram is a high protein, low fat, nutrient rich, ancient legume widely consumed in India. It has plenty of medicinal properties.  It is called Kulthi in Hindi, Ulavulu in Telugu, Hurule in Kannada and Mudhira in Malayam.  This healthy kollu rasam / soup is an excellent remedy for a common cold and cough.  

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 Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8 people

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Ingredients: 

• Kollu / Horse gram dal - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind paste - 2 tsp or 
• Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup (soak a marble sized tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and squeeze the pulp out and use the juice)
• Tomatoes - 2, chopped
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Black Peppercorns - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chilies - 2
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Ghee / Clarified butter - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 3 to 4 cups

Method:

1. Clean the horse gram by picking the impurities (there will be some small stones).  Wash and soak the dal in hot water for 2 hours and pressure cook with enough water for 8 to 10 whistles. You can also cook the dal without soaking.  You may have to cook it for some extra whistles.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp ghee in a small skillet.  Add garlic, peppercorns, cumin seeds, red chilies, and some curry leaves.  Fry for 10 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and turmeric powder.  Cook until soft. Let cool and grind to a smooth paste along with cooked dal and dal water.
3. In a large sauce pan, combine tamarind paste or tamarind juice and 1 cup of water.  Boil for 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground paste, salt and 3 cups of water.  Bring it to a boil and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. 
5. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small skillet and splutter mustard seeds and some curry leaves.  Add it to the rasam / soup and mix well. 
6. Serve with hot steamed rice or as a soup.

Mysore Rasam - Lentil Soup with Tamarind and Freshly Ground Spices

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4 

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Ingredients:
For the rasam powder:
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Chana dal - 2 tbsp
Red chilies - 5
Black pepper - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring

Roast the above ingredients, except coconut and curry leaves, in 1/2 tsp oil until golden brown. Add the grated coconut and curry leaves.  Fry until dry.  Let it cool and grind into a fine powder.

For the rasam:
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Tomato - 2, chopped
Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup (soak about 1 tbsp of tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and squeeze out the pulp)
Rasam powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped
Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Pressure cook toor dal with enough water until soft.  Puree the dal with a hand blender.  
2. Transfer it to a large sauce pan and add 2 cups of water and tamarind pulp.
3. Add the chopped tomato, turmeric powder, jaggery and asafoetida.
4. Cook until tomatoes are soft.
5. Mix the rasam powder with little water and make a paste.  
6. Add it to the boiling rasam along with salt.
7. Let it boil for 3 minutes and simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Heat ghee in a small skillet and add splutter mustard seeds.  Add it to the rasam.  Mix gently.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves / cilantro.
10. Serve as a soup or with steamed rice.

Pomegranate ~ Pineapple Rasam / Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup, cooked
Pomegranate - 1 cup
Pineapple Pieces - 1/2 cup
Roma Tomatoes - 2  chopped
Green Chillies - 4 chopped
Chopped Ginger - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Fresh Coriander - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Ghee / Clarified butter - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Place 1/2 cup of pomegranate arils in a blender with some water.  Blend to extract the juice and strain to remove the seeds.
2. Grind cooked toor dal and keep it aside.
3. In a large pot, add the ground door dal, pomegranate juice and 2 cups of water.
4. Add the pineapple pieces, chopped tomatoes, chillies, ginger, curry leaves, asafetida and salt.
5. Boil for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from flame.  Add the other 1/2 cup of pomegranate arils and mix well.
6. Heat ghee in a small pan and splutter mustard and cumin seeds.  Pour over the rasam.
7. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander.
8. Serve hot with rice or as a soup.

Kandan Thippili Rasam - Indian Long Pepper Soup

Botanical name for long pepper is Piper Longum.  The bark of the plant is called Kandan Thippili and the dried fruit is called Arisi Thippili.

            Kandan Thippili and Arisi Thippili                                         

Click here and here for some facts about Kandan Thippili and Arisi Thippili.  It is available in herbal medicine shops(Nattu marundhu Kadai) in South India.

This rasam is very effective remedy for common cold and cough.


Ingredients:
Thoor dal - 1/4 cup
Tamarind Paste - 1 TBSP
Tomato - 1 medium, pureed
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Fry the following ingredients in 1 tsp of oil and grind to a smooth paste:
Kandan Thippili - 4 sticks
Arisi Thippili - 5
Whole Black Pepper - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Red chili - 1
Curry Leaves - 5

Method:

1. Pressure cook thoor dal until soft.  Let it cool and grind.
2. In a large pot, add the pureed tomato, tamarind paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt.  Add 1 cup of water and let it boil for 10 minutes.
3. Now add the ground thoor dal and thippili paste, 1 cup water and boil  for another 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
4. Heat ghee in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds and add it to the rasam.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
6. Rasam can be served with rice or as a soup.

Variation:
Add 5 to 6 garlic cloves along with tamarind water and cook until tender.