Rasa podi to rasam - Sudha Balaji recipes
Rasa podi - traditional method of mine
Usually I prepare fresh rasam powder for festivals like Navratri , Varalakshmi Vratham
Rasam powder can be prepared in many ways. How I prepare following the traditional method of our family . With the use of curry leaves, cumin seeds , pepper etc. we are assured of the benefits of these spices.
Dhania - 1 measure
Red chillies - 1 measure
Pepper - 1/4 measure
Cumin seeds 1/8 measure
Gram dhal - 1 table spoon
Toor dhal - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - one pinch
Curry leaves - few.
All the ingredients should be dry roasted separately . Red chillies are roasted with little oil. After dry roasting transfer them to a plate or vessel. Allow the mixture to cool and then dry grind in a mixer. Rasa podi is ready. Store in an air tight container.
Another simpler method of preparing rasam powder is shown below
Rasam powder or rasa podi
Rasam podi can be prepared in many methods . I have shared the method I usually follow
The ingredients required are
Dhania - 8 tablespoons
Pepper - 2 table spoons
Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Toor dhal- 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
20 to 25 red chillies according to our taste
Dry roast all the ingredients after adding a little oil in a pan. Roast the chillies separately. Allow them cool in air
Dry grind in a mixer to get rasa podi and store it in an air tight container
Rasa podi method- simple and easy is ready
Easy rasam without rasa podi
Ingredients needed are
Tomato - big 1 no
Toor dhal - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind -size of small lemon
red chillies - 4 or 5
Curry leaves,
chopped coriander leaves
asafoetida
How to prepare
Take 3 teaspoons ghee ( clarified butter ) in a vessel.
Saute with mustard seeds and cumin seeds
Then add red chillies, asafoetida, tamarind and curry leaves
Finally add toor dhal and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour
Add turmeric powder around half tea spoon
Finally and the chopped tomato and fry.
Once the tomato has fried add water and add garlic ( optional).
Allow the rasam to boil after adding salt as required.
This is a quick and easy rasam.
It has a fine flavour because we add ghee.
Add chopped coriander leaves and saute again with mustard , cumin seeds and asafoetida in ghee.
Lemon rasam wth tomato and ginger
Arachuvitta poondu rasam ( rasam with ground garlic )
This is a some what different garlic rasam where instead of adding the garlic cloves to the rasam we grind them .
The procedure is as follows
Slice a big size tomato into small pieces. Fine chop coriander leaves.
Take 6 or 7 garlic cloves and remove the outer skin.
And wet grind in a mixer
Cook toor dhall in water separately.
Take a lemon size tamarind in a vessel , squeeze it to get the extract and boil it on a stove.
When it reaches boiling point, add the ground mixture of garlic, coriander leaves and tomato
and again let it boil. When it nears the boiling point add the three or four spoons of rasam powder and stir well so that it mixes well.
Now add toor dhall and water mixture and allow it boil. Add salt to taste.
Toor dhall water mixture should not be dilute .
Saute with mustard seeds and cumin seeds Since I have added curry leaves in rasam powder I have not added with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When it comes to a boil, remove it immediately. This different poondu rasam is suitable for those who find it difficult to eat garlic cloves directly due to the pungent odour.
Rasam is an important side dish with white rice in South India. Some of the traditional rasam recipes and rasa podi have been shared