Garlic Rasam (Tamil Nadu)

This rasam has a most heavenly appetizing aroma. This is a recipe from my neighboring state Tamil Nadu, given tome by my old maid, Mrs.Valliammal Das. You will find another version of garlic rasam in Kerala.

To be ground:
Coriander seed - 1/2 tbsp
Dry red chillies - 2 no:s
Pepper corn - 6 no:s
Cumin seed - 1/2 tbsp
curry leaf - 6 no:s
Garlic - 4 large pods (must yield 1 tbsp heaped of garlic paste)

Tamarind - a small lime sized ball, soaked in warm water
Tomato -2 no:s , finely chopped
Coriander leaf / Cilantro - 3tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - 1 tsp, you can add more later, if necessary
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

To splutter:
Ghee (clarified butter) - 1tbsp
Mustard seed - 1 tsp

Pound the spices together into a coarse paste.
Remove 2 cups of tamarind pulp from the tamarind.

Add all the ingredients (ground spices, tomato, coriander leaf, salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida) to the tamarind pulp. Mix well.
Put this mixture on the stove and keep on a low flame. Do not stir.

When it gets frothy, turn of the flame. DO NOT BOIL. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Heat ghee. Add mustard seed. When it splutters, add to the rasam.
Serve hot.

Rasam (jeera)

This rasam has a pretty strong taste and is good for people who are suffering from cold. It is a great appetiser too.

Tamarind - small lime sized ball soaked in warm water and about 3 cups of pulp removed.
Salt - 1tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seed powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf - 4 no:s
Ghee - 1tsp

For spluttering :
Ghee(clarified butter) - 1tbsp
mustard seeds - 1tsp
cumin seed - 1 tsp
pepper powder - 1 pinch
curry leaf - 2 no:s

Mix all the ingredients with the tamarind pulp and boil till it reduces into half. Then add 2 cups of water to it and boil for about 1 minute. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Heat ghee. Add mustard. When it splutters, add rest of the ingredients. Add this to the rasam.
Enjoy.

Rasam (basic)

Every housewife has own way of making Rasam.

Rasam is thinned out sour curry with tomato and dal. It is served after Sambar in sadya and in many households, it can hold it's own and be the only curry served with a vegetable.
While Garloc is not used in the traditional Tamil Brahmin rasam, there are other versions of this recipe from Tamil Nadu and Kerala on this site.

My Athai (Mrs. Jayalakshmi Vaidyanathan) and my Aunt (Mrs. Seetha Anathakrishnan) make the best rasam. And my recipe is influenced by both.


Ingredients:
Tamarind puree - 2 tbsp (or) 1 inch ball,
Tomatoes - 2 medium

Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Rasam Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
(Or Coriander powder - 1 tbsp + Chilly powder - 1 tsp + Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp + Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp + Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp)
Cooked tur dal -  2 tbsp
Sugar / jaggery - 1 tsp

Splutter:
Ghee (Clarified butter) - 3tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Curry leaf - 3 no:s

Garnish:
Green chilli - 1, chopped
Coriander leaf / cilantro - 1 stalk, chopped
Tomato - 1 small, finely chopped

Method:
Heat 2 cups of water with the rasam powder, salt, turmeric powder and tomatoes.
Add the tamarind pulp (1 cup) once the tomatoes get cooked.
Simmer for about 5 minutes and add the tur dal mixed in 1 cup of water.
Add the sugar / jaggery. Stir well.
Do not Boil.
Once it gets frothy, turn off the flame.
Decorate with coriander leaf and finely chopped tomatoes.

Heat ghee and add mustard seeds to it. Once it splutters, add the rest of the ingredients. Add this to the rasam.

Serve hot.

Home-made Chocolate

Ingredients:

5 parts milk powder
4 parts sugar
2 parts butter
1 part cocoa powder
1 part nuts (Cashew or almonds or both), chopped

1. Sieve the milk powder with cocoa powder.
2. Butter a pan and keep aside.
3. Boil the sugar with a little water till it reaches one string consistency.
4. To this add butter.
5. Once it has melted add the sieved powder and nuts.
6. Stir well.
7. Transfer to greased vessel.
8. Cool and cut into cubes.

Egyptian dish - KOSHERY

A completely vegetarian dish from a land which loves mutton!
This dish was served to us when we went to a very local restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. I just could not believe my eyes!! I had a lovely South-Indian(ish) meal in Egypt. Rice + Tomato curry + Lentil salad!
This recipe was given to us by our guide - Ameena.
This dish is served with a special tomato sauce.
It is a single bowl dish and comes layered.

Ingredients:

Green gram - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight
Channa (Chickpeas) - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight
Macaroni - 1 cup
Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
Jeera (cumin seed) powder - 2 pinches
Salt to taste
Onion - 2 (or even 3 large) , sliced into long thin strips
Rice - 1 cup , washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
Vegetable Oil - 4 tbsp

There are many elements in this dish and each has to be prepared separately. But as I mentioned before, all the elements are layered in a single bowl and served.

As each element needs to be salted for flavor, keep the salt level (in each element) at the bare minimum. You can always add more salt, but you cannot reduce easily.

1. Pressure cook the chick peas (with salt) until soft. Around 3 whistles and simmer for 2 more whistles.

2. Boil the green gram (with salt) separately in another vessel and keep an eye on it, as it mashes up fast.

3. Fry the Vermicelli until golden brown and boil with ample salted water till cooked.
(The usual ratio of vermicelli to water is 1:2, or for every part of vermicelli add double the quantity of water)

4. Cook the elbow Pasta al dente in salted water.

5. Heat oil in another big vessel. Fry onions till they are golden brown and crispy. Drain from the oil and keep aside.(You can also try deep frying the onions for extra taste.)

6. If you have deep fried the onions, then heat a bit of the oil used for deep frying in a vessel and proceed.
Otherwise into the (onion cooked) left-over oil add 2 cups water , salt and cumin seed / jeera powder. Bring to boil and add rice to it. Cover and simmer till done and all water has evaporated. Mix this rice with the cooked vermicelli.

Layering:
At the bottom of the bowl place macaroni /pasta.
Arrange the rice mixed with vermicelli over this.
Decorate the top with boiled chickpeas, green gram and fried onions.

For the Tomato Sauce:
Tomato - 4 large or 7 small, blanched , peeled and pureed
Garlic - 3 pods
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed / jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil. Saute Garlic.
Add the pureed tomato, salt, pepper, cumin seed powder and vinegar.
Bring to a boil and cook till the curry thickens.

Serve with Koshery

Red, white and green Pasta

Pasta - 4 cups
Cauliflower - 2 cups
Broccoli - 2 cups
Carrot - 1 cup
Garlic - 1 clove
Onion -1 medium minced
 white sauce - 1 cup
Oil (preferably olive oil) - 1 tbsp
Cheese grated - 1 cup
Bread crumbs - 3 tbsp

Boil pasta until al dente. Follow package instuctions.
Blanch vegetables and immerse in cold water immediately to retain colour.
Saute garlic in olive oil on low flame till aromatic. Then add onions. Fry till transparent.
Mix pasta with the blanced vegetables, garlic, onion and white sauce. Transfer to an oven proof vessel.
Top with grated cheese, bread crumbs and bake at 180C till top browns.

Fruit Cake for Christmas

Ingredients
200gms Maida
200gms mixed fruits (dates,fig,raisin) soaked in Rum
1tsp.baking powder
200gms powdered sugar
180gms butter/margarine (dalda)
2tsp vanilla
1/4cup sugar burnt and mixed with 1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1-1/2tsp ground spices (cinnamon,Cloves and mace)

1.Beat the sugar with the fat till fluffy.
2.Add eggs one at a time.
3.Add the vanilla essence and the burnt sugar to this. Continue beating till frothy.
4.Sieve the maida with baking powder and spice mix.
5.Mix the fruits well with the sieved mix to prevent it from settling down in the cake. now add it to the batter. Mix well.
The mixture might be thick and have a dropping consistency.
Transfer to greased and lined baking vessel or a nonstick pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 45 minutes.

Perform the toothprick test at 25minutes and time accordingly.
If you want you may add 3-4tbsp of rum to this cake as soon as it is baked.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (green variety) or 4 small bananas (yellow variety)
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 cups flour (maida)
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of chopped nuts (almonds/pistachio/cashew)
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C

Mash bananas and add sugar. Keep aside.
Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Beat the eggs and vanilla with a fork in small bowl.
Add some flour to the nuts and dust well, to prevent them from settling at the bottom of the bread.
Add a little flour to the banana mixture also and mix well. 
Now add oil and the rest of dry ingredients to the banana. Mix lightly. 
Add the eggs. Fold in the chopped nuts.
Pour in a oiled and dusted loaf pan. 
Bake at at 170 C for 40 minutes. 

Do check after 30 minutes to see if done. 
Insert a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean, then the bread is done.

Vermicelli Payasam

Ingredients:
1/2 lt Milk mixed with 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar (increase/decrease according to taste)
1/4 cup vermicelli /semiya

Optional
a.1tbsp. Ghee ; 2tbsp Cashewnuts and raisins
b.slivered almonds and pista

Keep flame on low all through the recipe.

Take a heavy bottomed (preferably non-stick) deep vessel and heat ghee. Fry the raisins. keep aside. now fry the cashew and keep aside. In the same ghee boil milk in it. To this add vermicelli and fry till golden brown. keep aside.

wash the vessel a bit and add milk to it. when it starts boiling, add the semiya. Stir in between till the milk has reduced into half. To this add the sugar and mix till it gets dissolved.

now transfer to the serving bowl. decorate with the fried cashew/ raisin or with the slivered almonds and pista.

Can be served hot or cold.