Rasam Archives - Rajjo's Kitchen

Drumstick Rasam/Murungakkai Rasam

Rasam is a popular South Indian dish prepared with tamarind, tomatoes, and Rasam powder. There are many variations of this dish, and each South Indian household has its own recipe for the proportions of the ingredients of the rasam powder. Therefore though Rasam is almost a regular feature in all South Indian households its taste is unique to each. No two Rasam recipes taste the same. Rasam is also a sought after comfort food in South Indian households when one has a Cold(Common Cold) or is a little under the weather because it is made of simple ingredients that are easily digestible and pepper that helps in combating the cold.

Earlier the Rasam was an everyday feature in most South Indian households along with Sambar or Vatha Kozhambu or Moru Kozhambu and a part of the Main course. Some households follow it to this day, but as the eating patterns of people has changed and is now more global the humble Rasam has taken a back seat or is made on a festival day where there is a feast(Elai Sapadu) or sometimes is also being served as a soup in elite gatherings.

Drumstick Rasam is a very flavourful Rasam, as Drumsticks by themselves have a wonderful fragrance and flavour.

Moringa is the latest buzz word everywhere. What with Moringa leaves powder trending the healthy list. Well, the Moringa tree and dishes cooked from its fruit, flowers and leaves have been in India for ages. We have used its fruit, the drumstick in Subjis, Sambar, dal, etc; the leaves too are very aromatic and used as an add-in in Dosas, chilas, and more. The flowers too when added while making ghee, give the ghee a nice flavour and make it aromatic. My grandmother always added a few flowers just before putting off the flame while making ghee and would remove the flowers later, while bottling the ghee. My mother makes a pickle of it too, which is just as wonderful.

There are many different types of Rasam Like the Pepper Rasam, Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam, Garlic Rasam, Neem Flower (Vepampoo) Rasam, Drumstick Rasam, Pineapple Rasam and the Vetrilai(Betel leaf) Rasam. I have already posted the recipe of pineapple Rasam and slowly over a period of time plan to cover all the Rasam varieties mentioned here. I have also given the recipe to a perfect Rasam Powder here. It yields an aromatic and flavourful Rasam.

Here is the recipe of Drumstick/Murungakkai Rasam for you-

PREP TIME: 10 Mins COOK TIME: 20 Mins

TOTAL TIME: 30 Mins COURSE: MAIN / APPETISER

CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN SERVINGS: 4

AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients:

Drumsticks 3 big fleshy ones chopped to 3-inch pieces (refer note 1)

Tomatoes 2 large (note 3)

Tuvar dal/ Yellow lentils 1/4 cup cooked in a pressure cooker

Rasam powder 3 tsp

Lemon 1

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Asafoetida 1 tsp (split 1/2 while boiling and 1/2 for tempering)

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Roasted Pepper & Cumin powder 1 tsp( dry roast in the ratio 2:1 and grind coarse)

Directions:

Put the dal in a vessel and cook it in the pressure cooker. I used pot in pot method, you can use whichever is convenient. The dal should have cooked well. Now cut the Drumsticks, put them in a vessel and boil. Cook until the flesh inside turns tender(approx 10 minutes). Reserve the water in which the drumsticks cooked. Cool the cooked drumsticks and scrape out the fleshy part with a spoon(refer picture). Don’t discard the seeds unless they are very hard. Keep aside. Now grind 2 tomatoes to a puree and pour it in a 1-litre vessel. Add 2 cups water, followed by 3 tsp Rasam Powder, adequate salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the rawness of the powders is gone. Now mash the cooked dal nicely and pour it into the boiling mixture along with any water the dal may have retained. Cook for two minutes and now its time to add the water reserved after cooking the drumsticks. After pouring the drumstick broth if you find the Rasam(soupy), dilute by adding 1 to 1.5 cups of hot water and continue to boil the Rasam for another 2 minutes, now add the drumstick scrappings(seeds and all) and continue to boil until the Rasam froths up and rises in the vessel and comes to the brim. Switch off the flame and squeeze a lemon into it. Now take 2 tsp ghee in a small tempering Kadai and heat. Add mustard seeds, as they crackle add the Asafoetida powder, roasted pepper-cumin powder and put off the stove. Now add the curry leaves to the ghee, and pour the tempering into the Rasam. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. The healthy, flavourful and fragrant Drumstick rasam is ready. Enjoy and Bon Appetit.

Serving suggestions: Just as a soup, with hot rice and ghee, with Oats porridge(try this it tastes yummy).

Sometimes I also pour it on my chapatis while hot.????

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Cook the dal and keep ready. Cut the Drumsticks into 3-inch pieces and cook them in water with a little salt. Cool them scrape out the flesh with a spoon and reserve the water in which they cooked.

2. Pour the puree of 2 tomatoes into a 1-litre vessel and add 2 cups water, followed by 3 tsp Rasam powder, adequate salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida and bring to a boil.

3. Now add the cooked and mashed dal along with the water to the boiling mixture and continue to cook until the rawness of the powders is gone(approx. 5minutes).

4. Now add the Drumstick broth(water in which the drumsticks cooked) to the mixture and if the consistency is too dense add 1 to 1.5 cups of hot water and bring to a boil.

5. Now add the drumstick scrapings to the boiling rasam and continue to boil until the rasam froths up and rises to the brim. Put off the flame and squeeze a lemon into it, or add 3 tsp lemon juice to it.

6. In a tempering Kadai heat 2 tsp of ghee. when it heats up, put the mustard seeds into it, as they crackle add the asafoetida and the roasted cumin-pepper powder. Put off the flame and then add the curry leaves. Drop this tempering into the Rasam and serve hot with hot rice and ghee or follow any of the serving suggestions given above.

NOTES:

1. Picking the Drumsticks well is critical, pick thick but tender ones. After cooking the seeds also can be used, don’t discard them as they have the most flavour.

2. I have used the Country variety of tomatoes(Naatu Thakkali) instead of the Hybrid ones as they give the rasam some tang when not using tamarind.

3. If you serve Rasam with something unusual do let us, know..we love learning and trying new combinations.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.

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Vetrilai Rasam/Betle Leaf Rasam

There are different types of Rasam Like the Pepper Rasam, Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam, Garlic Rasam, Neem Flower (Vepampoo) Rasam, Drumstick Rasam, Pineapple Rasam and the Vetrilai(Betel leaf) Rasam. I have already posted the recipe of pineapple Rasam and slowly over a period of time plan to cover all the Rasam varieties mentioned here.

The Vetrilai also called Vethalai Rasam is has Betel leaves, Tomatoes, and the Rasam Powder as the main ingredients. This Rasam is a very mildly flavoured rasam. For more intense flavour add more Betel leaves. I am posting the recipe of the Rasam powder as the powder used makes a great impact on the flavour of the Rasam. This is also the reason why I said that the Rasam of no two households tastes the same as each has its own proportion. That said Rasam in any form is Comfort food????.

While you are here please check out the recipe of Pineapple Rasam.

Here is the recipe of Vetrilai Rasam for you–

PREP TIME: 10 Mins COOK TIME: 20 Mins

TOTAL TIME: 30 Mins COURSE: MAIN / APPETISER

CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN SERVINGS: 4

AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients:

Betel leaves/Vetrilai 10-12 leaves(refer note 1)

Tomatoes 5 (note 3)

Tuvar dal/ Yellow lentils 1/4 cup cooked in a pressure cooker

Rasam powder 3 tsp

Green chilli 1

Lemon 1

Coriander leaves finely chopped

Garlic(optional) (refer note 2)

Asafoetida 1 tsp (split 1/2 while boiling and 1/2 for tempering)

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Roasted Pepper & Cumin powder 1 tsp( dry roast in the ratio 2:1 and grind coarse)

Directions:

Put the dal in a vessel and cook it in the pressure cooker. I used pot in pot method, you can use whichever is convenient. The dal should have cooked well. Remove the stalks from Betel leaves, reserve one leaf for garnish and put the remaining in a blender, put 2 chopped tomatoes and the green chilli into the blender too, and grind them to a smooth puree. Chop the remaining 3 tomatoes into big cubes and put them in a 1-litre vessel. Add the Betel leaf-tomato puree also to this vessel and pour 3 cups water(1 cup =150 ml). Put the vessel on a medium flame and add the Rasam Powder, followed by turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Boil the mixture until the raw smell of the Betel leaves and tomatoes is gone(around 7 minutes from boiling on medium flame). Now separate the water from the cooked dal and reserve. Mash the dal nicely with the back of a ladle. Pour the dal into the boiling mixture followed by the reserved water and add 2 to 3 cups of more plain water. Now continue to boil the mixture on a low flame until the Rasam froths up and boils and starts rising in the vessel( around 10 minutes on low flame). Don’t let it to overflow. When it rises up squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and put off the flame immediately. Now take 2 tsp ghee in a small tempering Kadai and heat. Add mustard seeds, as they crackle add the Asafoetida powder, roasted pepper-cumin powder and put off the stove. Now add the curry leaves to the ghee, and pour the tempering into the Rasam. Garnish with finely cut Betel leaves(only 1 leaf will do) and coriander leaves. The yummy Vetrilai Rasam is ready to slurp. Enjoy and Bon Appetit.

Serving suggestions: Just as a soup, with hot rice and ghee, with Oats porridge(try this it tastes yummy).

Sometimes I also pour it on my chapatis while hot.????

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Cook the dal and keep ready. Remove the stalks from the Betel leaves, cut them to big bits, chop the tomatoes and keep aside.

2. In a blender put in the cut Betel leaves(reserve 1 for garnish), 2 chopped tomatoes, and green chilli and puree them smooth.

3. In a 1 litre vessel put the remaining 3 chopped tomatoes and the Betel-tomato puree and pour 3 cups of water. Put the vessel on the flame. Now add Rasam powder, Salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida and bring to a boil on medium flame. Keep boiling until the raw smell of the rasam powder and the Betel leaves goes away. This takes approximately 7 minutes on medium flame.

4. Now mash the dal nicely, if the dal has retained water, reserve it. Pour the dal into the boiling Rasam mixture, follow it up with the reserved dal water and add 2-3 more cups of plain water, and start boiling again on low flame.

5. Around about 10 minutes of boiling on a low flame the Rasam should start frothing up and rising in the vessel. When it starts coming towards the brim, add lemon juice and put off the stove immediately.

6. In a tempering Kadai heat 2 tsp of ghee. when it heats up put the mustard seeds into it, as they crackle add the asafoetida and the roasted cumin-pepper powder. Put off the flame and then add the curry leaves. Drop this tempering into the Rasam and serve hot with hot rice and ghee or follow any of the serving suggestions given above.

NOTES:

1. Betel leaves come in many varieties, but 2 of them are popular and in common use. One is light green and thin(the one I have used and you see in my pictures) another is a little deeper shade of green and the leaves are thick. So if using the light green ones use 10 to 12 leaves. If using the darker ones then reduce the quantity by half, use about 6-8 leaves as their flavour is more intense.

2. If using garlic grind it along with the Betel tomato puree. Around 2 pods should be enough or it will overpower the Betel taste.

3. I have used the sweeter hybrid variety of tomatoes(Bangalore ones) which I usually don’t, hence I used 5 of them. If using the country variety(Naatu thakkali) then 3 should be enough. Two to grind and two to put chopped.

4. If you serve Rasam with something unusual do let us, know..we love learning and trying new combinations.

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you.