Author: sarapaka

DODDAPATRE THAMBULI (Spiced Yogurt with Coleus n Coconut)

| sarapaka
Cold, cough, sore throat, congestion, indigestion…oho!….then no more procrastination! Off to the garden, pluck them…those succulent, strong scented (has the aroma of oregano but a bit more pungent), thick, roundish, spongy, green foliage with toothed edges from an evergreen shrub that grows and spreads so easily even in gentle weather.

Pluck a leaf or two, boil them in hot water and sip the decoction (kashaya) when you feel sick especially with common cold or abdominal ailments. Wanna add a drop of honey and lime for that zing thing….yes please!

Thambuli, a simple yogurt and fresh coconut based preparation, cool dish ideal for hot summers, so healthy n tasty, so lovingly prepared and sweetly served by moms, yet so easily turned down by kids, only to realise later in life….”Well, it’s our turn now to be turned down by our kids”!!! Fortunately, I for one, at a very young age … by teenage, that’s right, had realized the importance of eating healthy, which made my Amma happy! How about you?

Dish Type:  South Indian Side Dish Doddapatre Tambuli edit copy

Preparation Time:  5 min

Cooking time:  10 min

Serves:  4 persons

Ingredients

For sautéing:

Ghee                            ½ tsp

Cumin seeds                ½ tsp

Pepper corns               ½ tsp (5 to 6 nos.)

Doddapatre leaves      12 nos.

Green chilli                 1 no.

For grinding:

All the above sautéed ingredients

Salt to taste                             ½ tsp

Fresh grated coconut              1 tbsp

Asafoetida                               A pinch

Jaggery                                    1 tsp (optional)

Curd                                        1 cup

For seasoning:

Ghee                            ½ tsp

Mustard seeds                        ½ tsp

Cumin seeds                ½ tsp

Curry leaves                4 to 6 nos.

Red chilli                     1 no. (split to half or a tad smaller)

Directions:

Wash doddapatre leaves thoroughly in salt water. Drain out the water and keep the leaves aside. Wash curry leaves also and keep aside.

Grate fresh coconut and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a skillet. Add cumin seeds and pepper corns. When jeera turns brown, add green chilli and washed doddapatre leaves. Sauté them on low flame for 3 to 4 min. till you see the leaves wilting, watering and changing colour. Switch off the flame and transfer the contents to a plate. Let it cool.

Now added grated fresh coconut, salt and asafoetida to this plate. Grind them in a mixie jar using minimum amount of water to a paste consistency. Transfer the contents to a bowl and now add fresh curd / buttermilk and blend them well with a spoon. It’s time to do seasoning….

Heat ghee in a small skillet. Add cumin seeds, red chilli and curry leaves (in that order). Fry for five seconds. Switch off the flame. Pour this seasoning on to the bowl.

Doddapatre Thambuli is now ready. Serve it cool with hot steaming rice, pickle and papad.

Also view “Methi Jeera Thambuli“ in this blog

Note:

Leaves can even be chopped to smaller size before sautéing.

You can use pepper corns / green chillies or a combination of both for the spicy taste.

Coleus Aromaticus, Plectranthus Amboinicus, Cuban Oregano, Country Borage, French Thyme, Spanish Thyme, Mexican Thyme, Mother of Herbs, Saviara Sambara, Sambrani soppu, Sambara balli, Karpooravalli are a few other terms used to describe Doddapatre leaves.

                       

IDLI PODI (Miligayi Pudi /Malaga Pudi)

| sarapaka
A stunningly simple spice powder that’s a perfect partner for idlis and dosas. This long lasting, gently spiced coarse powder mix comes in handy either as a standalone side dish with idli/dosa or as a snap dip along with chutneys. Button idlis or chopped idli pieces tossed in this pudi makes for a favourite finger food.

(“Miligayi” in tamil means red chilli and “Pudi” or “Podi” means Powder.)

Dish Type:  South Indian Spice Powder Miligayi Pudi

Preparation Time:  3 min

Roasting time:  5 min

Cooling time:  10 min

Grinding time:  2 min

Yield:  225 gms

Ingredients

White til seeds            25 gms

Red chillies                  50 gms (approx. 45 nos. of long variety)

Black gram dal                        150 gms

Salt to taste                 1 tsp

Asafoetida                   A pinch

Dry fry all the above ingredients separately (in the order mentioned above) in a skillet on medium flame and transfer each of them to a plate. Let it cool thoroughly. Grind them in a mixie to a not too fine powder. While grinding, first grind dal coarsely, then add red chillies followed by other ingredients. Watch out…sesame seeds may turn out oily and sticky in case of overgrinding.

Did you cough in the first round of grinding itself? Wow, you are well on your way to making a great spicy powder! For, that is what a good spice powder makes you do first!!

Enjoy the grinding while coughing J! Let the texture of the powder be a bit coarse. Transfer this powder on to a plate. Mix well and spread it on the plate. Let it cool completely. Store it in an air tight container.

This powder is a perfect side dish for idli and dosa. Traditionally, it is mixed with sesame oil or gingelly oil or any other cooking oil before serving. To make friendlier idlis for those fussy ones, make a “Quick n Spicy Idli” recipe in a jiffy.

Chop the steamed idlis into bite size pieces.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add urad dal and curry leaves. Add chopped green chillies and idli pieces. Sauté for about 2 min. Toss well while sautéing. Switch off the burner. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve it hot.

Note:

Groundnuts can also be used in place of til seeds.

Bengal gram dal can also be used along with black gram dal, usually 1/3rd the quantity of black gram dal. You can experiment and achieve the taste that suits you.

A handful of dried curry leaves, dry fried and powdered along with the other ingredients adds to the flavour of the powder.

Kerala version of Miligayi pudi  will have few peppercorns added cutting down on the quantity of red chillies.

You can add a pinch of jaggery for a tinge of sweet taste and a pod of tamarind for a tangy taste.

Spoilt for choices?…..yeh!

 

BISI BELE BHAATH (Rice Variety with Lentil and Veggies)

| sarapaka
Spicy, traditional, authentic delicious dish from Karnataka, India. A typical rice and lentil combination dish with a generous mix of veggies, giving you lot of flexibility to choose from among a variety of vegetables. While rice, lentil and vegetables contribute the most to the nutrition factor; curry leaves, asafoetida and tamarind play dual roles to give not just nutrition but also that unique flavour. However, the secret behind the awesome taste of this dish lies in the spice powder.Scroll down and get started….to discover more about this dish, also known as “Bisi Bele Huliyanna” or “Hot Lentil Sour Rice”.

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetarian Rice Variety Bisi Bele Bhaath

Preparation Time:  20 min

Cooking time:  40 min

Serves:  4 persons

Ingredients

For cooking:

Rice                 100 gms

Toor Dal          100 gms

Water              500 ml

Oil                   1 tbsp

Turmeric pwd A pinch

Beans              50 gms  (chopped to 1” long pieces)

Potato              1 no. (chopped to ½” cubes)

Double Beans  30 gms

Carrot              1 no. (chopped to 1” long pieces)

Knol khol         1 no. (chopped to 1” long pieces)

For preparing masala:

Tamarind paste           1 tbsp (or soak 1 lime size ball of tamarind and extract the juice)

Salt to taste                 1 tsp

Spice powder              2 tbsp approx. (refer “Bisi Bele Bhaath powder” recipe in this website)

Water                          50 ml

For seasoning:

Oil                               2 tbsps

Mustard seeds                        1 tsp

Bengal gram dal         1 tsp

Black gram dal                        1 tsp

Asafoetida                   A pinch

Curry leaves                1 sprig

Onion                          1 no. (chopped to ½” cubes)

Turmeric powder        A pinch

Salt to taste                 1 tsp approx.

Capsicum                    1 no. (chopped to ½” cubes)

Tomatoes                    2 nos. (chopped to ½” cubes)

For garnishing:

Ghee                            1 tbsp

Coriander leaves         2 tbsps

Directions:

Wash rice and toor dal separately and thoroughly in water. Drain out the water.

Put 300 ml of water, washed toor dal, few drops of oil and a pinch of turmeric powder into a pressure cooker and keep it for boiling. When the dal is half cooked (this can be known by pressing the dal with your fingers. The dal just splits without getting mashed) add all vegetables, salt (listed above under “for cooking”) and washed rice. Mix them well; add another 200 ml of water. Now close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook upto 2 whistles. Switch off the flame. Let it cool.

Put tamarind paste in a bowl. Dilute it to juice consistency by adding 50 ml of water.  To this add salt and bisi bele bath powder. Mix them well. Boil this mixture in a small thick vessel or skillet on low flame for 5 to 10 min. If the mixture becomes too thick, add some more water, mix well and again keep for boiling till it reaches “gojju” consistency.

By now, the pressure in the cooker would have subsided. Remove the lid. Add this boiled mixture into the cooker, stir the contents well and again boil it for another 10 min. Switch off the flame. While this is boiling, prepare the seasoning. For this,

Heat oil in to a kadai. Put mustard seeds. When they crackle, add bengal gram dal followed by black gram dal. When they turn golden brown in colour, add asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped onions, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté till onions turn transparent and golden brown. Now add chopped capsicum. Continue sautéing till capsicum is just cooked and feels crisp and crunchy. Don’t overcook capsicum. Now add chopped tomatoes. Stir for 2 or 3 min. till the tomatoes are slightly cooked and the rawness disappears. Do not overcook tomatoes either. Switch off the flame. Pour this seasoning on to the boiling bisi bele bhaath in the pressure cooker to form a top layer. Do not mix this till you start serving.

Garnish with ghee and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Bisi Bele Bhaath is now ready.

Serve it steaming hot topped with a spoonful of ghee with fried papad, potato chips, fresh khara boondi, raitha or salad giving the bhaath cool company.

Also view other rice varieties in our blog “Vegetable Biryani“, “Greens Pulao“, “Ellina Chitranna” and “Raw Mango Rice”

Note:

Broken wheat may also be used in place of white rice. Similarly rice can be substituted by Poha or Avalakki. Poha needs to be soaked for about 30 min. before mixing and boiling with cooked lentil and veggies.

Ensure Toor dal retains its shape even after it is cooked.

SPICY MANGO DRINK (Raw Mango Soup)

| sarapaka
Gently spicy, subtly sweet, trickily tangy, clear soup consistency and a divine drink! You just can’t miss making this uber cool recipe that saves you, every time you are going through trying times, say when guests appear from nowhere taking you by surprise and shock, putting your culinary skills to test! What better way to greet them than with this health drink!

Excellent source of Vitamin C and also in Vitamin B, raw mango, in dried powdered form (also known as Amchur), is helpful for treating scurvy. Raw Mango Soup is an ideal summer drink to combat negative effects of excessive heat. It prevents excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron that happens due to sweating. It is also known to cure blood disorders, increase body resistance etc. Eating raw mango with salt prevents dehydration.

Dish Type:  South Indian Soup Variety Spicy Mango Drink

Preparation Time:  5 min

Cooking time:  5 min

Cooling time:  5 min

Grinding time:  2 min

Serves:  2

Ingredients

For boiling:

Raw mango grated     3 tbsps

Salt to taste                 1 tsp approx.

Jaggery                        2 tbsps

Turmeric pwd             A pinch

Water                          200 ml approx.

For grinding:

Pepper corns               6 nos.

Cumin seeds                ½ tsp

Coriander seeds          1 tsp

For seasoning:

Oil                               1 tsp

Mustard seeds            ½  tsp

Red chillies                  2 nos.

Curry leaves                3 or 4 nos.

Asafoetida                   A pinch

For garnishing:

Coriander leaves         1 tsp

Directions:

Wash raw mango thoroughly in water. Peel the skin. Grate and transfer to a vessel. Add salt, jaggery, turmeric powder and 100 ml. water to this and boil them together for about 5 min. till mango gets cooked properly. Let it cool. Store the boiled water that is settled on top to a vessel for later use.

Dry fry pepper corns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small skillet. Let it cool. Powder it in a mixie. To this add boiled and cooked raw mango. Grind them so as to blend the spices and mango. Transfer this ground mixture to the stored boiled water. Add more water (say 100 ml.) if required depending on the desired consistency. Boil once again for 3 to 4 min. Switch off the flame. Now is the time for seasoning.

Heat oil in the same skillet. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add red chillies and curry leaves. Switch off the flame and immediately add asafoetida.

Garnish with fresh, thoroughly washed and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy Mango Drink is now ready. Serve it hot or warm or cool. Any which way is fine.

RAGI HURI HITTU (Finger Millet Roasted Flour) AND RAGI MALT

| sarapaka
Humble cereal; brownish maroon coloured; can easily be mistaken for mustard seeds by newbies in the culinary kingdom; rich in calcium and fibre; low in fat and hence best for calorie curbing; most favoured flour for baby’s bone development; diehard fan of diabetics; that’s Ragi (Finger Millet) for us. Ragi is most commonly used in flour form. So get ready to prepare this flour and what to do with it? Well….Ragi Malt, Ragi Lassi, Ragi juice, Ragi laddus, Ragi soup. One flour, multiple uses. Can’t imagine cooking getting simpler than this! Ultra simple dishes from a staple cereal….all of these helping us grow richer in health and nutrition.While Ragi is the core ingredient in this recipe, many others are added to supplement, enhance and balance the nutrition value.

Dish Type:  South Indian Malt Powder Ragi Malt Flour

Preparation Time:  5 min

Roasting time:  45 min

Cooling time:  30 min

Grinding time:  20 min

Yield:  400 gms

Ingredients

Ragi                 125 gms (sprouted and dried in shade)

Wheat             50 gms (sprouted and dried in shade)

Mung Bean     50 gms (sprouted and dried in shade)

Rice                 50 gms

Peanuts           25 gms

Cashewnuts     25 gms

Almonds          25 gms

Pista                25 gms

Dried dates     25 gms

Nutmeg           ½” pc

Cardamom      4 to 6 nos.

Directions:

Dry fry all the above ingredients individually, in a skillet on low flame. Transfer each of them to a plate. Let it cool thoroughly. Else lumps will form while grinding. Grind them in a mixie (or in a flour mill) to a fine powder.While grinding, first grind hard ingredients like dried dates, almonds, cashewnuts, pista, peanuts and nutmeg followed by other ingredients. Do the grinding at intervals with short breaks in between so that heat generated by the appliance doesn’t get transferred to the contents. Even so, when the powder is completely done, it would have warmed up. Hence, immediately spread the powder in a thin layer form on a clean thick paper or on an absolutely clean and dry cotton cloth laid over a dry table kept in a cool, dry place. Let it stand till it completely cools down. Transfer it to an air tight container.

Recipe for Ragi Malt?

Put 1 tbsp. of jaggery powder or liquid jaggery or sugar and 1 tbsp. of Ragi Hurihittu in a glass or tumbler. Put 1 or 2 tbspns. of water and mix them. By doing this way, jaggery and Hurihittu get blended well without any lumps. Now add hot boiled milk to fill the glass. Stir well. Ragi Malt is now ready. Drink it hot and stay energized rest of the day!

Note:

Sprout Ragi, Wheat and Mung Bean a day before you plan to prepare this powder. Make sure they are dried completely in shade before dry frying them.

Sprouted and dried in shade Jowar and Channa dal (brown) may also be included.

The ingredients’ list mentioned in the recipe is only near close to ultimate! While we recommend using all of them and more! don’t get exhausted by the list. Try to use as many as you can. It will still be tasty.

Few words we share since we care…..

Dry frying requires regular stirring and careful monitoring. The process calls for a lot of patience, proper attention and complete concentration. Nonetheless it is extremely enjoyable, turning you into a meditative mood and totally worth the effort. Do it just for the joy of it and enjoy the experience!

Well, how to make Ragi Lassi, Ragi Laddus……etc. All of these for sure in one of our future posts.

CURD DOSA BATTER

| sarapaka
Freezing collection! Cups of milk curdling, each of them crying “please use me” “find friends for me”….are you going frenzy? Don’t be crazy! Just chill…..all they need is a bit of cuddling and cajoling. Call for rice, methi, poha, black gram etc. etc. Give these crying curds their company. Soak, blend, grind, do all you can and see to it that they gel well. Let these pals enjoy a “sleepover” soaking in your kitchen. Bear with them for just one night. Better no battering for this budding batter! Next morning, they arise, up and ready. Just pour one ladleful on a hot tava and see the sumptuous surprise! Crispiest Crepe bubbling only for you…just go gobble!!

Batter type: Curd DosaCurd Dosa

Preparation time: 5 min

Soaking time:  5 hrs

Fermenting time: 12 hrs

Grinding time: 45 min

Yield: 2.5  litres (approx.)

Ingredients

Rice                             750 gmsCurd Dosa Batter

Black gram dhal          200 gms

Methi seeds                20 gms

Poha (Avalakki)           250 gms (thick variety)

Curds                           1 litre

Salt to taste                 50 gms approx.

Directions

Soak all ingredients except salt, in water for 2 hours. Drain out the water and then soak in curds for 3 hours.

Now the grinding…

Pour about ½ litre water into the wet grinder and switch on the grinder.

Now pour the soaked ingredients into the grinder.

Keep adding very little quantities of water, stirring the batter at intervals.

The batter keeps sticking to the sides of the grinder. Keep clearing the sides off the batter by pushing it towards the centre.

Continue grinding till the texture of batter becomes smooth.

Now transfer it to a vessel big enough to hold all the batter in less than half its height. This is to prevent the batter that rises up on fermenting from spilling out of the vessel. As an extra precaution, keep a basin (bigger than the size of the vessel which contains the batter) underneath the vessel so that any batter that spills out of the vessel collects in the basin. This batter can be transferred back to the vessel.

The above step is especially important for “Curd Dosa Batter” preparation.

Now mix the batter thoroughly. Close the vessel with a lid and let it stand for about 12 hours. Add salt just before you are ready to use the batter. Mix the batter well and let it stand till the salt dissolves.

Curd Dosa Batter is now ready.

Also view in this blog “Plain Dosa Batter” and “Neeru Dosa” recipes

Note:

This batter can be used to prepare dosas that are either thick or thin. For making thicker version of dosa, batter once poured on to the hot tava need not be spread all over, whereas for making thinner variety, on pouring the batter on the hot tava, it has to be spread all around in circular motion. By doing so, paper thin dosas can be made.

RAVA PONGAL

| sarapaka
You will fall in love with its goldielooks. Gorgeously simple to look n cook and easy to digest. Rava Pongal is a traditional South Indian breakfast dish prepared especially during harvest season. Popular as prasadam in temples and a favourite during festive occasions. Green gram dhal is a ‘must use’ ingredient for any pongal. While it is normally cooked with rice, here is its cousin Rava that takes its place to regale you with a relishing recipe.

 

Dish Type: South Indian Breakfast Recipe Rava Pongal with Tamarind Gojju Rava Pongal

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking time: 30 min

Serves: 5 persons

Ingredients

Semolina                     250 gms (medium variety rava)

For cooking in pressure cooker

Moong Dhal                50 gms

Water                          ¼ litre

Turmeric                     A pinch

Ginger                         1” piece grated or finely chopped

Jeera or cumin seeds  2 tsps

Pepper corns crushed 2 tsps

Green chilly (slit)        1 no.

Curry leaves                2 sprigs

Ghee                            1 tbsp

Salt to taste                 1/2 tsp

For seasoning

Ghee                                        50 gms (1 cup)

Jeera or cumin seeds              1 tsp

Pepper corns                           1 tsp

Cashew nuts                            12 nos.

Green Chillies                         8 nos.

Curry leaves                            1 sprig

Ginger grated                         1 tsp

For garnishing

Dry coconut grated                 100 gms

Fresh coriander leaves           1 tbsp

Directions

Wash ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Drain the water. Grate or fine chop ginger. Crush pepper corns.

Cook moong dhal in a pressure cooker along with ingredients listed above for cooking. Dhal should be well cooked but not mushy.

While dhal is getting cooked:

Dry roast rava in a pan on low flame till you get a nice aroma. Switch off the burner and let rava cool.

While rava is getting cooled:

Finely chop washed and drained fresh coriander leaves and keep aside.

Cut cashew nuts into pieces and keep aside.

Grate dry coconut and keep aside.

Keep water for boiling. Now prepare the seasoning.

Heat ghee in a kadai and prepare seasoning. Put jeera, pepper corns, cashewnut pieces, slit green chillies and curry leaves (in that order at few seconds intervals). Saute them for a few seconds. To this seasoning, add the roasted rava slowly and roast it further along with the seasoning. Add ½ tsp salt and mix thoroughly. Now add cooked moong dhal and then boiled water slowly to prevent rava from forming lumps. Mix them thoroughly, cover with a lid and let it cook for 5 to 10 min. At the end garnish with grated dry coconut, finely chopped coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts.

Rava Pongal is now ready. Serve it hot with gojju or coconut chutney or sambar.

Also view “Tamarind Gojju” in this blog. It makes an ideal side dish for Rava Pongal.

Note:

Rava is a South Indian term for Sooji or Semolina. A variety of savouries and sweets can be prepared using Rava. Rava is low in fat. The carbohydrate content in Rava is a rich source of fuel for our tissues. Protein content in Rava nourishes our muscles and skin. Folate content in Rava supports the production of red blood cells. A serving of Rava contains approximately 5 -5.5 gms of protein and 105 – 110 micrograms of folate.

Based on the texture and type of wheat, varieties of Rava are available including Superfine Rava (also known as Chiroti Rava), Medium Rava, Bansi Rava or Lapsi Rava etc.

Rava that is made from Durum Wheat is yellowish in colour whereas those made from softer type of wheat are off white in colour. Durum is the hardest of all wheat types. Harder the wheat, higher is its protein and gluten content.

TAMARIND GOJJU

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This “Made in Karnataka” speciality is a favourite side dish for pongal, rotis, dosas and hot rice.  Gojju can be of different varieties, variation created either by using different ingredients for making the spice powder itself or by using a host of different vegetables and fruits.  Generally, just a single vegetable or fruit is used. There are a few rare recipes however where gojju has a mix of vegetables too. This recipe however is created without using any vegetable or fruit.

The 3 salient tastes of Gojju are sweet, sour and spicy. In this recipe, they are derived by using jaggery, tamarind and a combination of rasam powder with few other spices respectively. Easy n tasty gojju for you to try n taste!

 

Dish Type: South Indian Side DishTamarind Gojju

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking time: 10 min

Serves: 5 persons

Ingredients

Tamarind                    1 big lime size

Jaggery                        50 gms

Urad dhal                    2 tsps

Methi seeds                1 tsp

Jeera                           2 tsps

Rasam powder            2 tbsps

Procedure for preparation

Soak tamarind in 50 ml water for half an hour

Dry roast urad dhal, methi seeds and jeera. Let it cool and then powder it.

Add little water to this powder, make it to a thin paste and keep aside.

Squeeze soaked tamarind to remove any seeds or fibre to make tamarind juice. (Alternatively, a tbsp. of tamarind paste can be used and diluted with few spoonfuls of water to make tamarind juice.)

 To this juice, add salt, rasam powder and jaggery.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai.

Put asafoetida and mustard seeds for seasoning. To this add tamarind juice mix. Let it boil for a few minutes.

Add urad dhal paste to the boiling tamarind juice. Mix well and continue boiling till you get a uniform slightly thick and even consistency.

Tamraind Gojju is now ready.

Also view other Gojju recipes at Sarapaaka “Lime Juice Gojju” “Onion Tomato Gojju” “Raisins Gojju” “Cucumber Onion Hasi Gojju”.     

Note:

Tamarind, the most sought after ingredient in Indian households, is most commonly used in rasams, curries, chutneys, gojjus, hot and sour soups, lentil, vegetable and chaat preparations, etc.

Tamarind juice (i.e., the juice extracted from tamarind pulp) combined with jaggery or sugar, honey, dates, cardamom, clove and coriander seeds makes for a healthy and refreshing drink. Or tamarind juice with jaggery or honey, jeera and pepper (in fresh powdered form) and a pinch of salt. This juice is believed to be extremely good for controlling skin itching and irritation and can easily be a part of haircare and skincare regimen.

 

MOONG DAL RASAM (WITH LIME AND TOMATO)

| sarapaka
Feeling hot? Chill yourself with this “Cool Drink”….piping hot Moong Dal Rasam! Ideal Soup for summer. Hailed as the healthiest among dals, these small, split, flat, yellow coloured beans used in the rasam are quick to cook, easy to digest, low in calories, high in fibre, rich in nutrients, packed with protein and helps shed weight. This “Friend for All” cooked moong dal makes a healthy friend with people very young and old, as also the sick and ailing.

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetarian Stew/Soup Moong dal lime rasam

Preparation Time:  5 min

Cooking time:  30 min

Serves:  5 persons

Ingredients

For pressure cooking:

Moong dal                   75 gms

Water                          500 ml

Turmeric powder        A pinch

Ghee                            A drop

Tomato                        1 no.

For grinding:

Cumin seeds                ½ tsp

Ginger (grated)           ½” piece

Green chilly                 1 no. (small size)

Curry leaves                1 sprig

Coriander leaves         1 tsp

Coriander sticks          2 or 3 nos. (if they are tender)

While boiling

Water                          500 ml

Salt to taste                 1 tbsp (approx.)

Ground chutney          (quantity generated while grinding)

For seasoning:

Ghee                            1 tsp

Cumin seeds                ¼  tsp

Pepper corns               ¼  tsp

Green chilly                 1 no. small size and slit

For flavour and garnishing

Lime juice (extracted from 1 lime) and coriander leaves

Directions

Wash moong dal with water, drain and keep aside.

Wash tomato, ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves in salt water. Drain and keep aside.

Cook dal in a pressure cooker in low flame along with water, turmeric powder and a dash of ghee. When the dal is half cooked, add chopped tomato pieces and continue cooking the dal. Switch off the burner after 2 whistles. Let the pressure in the cooker subside.

While dal is getting cooked….you can do grinding.

For this, chop ginger after peeling its skin. Grind all ingredients listed under “For grinding” using a few spoonfuls of water.

Add this ground chutney, water and salt to the cooked dal and boil it for 5 to 10 min. on low flame. Watch the gentle green coloured rasam glowing while boiling with the jeera-ginger-pepper combine for 5 to 10 min. Towards the end add lime juice and switch off the burner. The awesome aroma from this nutritious rasam rings a bell… it’s time for seasoning.

Heat ghee in a small skillet. Put cumin seeds. When they crackle put pepper corns and slit green chilly. Switch off the flame. Immediately pour it on to the boiling rasam.

Garnish it with thoroughly washed and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Moong Dal Rasam is now ready.

Serve hot with steamed rice, idli or use it as Bonda Soup, a popular combo of South India.

Also view in our blog “Moong bean rasam”, “Tur dal rasam”

Note:

Quantity of water, salt and spices can be altered to suit the consistency and taste that you desire.

Moong Dal Rasam is also known as Hesaru Bele Saaru or Pesaru Pappu Charu

Moong dal is used for preparing a variety of dishes like rasam, dal, pongal (khichdi), curry, vada, payasam (kheer), besan laadu, halwa, kosambari (salad), soups, spicy parathas and even in many rice preparations.

While purchasing moong dal, make sure it is yellow in colour and free of moisture or insects. This can be known by checking for lumps, if any.

Moong dal can be stored at room temperature in air tight container for a few months.