Dear Chitvish, Thanks... Will definitely barge in for the rasams..... Jeera rasam and suttaplam is more associated with sick person or that is what I got whenever I fell sick.... Thanks to my mom... hahahahaha.
Babycorn–Palak Soup - Chinese style ! This is a very light, but tasty, easy to make soup. Buy fresh babycorn, cut into 1” pieces & slit into 2 vertically. Tear palak leaves, each into 3, 4 pieces. Vegetable stock can be used, if available. Otherwise, use plain water. Babycorn pieces - 1 cup Palak pieces - 2 -3 cups Vegetable stock or water - 2 cups Soya sauce - tsp Salt, pepper Butter 2 tsp Heat butter & first fry palak. When it shrinks, add babycorn & fry for 2-3 mts. Add 2 cups of water & boil for 10 mts on medium flame. Add salt, pepper &soya sauce & simmer for 5 mts. Serve hot. If you like, add 4,5 choppd mushroom pieces owards the end.
Re: Orange Rasam With Neem Flowers- Have you heard of this before? Dear Madam, should i add orange pathil Lemon juice add pannallaama?
Dear Saikripa, If you add lime, it will be more like lime rasam. The delightful sweetness of orange will be missing ! Love,Chithra.
Ginger Rasam - on days when your taste buds need to be tickled ! Tomato - 1 Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Salt Jaggery - 2 tsp (optional) Cooked tur dhal - 1 tbsp To roast in ½ tsp ghee & grind: Red chillies - 2 Pepper - ½ tsp Tur dhal & Gram dhal - ½ tsp each Jeera - ½ tsp Hing - ¼ tsp with Chopped ginger - 1 tsp (use raw, do not fry) To temper: Ghee - ½ tsp Mustard seeds - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few Freshly chopped ginger - 1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves - to garnish Boil 1 cup of water with tamarind paste, tomatoes, salt & ground paste. After a few mts, add dhal water ( plain water is optional) to make up to the required quantity. Add jaggery & remove when it starts foaming. Temper & add chopped coriander leaves.
Potato Soup – specially for the “creamy potato” lovers Medium size potatoes - 4 ( slice thin) Onion – 1 ( slice thin) Butter - 2 tsp Water - 2 cups Milk - 1 cup ( more or less) Bayleaf - 1 Salt, pepper Wash sliced potatoes, 3, 4 timesin water, changing water every time. This is to remove the starch as much as possible – this way, dieters can also have this soup. Drain well. In a pessurepan, heat butter. Add bay leaf & when it sizzles, add onion slices. Saute till transparent. Remove &reserve a few for topping. Now add potato slices & fry for 2, 3 mts. Add water & milk. Cook for 3 whistles. Cool, open & remove the bay leaf. Blend the mixture. Add more water or milk, to get the desired consistency. Add salt & pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the reserved onion rings.
Maraatti Rasam - know not the reason for the name ! Tamarind paste - 2 tsp Tomatoes - 2, chopped Salt, haldi Fry in few drops of ghee & powder: Dhaniya - 2 tsp Pepper - ½ tsp Red chillies - 3, 4 Methi - ¼ tsp Hing - ½ tsp Curry leaves - few And finally as soon as you switch off the flame Jeera - ½ tsp To temper in ½ tsp ghee: Mustard seeds - ½ tsp To garnish - chopped coriander leaves. Mix tamarind paste, salt, haldi with 1 cup of water. When reduced in volume, add tomatoes, clear dhal water & powder. When it froths, remove. Temper as given & garnish.
Keeraithandu Soup - nourishing, leafy soup. This has potatoes for bulk and has a high fibre content. Select tender keeraithandu. Remove the outer fibre as much as possible. Chop 2 tbsp of the soft thandu separately for garnishing. Chop the rest with the leaves as well. I used the red variety. Chopped keeraithandu - 2 ½ cups Big potato - 1, chopped Onion - 1, chopped Butter - 2 tsp Milk - 1 cup Salt, pepper Heat 1 tsp butter & sauté the chopped thandu, reserved for garnishing. In a pressurepan, heat the remaining butter. Saute the onions first & the potatoes next. After 3-4 mts, add 2 cups of water & close the cooker. Cook for 2 whistles & switch off. Cool, open & add chopped keeraithandu. Close & cook for one more whistle. Cool, open & liquidize. Strain, add salt, pepper & milk. Garnish with sauted , chopped thandu & serve hot.
Green Chillies rasam - nothing, but flavour ! This is one of the simplest rasams, I learnt from my mother recently. Cooked tur dhal - 2 tbsp Green chillies - 3,4 slit into 2 Tomatoes - 2, cut into big cubes Hing - ½ tsp Salt Lime juice - to taste To temper: Ghee - ½ tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Jeera - ½ tsp In a vessel, add tomatoes, hing, green chillies, mashed tur dhal, 2 cups of water & salt. Keep this inside a pressure cooker & heat the stove. Switch off when the first whistle comes. Cool, open, add lime juice & temper. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves & ginger juliennes. This makes a nice drink on winter days.
Vegetable Soup - though not spectacular, good for everyday ! Potato - 1 medium, chopped Turnip - 1 medium, chopped Cabbage, chopped - 1 cup Onion - 1 medium, chopped Leek - 1 head Bay leaf - 1 Cloves - 2 Milk - ½ cup Grated cheese - 2 tbsp Salt, pepper Pressurise all vegetables & spices with 1 cup of water. Remove spices & liquidize. Boil with salt & pepper. Add milk. Serve hot, sprinkled with cheese.