Rasam ( Charu )
ॐ नमः शिवाय!
"Rasam", also called Charu is a very normal and popular dish in South India, though I lived mostly in North India and I never heard anyone talking about Charu or Rasam there, but yes many use it as a regular dish in their menu mostly South Indians, I myself never liked it as a kid, though it was a regular dish in my home, I always avoided it, not any more.
Rasam can be prepared in many ways but it does help in good digestion and helps the system to remain regular, particularly if people consume meat products or heavy junk food, "Rasam", Should be a compulsory item in your menu.
One way to prepare "Rasam" is.
Items.
Water, 1/2 litre.
Tamarind= equal to your one finger length and width,
Jeera (Cumin) seeds = 10 to 20, do not count :-), just put approximately,
Turmeric powder= 1/4 small spoon, ( Optional)
Red Chilly powder = 1/8 small spoon, ( Optional)
Tomatoes ripe= One, cut into small pieces, ( Optional)
Black pepper= two or three, ( Optional)
Table Salt = To your taste.
Coriander strands with stem, ( Optional)
Vegetable Oil= 10 to 15 ml.
mustard seeds = few,
Garlic pods = one or two ( Semi smashed),
Red Dry Chilly= One ( Break it into two halves),
Curry leaves = Few,
There are other ingredients also but for good Rasam or Charu these are enough.
Boil water in a clean steel vessel, add Tamarind and let it become soft, mix with a spoon, add Cumin, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, black pepper seeds, and tomato pieces, let it boil for few more minutes, add coriander leaves with the stem.
After few minutes remove the coriander stem and discard.
In a separate pan, take vegetable oil, add mustard seeds, garlic, red dry chilly, cumin, and curry leaves, saute at low heat and add to the boiled charu, it might splash, take precaution to keep it away from your face.
mix and your "Rasam " is ready.
Rasam can be taken with cooked rice and clarified butter or it can be taken as a drink but as it is spicy take it slowly or with few drops of clarified butter.
To drink, you can filter the whole Rasam using a tea filter to remove all the floating ingredients, I like it this way.
The spice contents can always be reduced to minimum or if you are a spice buff, drink it with more spice in it. :-))
Do not drink more than one glass, you know the reason why, but people suffering from diarrhoea should avoid it.Have a nice Rasam time.
Sianala, Montreal, Jan 2008.
"Rasam", also called Charu is a very normal and popular dish in South India, though I lived mostly in North India and I never heard anyone talking about Charu or Rasam there, but yes many use it as a regular dish in their menu mostly South Indians, I myself never liked it as a kid, though it was a regular dish in my home, I always avoided it, not any more.
Rasam can be prepared in many ways but it does help in good digestion and helps the system to remain regular, particularly if people consume meat products or heavy junk food, "Rasam", Should be a compulsory item in your menu.
One way to prepare "Rasam" is.
Items.
Water, 1/2 litre.
Tamarind= equal to your one finger length and width,
Jeera (Cumin) seeds = 10 to 20, do not count :-), just put approximately,
Turmeric powder= 1/4 small spoon, ( Optional)
Red Chilly powder = 1/8 small spoon, ( Optional)
Tomatoes ripe= One, cut into small pieces, ( Optional)
Black pepper= two or three, ( Optional)
Table Salt = To your taste.
Coriander strands with stem, ( Optional)
Vegetable Oil= 10 to 15 ml.
mustard seeds = few,
Garlic pods = one or two ( Semi smashed),
Red Dry Chilly= One ( Break it into two halves),
Curry leaves = Few,
There are other ingredients also but for good Rasam or Charu these are enough.
Boil water in a clean steel vessel, add Tamarind and let it become soft, mix with a spoon, add Cumin, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, black pepper seeds, and tomato pieces, let it boil for few more minutes, add coriander leaves with the stem.
After few minutes remove the coriander stem and discard.
In a separate pan, take vegetable oil, add mustard seeds, garlic, red dry chilly, cumin, and curry leaves, saute at low heat and add to the boiled charu, it might splash, take precaution to keep it away from your face.
mix and your "Rasam " is ready.
Rasam can be taken with cooked rice and clarified butter or it can be taken as a drink but as it is spicy take it slowly or with few drops of clarified butter.
To drink, you can filter the whole Rasam using a tea filter to remove all the floating ingredients, I like it this way.
The spice contents can always be reduced to minimum or if you are a spice buff, drink it with more spice in it. :-))
Do not drink more than one glass, you know the reason why, but people suffering from diarrhoea should avoid it.Have a nice Rasam time.
ॐ नमः शिवाय!
Sianala, Montreal, Jan 2008.
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