Udupi Tomato Rasam

Udipi Tomato Rasam (Tomato Saaru) is the most delicious Rasam you would have ever tasted. It is most popular in the Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi. Here's a recipe which comes very close to that. Enjoy this rasam as a soup by itself or with rice and papad.

Ingredients :

2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 teaspoon jaggery
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 lemon sized tamarind (soaked in water and juice extracted)
2 tablespoons Udupi Rasam Powder (click here for link)
1 cup cooked toor dal/arhar dal
a bunch of coriander leaves (for garnishing)

for tadka (seasoning )

2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
10-12 curry leaves

Method :

1. Take tomatoes, turmeric powder, jaggery and tamarind in a bowl.

2. Add 2 cups of water and rasam powder and bring to a boil.

3. In the meanwhile, whisk the dal to ensure it is smooth.

4. Add the dal to the boiling rasam and simmer.

5. When the rasam starts frothing, simmer for a few more minutes and switch of the gas.

6. Add coriander leaves.

7. For tadka, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Add to the rasam.

8. Udupi Tomato Rasam is ready to be served with hot rice and papad.

Puli Kaichal

Puli Kaichal is a tamarind chutney or preserve made with lots of tamarind, dal and spices. There are several recipes for Puli Kaichal and this is the way it is made by Iyengars from Tanjore district. It is mixed with rice and packed for lunch boxes and during long travel as the oil content and tamarind preserves the dish. You can prepare this in large quantities and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. 

Ingredients:

1/4 kg tamarind (soak the tamarind in water for an hour and make a thick paste)

50 gms red chilli

1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup urad dal
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds powder
3 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 cup curry leaves
2 tsp hing/asafoetida
200 ml sesame oil (gingelly oil, nal ennai in tamil)

Method :

1. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Add red chillies, chana dal and urad dal when the mustard seeds start spluttering. Fry till the dals start to brown.

2. Add hing, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Once the hing dissolves, add tamarind paste and boil over high flame. 

3. Once it boils, simmer till it reduces to half the quantity. Keep it covered as shown below, so that it doesn't splutter. Add fenugreek seeds powder towards the end. 

4. To make tamarind rice (puliodharai), take one or two tablespoons of this preserve and mix it with one cup of rice and add tadka (seasoning) with 1 teaspoon each mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, a few curry leaves and a tablespoon of peanuts. 

Yogurt Parfait

A yogurt parfait often contains some of breakfast's major staples: yogurt, granola, fruits. A great thing about parfait is its versatility. You can make it however you choose! It is one of breakfast's most delicious meals, and the best part is it's easy to prepare. Children and adults will love this good-tasting, easy-to-make treat, with the added benefit of it being healthy. (Source : Wikihow)

This can also be served as an evening snack or dessert.

Ingredients :

Yogurt/curd : 5 cups
Chopped fruits : 2 cups 
Cornflakes : 1 cup
Honey/maple syrup : 2 tablespoons (optional)
Sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Strain the whey out of the curd/yogurt with a sieve or muslin cloth. You can add sugar/honey/any sweetener to the hung curd and refrigerate till you start assembling the parfait.

2.Mix the honey/maple syrup with the fruits and keep refrigerated for an hour. (this step is optional, if you are using fruits that are sweet, you can skip this step)

3. Assemble the parfait in a glass by adding yogurt, fruits, cornflakes and another layer of yogurt, fruits and cornflakes.

Note :

Variations you can try using : 
a) dry fruits like raisins, cashews and almonds.
b) muesli, granola, chocos etc.
c) grated chocolate, chocolate chips etc.

Uppu Huli Dosa (Uppu Puli Dosa)

Uppu Puli Dosa (Uppu Huli Dosa) is a traditional Udupi recipe. It is a sweet, sour and spicy pancake made of rice, lentils and spices. It does not require fermentation and is very tasty. You can add vegetables like cabbage, onion, spinach, methi leaves etc to the dosa batter.

Recipe Source : Mother

Soaking time : Minimum 3 hrs

Cooking time : 5 minutes (1 dosa)

Serves : Makes 15 -20 medium sized dosas/pancakes

Ingredients :

to soak :

1 cup raw rice (uncooked)

1 cup (par)boiled rice (uncooked)

1/2 cup moong dal (green gram dal)

1/4 urad dal (black gram dal)

2 tablespoons dhania (coriander seeds)

1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

4 to 5 red chillies

lemon sized tamarind

other ingredients :

½ coconut (grated)

1 tablespoon jaggery

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Soak the ingredients mentioned under "to soak" overnight or for a minimum 3 hours.

2. Add this with "other ingredients" and grind to make a fine batter.

3. Make dosas (pancakes) in the usual manner with the batter. You can add chopped vegetables to the batter like cabbage, onion, spinach etc.

Submitting this to "Meat free Mondays " and " Recipe of the week".

Tomato Onion Chutney

A juicy and tasty chutney that goes well with dosas and idlis. But beware, you may gulp down more dosas and idlis than usual ;) 

Ingredients:

for chutney

3 big ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
2 big onions  roughly chopped
2 tablespoons grated coconut
2 dry red chillies (byadige or kashmiri)
1 tsp oil

for tadka (seasoning) :

1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a few curry leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions, chillies and saute till translucent. 

2. Add tomatoes, salt and saute till it becomes slightly soft.

3. Add coconut and saute for a few minutes. Switch off gas. Let the mixture cool down.

4.Grind to a coarse paste in a mixer.

5. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves to the chutney.

This chutney goes very well with dosas and idlis.

Low Fat Paneer

Don't ever feel guilty again when you eat paneer. Here is a low fat paneer recipe tried and tested by me several times.

Recipe source : Tarla Dalal

Makes 200 gm paneer (approx.)

Ingredients:

1 liter milk (low fat)
2 cups curd (slightly sour)

Method:

1. Bring the milk to a boil.

2. Add curd and keep stirring.

3. Once the milk starts curdling and you see the whey, switch off the gas.

4. Strain in a muslin cloth. This is crumbled paneer/ cream cheese.

5. Keep a weight on the paneer till all the liquid drains out.

6. Store in the fridge after an hour. This can be be cut into cubes and used like your regular paneer.

Note:

When using low fat milk for making paneer, adding curds gives better texture and slightly more quantity of paneer.

Waterberry Mocktail

Watermelon juice given a twist by adding cranberry juice. Hurry up, try this before the watermelons start disappearing from the grocery stores !!!

Prep time : 10 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients

¼ kg watermelon diced and deseeded

1 cup cranberry juice or apple juice

1 tsp rose syrup or a drop of rose essence (optional)

Palm sugar (if required)

Ice cubes

Method:

Blend watermelon, cranberry juice, rose syrup/essence and palm sugar. Add water if required.

Serve chilled with ice cubes.

Dum Aloo

Yummy potatoes in an even yummier gravy. Serve hot with phulkas, naan or just basmati rice!!!

Recipe Source : Tarla Dalal

Serves : 5

Prep time : 5 minutes 

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients :

12 to 14 baby potatoes or 4 medium sized , boiled and peeled

6 medium sized tomatoes

2 tbsp oil

2 cloves (laung / lavang)

25 mm (1") piece cinnamon (dalchini)

1 cardamoms

1 teaspoon dhania powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

for the paste

2 cups roughly chopped onions

2 green chillies , roughly chopped

10 garlic (lehsun) cloves

6 broken cashewnuts (kaju)
1 teaspoon melon seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon sunflower seeds (optional)

2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

2 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

for the garnish

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

for serving

naan

parathas

Method

1.Make tomato puree as given in the link here. (Tomato puree)

2.Prepare the paste with the ingredients mentioned above and keep aside.

3.Heat 1 tbsp oil a kadhai and fry potatoes till they turn golden brown and keep aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai, add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.

5. Add the prepared onion paste and sauté on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes till it browns.

6.Add the prepared tomato purée, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring continuously.

7.Add the salt, sugar, dhania powder, cumin powder and mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 1 to 2 minutes.

8.Add the fried potatoes, garam masala and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.

9.Garnish with coriander and serve hot with naan or parathas.

Lemon Rasam (Kattu Saaru)

Here's a rasam recipe that does not require rasam powder. Only lemon, tomatoes, dal and lots of coriander leaves. Very mild and refreshing !!!

Recipe Source : Mother

Serves : 5

Prep time : 5 minutes 

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Ingredients :

for rasam :

1 cup toor dal/split red gram

2 tomatoes chopped into cubes

1 green chilli cut length wise

1 inch piece ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon jaggery

4 cups of water

4 tbsp lemon juice (roughly two medium sized lemons)

for tadka (seasoning) :

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoons jeera (cumin seeds) – pepper powder (crush a teaspoon of jeera and pepper in a mortar and pestle and keep aside)

10 curry leaves

a small bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped

Method:

1.Cook toor dal in 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Once it is done, whisk thoroughly and keep aside.

2.Take tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, jaggery, ginger and salt in 2 cups of water and cook till tomatoes are soft.

3.Add dal and bring to a boil. Keep stirring in between as the dal can settle down and stick to the bottom of the vessel. 

4. The rasam will start foaming. Switch off gas at this stage.

5. Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

for tadka (seasoning) :

1. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add curry leaves and  jeera pepper powder. Add this to the Rasam.

2. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Note :

You can also prepare this rasam without tomatoes.