Rasa podi to rasam - Sudha Balaji recipes

Rasa podi - traditional method of mine

Usually I prepare fresh rasam powder for festivals like Navratri , Varalakshmi Vratham 
Rasam powder can be prepared in many ways.  How I prepare following the traditional method of our family .  With the use of curry leaves, cumin seeds , pepper etc. we are assured of the benefits of these spices.

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Dhania - 1 measure
Red chillies - 1 measure 
Pepper - 1/4 measure
Cumin seeds 1/8 measure
Gram dhal - 1 table spoon
Toor dhal - 1 table spoon
Asafoetida - one pinch
Curry leaves - few.
All the ingredients should be dry roasted separately .  Red chillies are roasted with little oil.  After dry roasting transfer them to a plate or vessel.  Allow the mixture to cool and then dry grind in a mixer. Rasa podi is ready.   Store in an air tight container.
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Another simpler method of preparing rasam powder is shown below
Rasam powder or rasa podi

Rasam podi can be prepared in many methods .  I have shared the method I usually follow
The ingredients required are

Dhania - 8 tablespoons
Pepper - 2 table spoons
Cumin seeds - 1 table  spoon
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Toor dhal- 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - a pinch

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20 to 25 red chillies according  to  our taste

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Dry roast all the ingredients after adding a little oil in a pan.  Roast the chillies separately.  Allow them  cool in air
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Dry grind in a mixer to get rasa podi and store it in an air  tight container 

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  Rasa podi  method- simple  and easy is ready

Easy rasam without rasa podi

Ingredients needed are 
Tomato - big 1 no
Toor dhal - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind -size of small lemon
red chillies - 4 or 5 
Curry leaves, 
chopped coriander leaves
asafoetida
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How to prepare

Take 3 teaspoons ghee ( clarified butter ) in a vessel. 
 Saute with mustard seeds and cumin seeds
Then add red chillies, asafoetida, tamarind and curry leaves
Finally add toor dhal and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour
Add turmeric powder around half tea spoon
Finally and the chopped tomato and fry.  
Once the tomato has fried add water and add garlic ( optional). 
 Allow the rasam to boil after adding salt as required.  
This is a quick and easy rasam. 
 It has a fine flavour because we add ghee.

Add chopped coriander leaves and saute again with mustard , cumin seeds and asafoetida in ghee.

Lemon rasam wth tomato and ginger
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   Cook chopped tomatoes in a vessel.  Add thoor dhall water and allow the combination to boil.  Now add green chilles, ginger pieces, salt, asafoetida.   When the rasam is about to boil, switch off the stove , remove from the stove and add lemon juice and stir well.  Saute with cumin seeds, mustrard and red chilles.   Tamarind is not used.  I have used one big tomato and one medium sized lemon.  This can vary depending upon the size and  flavour we need.

Arachuvitta poondu rasam ( rasam with ground garlic  )

This is a some what different garlic rasam where instead of adding the garlic cloves to the rasam we grind them .

The procedure is as follows

Slice a big size tomato into small pieces.  Fine chop coriander leaves.
Take 6 or 7 garlic cloves and remove the outer skin.  
And wet grind in a mixer

Cook toor dhall in water separately.

Take a lemon size tamarind in a vessel , squeeze it to get the extract and boil it on a stove.
When it reaches boiling  point, add the ground mixture of garlic, coriander leaves and tomato 
and again let it boil.  When it nears the boiling  point add the three or four spoons of rasam powder and stir well so that it mixes well.

Now add toor dhall and water mixture and allow it boil. Add salt to taste.  
Toor dhall water mixture should not be dilute .

Saute with  mustard seeds and cumin seeds  Since I have added curry leaves in rasam powder I have not added with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

When it comes to a boil, remove it immediately. This different poondu rasam is suitable for those who find it difficult to eat garlic cloves directly due to the pungent odour.

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Rasam is an important side dish with white rice in South India.  Some of the traditional rasam recipes and rasa podi have been shared