Cherry Fruit Rasam

 Cherry Fruit Rasam

 Cherries are a nutrient-dense fruit packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Rich in vitamin C and potassium, they help boost the immune system. Regular consumption offers several key health advantages. Yesterday in market I bought cherries along with fruits but it was bit sour. Inspired by Vidhya’s blog I thought of making cherry Rasam/ Soup Made by adding fresh cherry fruit puree and tomatoes to traditional rasam spices. It provides a unique citrus twist and is high in Vitamin. Already I made PineAppleRasam, Lemon Rasam, Jeera Rasam , (Amla Rasam-I didn’t post in blog)

Cherry Rasam is a unique, sweet, spicy, and tangy South Indian soup. It blends tomato with the natural sweetness of fresh cherries, rounded out with classic aromatic spices. It can be served as a hot appetizer or poured over steamed rice The natural sweetness from the fruits intensifies the flavor of the food.

 

Ingredients:

Fresh Cherry–-15chopped (5chopped pieces and 10 pieces for puree)

Tomato –Chopped  1 cup

Toor dal - 1 cup cooked

Turmeric-1/4tsp

Rasam powder – 2 tsp (roast 3 red chilies, 1 tsp peppercorns, 2 tbspn coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds and make a fine powder)

Green chilli-1

Salt – as per taste

Seasoning (Ghee 1 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Jeera 1/2 tsp, Curry leaves few, Asafoetida 1/2 tsp)

Chopped coriander leaves for Garnishing

 

Method:

1.Wash the cherries and discard the stems. Pat them dry .

2.Cut five cherries into small pieces and grind the remaining ten cherries coarsely without adding any water.

3.Meanwhile pressure cook toor dal and puree the dal.

 

4.In a saucepan add the ground cherries, cut cherries, tomato , Ginger,Rasam powder, turmeric powder, salt, ground pepper, salt.

5.Add two cups of water and mix thoroughly.

 

6.Now bring this mix to a boil over medium heat. Now add the  dal,curry leaves, cilantro and remaining one cup of water. Mix well.

 

7.Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the rasam until it becomes frothy on top. Then turn off the heat.

8.In a separate tempering pan, melt the ghee. When the ghee is hot, add Mustard seeds  &the cumin seeds and fry for few seconds.

9.Transfer this seasoning to the Rassam, and add chopped coriander leaves and cover with a lid and remove from flame. 

10.Finally, add two to three pitted cherries to garnish and serve hot

Quick, tasty sweet , sour &spicy Cherry rasam is ready!

Pumpkin Kootu & Jeera Rasam

Pumpkin Kootu & Jeera Rasam for His Cooking Event:

My husband is a wonderful cook. He loves cooking! He usually cooks south indian style food,. Sometimes he puts together the craziest combos and finds them amazing!! I don’t have the heart to tell him. Usually I dont allow him to cook.when I feel sick or busy with my work he use to cook. .when he cooks Just I love his kathrikai pitlai and this kootu. He has made this several times, but somehow I never managed to take a photo.I told him about This  event. Exclusively he cooked his fav jeera rasam & pumpkin kootu for Priti's His Cooking Event.

Yellow Pumpkin Kootu:

Ingredients

Yellow pumpkin.......1/2 kg

Grated coconut..............1 ½ cup

Chana dhal..................1/2 cup

Cumin seed..................1tsp

Red Chilli..................2

Mustard seed................1tsp

Urad Dhal...................2tsp

Curry leaves................few

Turmeric powder.............1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Wash, peel the skin and cut the Pumpkin into small pieces.

Boil water, add the pieces, chana dhal and turmeric powder.

Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and red chilli into a paste.

When the vegetable is cooked add the coconut paste and salt. Mix them well.

.Heat a pan with oil add mustard seeds, urad dhal, 3tsp of coconut and curry leaves.

When the coconut turns into red , add this to the kootu.

 It is very tasty and eat with sambar sadam, &with rasam sadam.

Jeera Rasam

This rasam is my husband’s  favourite . Can be cooked very fast.

Ingredients

Jeera -1 tsp

Red chilli -1

Toor dal -1 Tbsp

Tamarind small size ( soaked in hot water and squeezed to pulp).

Salt to taste.

For seasoning Curry leaves 1 twig, 1 teaspoon ghee.

Method:

Soak the jeera, red chillies and toor dal in warm water for 20 minutes.

Grind to fine paste, add other ingredients and 2 cups water.

Boil this on a medium flame till froth appears

 Heat ghee in a small kadai add the curry leaves and fry for a moment, Add to the rasam.

Serve hot with rice& Chutta Applam

Lemon Rasam

Lemon Rasam is my favourite Rasam. In my house today’s menu is “Lemon rasam” . Rasam is a special type of "soup" prepared regularly in South India mostly from Lentils. No lunch meal is complete without rasam in Tamil Nadu, be it plain cooked lentils with subtle influence of spices or the hot and spicy ones. There are several varities of rasam. From mild versions like Theluvu Rasam(Clear Soup), Lemon Rasam, Pineapple Rasam Poondu Rasam (Garlic Soup) to the spicier versions like Milagu Rasam(Pepper Soup), and Jeeraga Rasam (Cumin Soup). Rasam is highly nutritious ; It can be had as a soup or can be eaten along with Rice.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal 1/4 cup

Ripe Tomato 1/2 cup , chopped

Green Chillies 2 to 3 , slit

Ginger 1tsp, grated

Asafoetida 1/4 tsp

Rasam powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Lemon/Lime Juice 2 to 3tsps, freshly squeezed

Oil 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Cilantro 1 tsp chopped finely

Method:

Pressure cook toor dal until soft. Mash them to a smooth paste

Add 2 cups of water in a pan, and add the chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, Rasam powder. Let the rasam boil for about 6 minutes in low medium heat

.After 3 to 4 minutes add the cooked dal and and another half a cup of water and let them simmer for few more minutes. Add more water if needed.

For seasoning Heat some oil in a seperate pan and add some mustard seeds, ,asafetida with curry leaves

Turn off the stove, add lime juice and cilantro.

Serve hot with rice and pappad.

Iam sending this recipe and lemon Rice here to AFAM Aug '08: Lemon hosted by Easy Srafts,Simple Indian Food and the fruit for the month is Lemon-The King of Citrus fruits. Lemon is used for culinary as well as non culinary purposes.

I am sending Pineapple Halwa and Kothamalli thogayal (cilantro chutney) WYF:Colour in Food event hosted by simpleindianfood