Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
Serves : 6-8 members
Recipe source : http://puliyogaretravels.com
Description
As usual, my messenger inbox had a message randomly from some one asking me about the food culture and foodie joints at my home town. As I always answer to foodie querries I did do justice by letting the concerned person know about the little I knew. Then I get an invitation asking if I can cook and show a recipe for their television show. The invitation sure did excite me but luck didn’t favour me as I was busy leaving my home town for a long family holiday abroad. Made sure I could help the crew and concerned person as much as I could with contacts and other details they wanted. Yet again another invitation in a few months time from the previous offer. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity this time . Grabbed it with full enthusiasm and got to meet that random messaged fellow ( well at that point of time he was addressed so in my mind ) in person. We did three shoots together and I got to know the random messaged person better. Well it’s none other than Rakesh Raghunathan, the host of sutralam suvaikalam television show in news 7 Tamil channel who has a blog in the name of http://puliyogaretravels.com/ where he shares his foodie travel experience and recipes too. Him being a true blue foodie as myself, we share a lot of similarities in wanting to explore and know all about food, culture, history and its existence. I was so inspired about his posts of the margazhi month canteens in the sabas of chennai. I made sure to visit the Saba canteen with him and got to relish authentic Brahmin sweets with good filter coffee. The canteen that we went was mount batten mani Iyer’s canteen. The following week in the television, Rakesh had showed mount batten mani Iyer himself cook and show two recipes. Both the recipes were out of the box category recipes that I had added them to my next try list. My next try list was put aside with a wedding in the family and was fading away slowly. I get a request from Rakesh asking me if I can try out a recipe for him?? Cooking and me… I can’t say no to that. So accepted it and to my surprise it was my next try listed watermelon rasam recipe that mount batten mani Iyer had made. Started making it along with my regular cooking at home and the rasam was done only after I finished my entire every day home cooking. My cook, requested me never to make this elaborated rasam recipe again. But the results were mind blowing with the right amount of heat, tang and sweetness all in one. Well, as the saying goes no pain no gain, this recipe sure proves it right.
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Tamarind juice | 1 cup (from a tiny ball of tamarind) |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Red chilly powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Asafoetida | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste (preferably rock salt) |
| Jaggery | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Watermelon juice | 3 cups (strained without seeds) |
| Rasam powder 1 | coarse powder of whole pepper & Cumin seeds (2:1 ratio) |
| Ghee | 2 tbsp |
| Cooked toor dhal | 1 cup (this should be extremely watery and should have no trace of dhal) |
| Coriander leaves | chopped few |
| Rasam powder 2 | teaspoons for garnish (recipe below) |
Note on rasam powders 1 & 2
There are 2 powders that need to be used to make this rasam. Rasam powder 1 should be added while making the rasam and Rasam garnish powder to be added after the rasam is made.
Ingredients to make rasam powder 2
(this powder to be made preferably before making the rasam for freshness and added flavour)
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ghee | 1 teaspoon |
| Asafoetida | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Toor Dhal | 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons |
| Channa Dhal | 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons |
| Pepper | 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons |
| Coriander seeds | 3 tablespoons |
| Whole dry red chilly | 10 (can increase if you want more spice) |
| Cumin seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Curry leaves | few |
Rasam powder 2 (recipe)
- Heat ghee in a wok, add toor dhal, channa dhal and fry till golden brown and add pepper corns.
- Once they pepper corn splutters, add coriander seeds and fry to golden brown .
- Add dry red chillies and fry till the red chillies inflate and are fried.
- Add curry leaves and once you hear them crackle add some cumin seeds and immediately turn off the flame.
- Cool this mixture completely and grind to a coarse powder.
Method for the rasam
- Pour tamarind juice into a wok and add turmeric powde, red chilly powder, asafoetida, salt, curry leaves and jaggery and bring to a boil.
- Add a little water to the boiling mixture if you think it is a little too thick. Let it boil till the raw smell of the tamarind fades and top with chopped coriander leaves.
- Now add the rasam powder 1 .Allow to boil and add the watermelon juice.
- Add some pepper powder and let it boil. The colour is a lovely deep red colour.
- Add the cooked dhal water and let it boil just a little bit.
- Add the rasam powder 2 that is used to garnish and immediately turn off the flame.
- Heat ghee in a separate wok, temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds and pour over rasam.
- Add a squeeze of half a lemon. Mix well. Check seasoning and enjoy the rasam with hot boiled rice.
Note : The tempering and squeezing of lemon is done after turning off the stove always.
