Sambar Stuffed Idli & Chutney Stuffed Idli.

 Sambar Stuffed Idli & Chutney Stuffed Idli.

Yes, you read it right; sambar stuffed inside usual Rice Idli and coconut chutney stuffed Idli. But how can one stuff Sambar or chutney inside the idli, one may wonder. See how it is done!
This ‘all in one’ Sambar Idli or Chutney Idli tastes just the same as Idli soaked in sambar or Idli eaten with coconut chutney. By this new method you can take these Idlies on a picnic or during your travel, with ease and without hassle of carrying sambar or chutney in a separate vessel and additional spoons, ladle etc. You can just bite into the delicious Idli like you eat a ‘burger’.  

Sambar Stuffed Idli.
Ingredients.
 1) Cooked mashed toor dal – about 3-4 tablespoons.  2) Thick tamarind juice from about ½ sized lime. 3) Jaggery – one teaspoon. 4) vegetables – green peas, finely cut onions and tomato, all uncooked (or any other cooked vegetables of your choice for the sambar) – about 3-4 table spoons. 5) Sambar powder – 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons.  6) Salt as needed. 6) Standard overnight fermented Idli batter.

All ingredients: Cooked mashed toor dal, Vegetables- onions, tomato & peas., Jaggery, Tamarind, Sambar powder & salt.

Method.

Mix well all the items 1 to 5 above to make a thick paste, the ‘sambar mix’, and divide it into portions according to the number of Idlies (Say about 4-6 in this case) you are going to make. 

Pour only 50% of the Idli batter into the oil greased idli moulds, and spread it thin, gently till the very edge. 

50% batter spread on the moulds and 'sambar mix' gently deposited on it.

Carefully and gently deposit the sambar mix on the batter.

Deposit one more layer of batter carefully to cover up the sambar mix. 

'Sambar mix deposited in all and covetred with batter in two of them.

All 4 idlies fully covered and inside the cooker.

Steam the Idlies in a cooker for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool it, carefully take out the Idlies and serve hot; if needed reheat just before serving, after separating from the mould.

Ready to eat with butter and with apple juice for breakfast.

Stuffed Sambar Idli is now ready to eat; bite directly into the Idli like eating burgers.

Topping it with some Idli Chutney Podi and/or butter or ghee is optional.

Preparation time if cooked toor dhal and batter are ready is about 20 -25 minutes

Can make 4-6 Idlies with the above amount of ‘Sambar Mix’ and serves 2-3 persons.

Chutney Stuffed Idli.

Steps are similar to the Sambar stuffed Idli. 

Ingedients.

Only TWO;  coconut chuney made with very little water, like a thick almost dry paste

and standard overnight fermented Idli batter.

Only 2 ingedients - Coconut Chutney and Idli batter. 

Method.

Steps of making Chutney stuffed Idli are similar to that of doing it with the ‘Sambar Mix’.

50% batter spead on the mould and chutney mix deposited on it.

Chutney being covered with one more layer of batter.

Cooked Chutney Stuffed Idlies on Breakfast plate with butter and Chutney podi if preferred.

Preparation time – about 15-17 minutes if Chutney and batter are ready.

Serves 2 - 4 – 6 or more persons depending on quantity used. Being bigger Idlies one can eat only 2 or 3 or maximum 4 at a time.  

Special Note.

You may make more Idlies and store them in plastic boxes in the freezer compartment for 5-10 days or even longer. Before re-use, take it out and reheat in a microwave or re-steam it in a cooker for 2-3 minutes. 

 

Gonkura Patthrode Balls.

Gonkura Patthrode Balls.

The story behind this is that in the last few days two of my dear friends in Suvidha Seniors Village in Bangalore, gave me some delicious Udupi Patthrode, each of them slightly different but very tasty as usual. So I also wanted to make some of my own, but no ‘Patthrode’ leaves were available. In my own garden some Gonkura leaves were available, but not enough to make the usual Gonkura Chutney or Pickles. “Why not try to make a different shaped patthrode using these leaves” is the thought that occurred to me. After all the main flavour and taste of this dish is because of the batter used to make it. So I tried this experiment and it turned out well and tasting exactly like the classical patthrode. A Mangalorean friend in Suvidha, to whom I gave the sample, called me up to say that my ‘Patthrose‘ was excellent. She didn’t even notice that a different leaves were used!
The standard Patthrode using the Colocasia leaves in an elaborate process and has many steps and more time consuming. But this Gonkura Patthrode is just made quickly and in one step!

Ingredients.
 1) White rice – dosa rice or any other – ½ cup. 2) Coconut gratings or pieces – about same quantity.  3) Red chillies – 4-5.  4) Jeera – one tsp. 5) Coriander seeds – 1 ½ tsp.
6) Jaggery – about 2 tablespoons.  7) Tamarind** – a small lime sized. 8) Salt as needed. 8) Gonkura leaves washed, cleaned and dried – about one bowl. 
 ** We add less tamarind here since Gonkura leaves have a slightly sour taste.

Ingredients: Gonkura leaves - 1 bowl, Rice , Red Chillies, Tamarind, Coconut, Jaggery, Jeera and Coriander seeds.
Method:
Rice is washed and soaked for about 1-2 hours.#
Cut the Gonkura leaves into large pieces – need not be fine, and keep it aside.
Grind all items 1 to 7 in a mixie adding little water to make a thick slightly coarse batter.
Mix the batter and the leaves and make into lime size balls.
Steam the balls for 12-15 minutes, keeping them in a stainless plate, or an idli mould set.

All ingredients made into a coarse opaste in a mixie & Gonkula leaves cut up into pieces.

Gonkura leaves mixed with paste, made into balls and stam cooked in am Idli Cooker.

Gonkura Patthrode balls are now ready to serve – can be eaten as it is as a snack or with honey, or jaggery or date syrup or only ghee.

Cooked Gonkura Patthrode Balls - serve hot.

Preparation time 20 – 25 minutes.

Can make about 10 balls and can serve 2 - 3 persons as snack.

Special note: Even the standard Colocasia leaves Patthrode can be made this way in the shape of balls, by cutting the leaves into small pieces and following same steps. It is much easier, faster and taste would be same.  

Nutritional Information.

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/go-for-the-gongura/article19125502.ece

Gonkura leaves are a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acid, Vitamin C and anti-oxidants essential for human nutrition.  

The very mention of gongura pachhadi will have any Telugu drooling. When cooked with toor dal, it adds a certain zing to the dish and is popularly known as gongura pappu. Apart from curries, varieties of pickles are made with gongura. Cooking gongura with colocasia is a popular ethnic dish in Assam. In Tamil Nadu, it is widely used for pulichakeerai masiyal and thokku.

Gongura is an excellent source of folate and a very good source of vitamin B6, both of which are needed to maintain low homocysteine levels. Apart from this, it is a rich source of iron, vitamin C, anti-oxidants, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A.

 

 

 

 

Mint and Onion Tambli.

Mint** and Onion Tambli.

The story behind this: There was a luxuriant crop of Mint leaves in my neighbour’s cottage and also a few in my pots in Suvidha Seniors Village, Bangalore. So I asked my consultant in cooking, my own sister, Mrs Vijayalaxmi Ballal (a.k.a Sharath Kumari) staying in Udupi how to utilise it. I tried the recipe given by her for this very very easy to do Tambli. It had an exotic, awesome taste and that is why I am sharing with friends on the net.

Very simple and takes hardly 5 minutes to prepare the dish. Just mix the items selected, no cooking, just grind fine and mix with beaten curds add salt and tadka. It is ready to eat with hot rice. Yummy!

Luxurious Mint leaves grown in my pots.

HOW to grow mint in your own home - Just plant some stem/cuttings with leaves from out of what you purchase from the market. It grows easily in no time.

Ingredients.

 1) About a fistful of fresh mint leaves, well washed and clean. 2) About the same quantity of onion chopped fine (1/2 or one). 3) About 2 spoons of coconut pieces or gratings. 4) One green chilli and 5) For tadka – ghee, mustard, curd chilli and curry leaves + 6) salt to taste.

Ingredients: Onion, Cocoanut, Mint Leaves, green chilli and sour curds. Tadka items and salt not shown.

Method.

 Grind fine in a mixie items 1 to 4 add ing little water as needed. Transfer contents to serving dish, add salt, beaten curds and put a garnishing with mustard, mor-molaga and curry leaves in Ghee. 

If quantity is more for the day’s use, extra can be stored in the fridge as paste without adding curds; even tadka may be added to this preserved portion.

Paste mixed with beaten curds and tadka on left and paste with tadka for later use on right.

Ready to be served and eaten with hot rice as the first appetising dish at lunch or dinner.

Preparation time about 5 minutes.

Serves 3-4 persons if entire quantity is used.

**Nutritional Values of Mint

Per 100gms of fresh leaves:

Energy – 70 kcals
Carbohydrates – 14.79gm
Proteins – 3.75 gm
Total fat – 0.94 gm
Cholesterol – 0
Dietary Fiber – 8.0 gmVitamins – A, B 12, Folates;
Minerals – Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium,Copper.

Go to the link below to know about medicinal and culinary uses of Mint. http://www.mohanraohospital.com/2015/01/01/health-from-your-gardens-viii-herbs/

  

 

Udupi Goli Baje Guliappa/Paniyaram.

 Udupi Goli Baje Guliappa/ Paniyaram.

This twist in Udupi Goli Baje is so simple, that you are surprised why you did not think of it yourself!
It is much simpler, easier and quicker to do it and is far healthier than the classical method of preparing it.
NO deep frying and less oil/ghee used.

Ingredients for Goli Baje.
 1) Maida – ½ cup.  2) Very sour curds** – equal to or more than maida.  3) Green chilli,  1 or 2 finely chopped.  4) Ginger – 4-5 slices, finely chopped. 5) Few curry leaves , cut very fine. 6) Salt as needed.  7) Optional – ¼ tsp of cooking soda or Eno’s salt. 8)Ghee about 2-3 tsps for cooking.

Ingredients - Maida 1/2 cup, Sour curds 1/2 cup, cooking soda 1/4 tsp (optional), curry leaves, 1 or 2 
green chillies, few slices of ginger , salt. (Ghee not shown)

Method.
Mix all the ingredients to make a moderately thick batter, not too watery.   
Heat Guliappa Tawa, ideally non-stick, on a gas stove or induction stove and deposit a couple of drops of ghee into each cavity.
Just before pouring the batter into the mould, add cooking soda or Eno’s and mix to make the batter fluffy. Pour the batter into each cavity and cook in moderate flame for 1-2 minutes.
Deposit a drop of ghee on each guliappa and flip it with a spoon or wooden pointed device. Cook for half minute more and pick out each guliappa/paniyaram.
Pour the next batch again and repeat the steps. You can make about 7+7 Goli Baje Guliappa with the above quantity of ingredients.

   Drop or 2 ghee in each pit in tawa.                                    
Deposit batter in each heated pit in tawa.

Ready to eat hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce as snacks with your tea/coffee.

Preparation time – totally 7-10 minutes.

Serves 2-3 persons.

**Special note: The curds used should be quite sour to give the real taste and flavour of Goli Baje. 

  

The Versatile Cucumber - Part II.

 The Versatile Cucumbe Part II.

Tambli of Cucumber core and seeds.

 Entire spongy core of a cucumber including the liquid and all the seeds can be used to make a delicious and healthy ‘Tambli’. But make sure that the spongy core is not too bitter if it is to be used.  
 Ingredients.
 1) The solid part of the spongy core, kept aside.  2) The liquid part and all the seeds kept separately. 3) Coconut about 2 tablespoons.  4) Green chilli – one. 5) For final garnishing – mustard, red chilli, curry leaves.  6) Coconut oil for blanching and garnishing – about 2-3 tsps. 7) Salt as needed.  

Ingredients: Coconut, Green Chilli, Jeera, Seeds & liquid, Solid core part, Tadka Items, Asafoetida,
Curds and Coriander leaves (not in picture)
Method;
 1) In a kadai heat about 1 – 1 ½ tsp coconut oil, solid pieces of cucumber core, coconut, cut green chili for about 2 minutes on medium flame.
 2) Grind fine in a mixie and transfer paste to a serving dish. 
 3) In the same mixie, take the seeds and liquid and blend fine. Strain the contents on to the serving dish, discarding the solid part.  Add salt as needed.

 

                 The final product after tadka & coriander leaves to be added.

 
Blending seeds & liquid, it is strained into the the container with the main paste.

4) Garnish with mustard, red chilli and curry leaves in coconut oil.  
It is now ready to serve.
 Preparation time – about 10-12 minutes.
 Serves 4-6 persons at lunch. It is eaten with hot rice, mashed well and in small quantity as a sort of appetiser to tickle the taste buds.

UNDE Sutta’ Cucumber Huli / Sambar.

‘UNDE Sutta’ means bottom burnt. In this the Cucumber pieces with its peel are shallow-fried, almost burnt and thus cooked in making this special Udupi Sambar. No Toor Dal is used. With Cucumber we usually make standard sambar using pieces with its peel and make ‘Mor Kozhambu’ or ‘Majjige Sambar’ using peeled cucumber pieces. This particular variation has a different and nice taste; worth trying.
Ingredients.
 1) 10 to 12 or more large pieces with its peels, either fresh or freezer stored, with the fleshy part  criss crossed with deep knife cuts keeping the peel intact. 2) For the masala – a) mustard 1 tsp; b) jeera 1 tsp.  c) Red chillies 2 or 3. d) Coconut pieces or grated about 1 to 1 ½ tsp.  e) Coconut oil 3-4 tsp.  f) Turmeric powder ¼ tsp. g) Asafoetida powder ½ tsp. h) Coriander seeds 1 tsp. 3) Tamarind – about one small lime size.  4) Jaggery – one tsp.  5) Salt to taste. 6) Coriander leaves.

  

Ingredients: Coconut, Tamarind, Asafoetida, Jaggery, Turmeric, Jeera, Red chillies, Coriander seeds,Curry leaves & Cucumber pieces,  Next: Criss cross cutting of flesh.  And Shallow frying the pieces or 'Burning' the cucumber in a tawa.
Method.
 1) In a tawa roast with about 1-2 tsp oil, all masala items – mustard, jeera, red chillies, coconut, turmeric powder and finally asafoetida powder for 2-3 minutes.  Cool it and grind into a fine paste adding some water as needed. Keep it aside.
 2) In a tawa heat 2 – 3 tsp of coconut oil, arrange cucumber pieces bottom down on the tawa under high flame initially and later under moderate flame gently turning and mixing till the fleshy part starts browning and the peel tends to get ‘burnt’. This would take about 10 – 12 minutes.
 3) Cool and add tamarind juice diluted to about a cup; add jaggery and cook on moderate flame for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and mix well. Make sure cucumber is cooked well, but not too soft and melted.    

 

                               Frying Masala Items.                       Adding masala to cooked cucumber.
                           Final Profuct - ready to serve. Decorate with Coriander leaves..

.

 4) Now add the masala paste, mix well and cook and bring to boil – for 3-4 minutes. Test taste it and add
more salt or jaggery to it as per your preference.
 Transfer it to a serving dish and decorate with some coriander leaves.
 It is eaten as a main dish mixed with hot white rice at lunch or dinner
 Preparation time – about 30 – 35 minutes.
 Serves 4 – 5 persons.

Other standard items like Cucumber Sambar and Cucumber Mor Kozhambu are not described.

The versatile Madras Cucumber or Sambar Cucumber.

This all season vegetable, is very versatile and ripe cucumber can be stored for several months so that it would be available all the year round. Every part of the Cucumber, like the peels, the main fleshy part, the spongy core and even the liquid and seeds inside can be cooked and relished. The peels can be stored for a few days and used to make Chutney and the fleshy part with or without peels can be suitably cut and stored in the freezer for a few weeks or a month or two. The cucumber peels can be made into a special chutney called ‘Sambanda’. The pieces can be used to make standard sambar, a special ‘Unde sutta Sambar’ and ‘Mor Kozhambu’ or ‘Kai Huli’ or ‘Majjige Huli. The grated fleshy part is also made into a unique dish called ‘Saute Munchi’ or ‘Cucumber Munchi’.
                                           
     The Madras Cucumber/Sambar Cucumber                   Peels removed from half of it 

  The versatile Madras Cucumber or Sambar Cucumber.

                 

                  

      Cucumber cut into various parts                     Part of the perled portion grated or mixied.

  
FOUR types of  portions ready for storage in a freezer..

Cucumber Munchi.
‘Munchi’ means chilli or spicy in Tulu, a local language in Udupi, Mangalore area. This is a rare preparation using Madras Cucumber. For the spicy taste we add black pepper and hence the taste is ‘out of the way’, as it were.
Ingredients.
  1) Peeled cucumber flesh in grated form or pieces taken in a mixie and just a buzz given – about 1/2 cup or more.  2) Coconut pieces or gratings equal to 2 tablespoons.  3) Mustard – one tsp.  4) Black Pepper – about 10-12 , crushed slightly in a pestle/mortar.  5) Asafoetida ½ tsp.  6) Tamarind- about ½ lime size .  7) Curry leaves – little. 8) Cooking oil – about 1 – 1 ½ tsp.  9)  salt to taste  10) Coriander leaves - little.

         

 

Ingredients:   On left above. Cooking on low flame- middle. Final product - on right above.

 Method.
 In a kadai using about 1 ½ tsp coconut oil, roast mustard, black pepper and as it splutters add asafoetida, curry leaves and the grated or mixied cucumber. Add tamarind juice, salt and cook on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Transfer it to a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot; to be mixed with hot white rice and eaten.
 Preparation time 15 to 20 minutes.
 Serves 3 – 4 persons with the quantity indicated.  

Cucumber Peels** Sambanda or Chutney.

This ‘Sambanda’ is made by marrying (Sambandi means a relative by marriage and ‘sambanda’ means a relation) the Cucumber Peels with some coconut and some masala. The distinctive enjoyable taste is relished when it is

mixed with hot white rice and some coconut oil. 
Ingredients.
 1) Peels of one or half cucumber, cut into smaller peices.  2) Coconut grated about 2 tablespoons. 3) Red chillies – 2-3. 4) Jeera – One to 1 1/2 teaspoon. (VARIATION – instead of Jeera, one can add  2 teaspoons of Urad dal with or without 1 tsp of chana dal) 5) Tamarind about ¾ lime size.  6) Turmeric powder 1 /4 tsp  7) Jaggery 1/2 tsp  7) Green chilli – one. 8) For garnishing – mustard, curd chilli, curry leaves , split urad dal and oil. 9) cooking oil 3-4 tsps for frying masala and garnishing. 10) Salt as needed. 11)Chopped coriander leaves.

 
Ingredients: Peels, Green chilli, Tamarind, Red chillies, Jeera, Asafoetida, Coconut & Tadka items separately.

Method.

  1) Roast/blanch in about a spoon and half coconut oil, Jeera, Coconut, cucumber peels as pieces, turmeric powder and lastly tamarind. Roast on medium flame for about 2 minutes till nice aroma of jeera comes. Do not over roast.  

 2) Cool the above and grind it fine in a mixie adding jaggery and little water as needed. Add salt also.

 3) Transfer it to a serving dish, sprinkle asafoetida, garnish with mustard, urad etc and top it with chopped coriander leaves.

Now ready to serve. 
 

                    

Fry/blanch peels with other items and cool.  Grind to Chutney add asafoetida & Garnish & Coriander leaves.     

Preparation time about 12 – 15 minutes.
Serves 3-4 persons at lunch as one of the side dishes, if peels of half cucumber is used.

** Make sure that the full cucumber is thoroughly washed off all pesticides by spraying a vinegar based solution and after 10 minutes rub gently and wash under tap water.

P S : More special cucumber dishes in another post - Tambli  & Unde sutta Huli.          

Masala & Podi Idli

Masala & Podi Idli.

This is an ‘All in One’ Idli ready to eat and does not need any accompanying dish like Coconut Chutney or Sambar or Chilli Chutney Podi. Since it contains some vegetables as ‘Masala’ or ‘Palya’ and also looks different and colourful, children will readily eat and get more nourishment than a mere carbohydrate dominant simple Idli. Apart from its nice taste, this special idli is also quite suitable to carry along while travelling or while going on a picnic.

Ingredients.
 1) Standard fermented Idli batter.  2) Masala or ‘Palya’ that we prepare for ‘Masala Dosa’ or any other type of ‘dry’ vegetable preparation. 3) Chilli Chutney Powder of your choice.
Method.
 1) Grease the cups of the Idli mould with coconut oil.  2) Deposit only about 50% of the batter in each cup and gently spread it till its periphery. 3) Gently deposit with the hand one more layer of the masala as a second layer, leaving a little gap at the periphery. 4) Carefully deposit one more thin layer of the batter to completely cover up the masala.   5) Sprinkle generously one more layer of Chutney powder on each Idli.  5) Now steam it in an Idli cooker or rice cooker for about 10 – 12 minutes, as per your experience.    

   

 

1) Spread 50% batter .    2) Gently deposit masala .    3) Cover masala & sprinkle Podi.

Allow it to cool, take out the Idlies carefully – it is now ready to eat. DO NOT eat HOT IDLI.”
Pick up the warm Idli with your hand and bite and eat like a ‘Burger’.

                                    Masala & Podi Idli on your Breakfast plate with fruit juice.

Preparation time: With all ingredients ready, just 12-15 minutes is all it takes to make a full set of 16 or more Idlies.
Can serve 4-6 persons with one set of Idlies.

Special note: You may make more such Idlies at a time and store the extra Idlies in a plastic container and keep in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Take it out before reuse and reheat in a microwave or a steam cooker. 

Onion Rasam.

Onion Rasam.

There are any number of variations of the ‘Rasam’, which is almost a daily dish in all South Indian homes. Any vegetarian mass cooking programmes and functions would invariably have ‘Rasam’ as one compulsory dish. In many sit down banana leaf lunches it is one man item, mixed and mashed and enjoyed with hot rice, with a little ghee for flavour and while biting on crisp appalam. 

Onion rasam is one unusual variation and though time consuming and has many steps in making, is worth the effort because of its quite spicy taste and a distinctive enjoyable flavour. I picked up this recipe from a TV programme in 2011 while staying in Mysore.

Ingredients.
The spiciness is due to black pepper and green chillies and one can decide on the quantity and proportion as per your preference. If you want more of pepper flavour, add more of it and balance it with lesser green chillies. The red chillies used is Byyadgi (or Ghattada Menasu), which produces the bright colour, but very little spiciness, as compared to ‘Guntur’ red chillies which are more spicy but colour of the dish is dull.
 1) Items for special rasam powder are a) Mustard – 2 tsps. b) Jeera – 2 tsps. c) Black pepper ½ to 3/4 tsp. d) Byadgi chillies – 3 to 4.  2) Menthe (methi seeds)- ½ tsp. 3) Green chillies -  2+1.  4) Toor dal – 2 tablespoons.  5) Tomato – one large.  6) Onion – one large or 2 smaller. 7) Tamarind – about 1 lime size.  8) Turmeric powder ¼ tsp  9) Asafoetida – ½ tsp.  10) Curry leaves – few.  11) Cooking oil and Ghee – a tsp or two. 12) Salt as needed. 13) Jaggery – optional – about a tsp.  14) Coriander leaves –a little.

Ingredients: Tomato, Onions, Pepper, Red chillies,Mustard, Jeera, Methi, Turmeric powder, Green Chillies, Asafoetida, Tamarind, Curry leaves and Toor dal.
Method.
 Step I:  Pressure cook toor dal, mash well and keep it aside. I use cooked ,mashed dal stored in the fridge.
 Step II:  In a kadai in 2 tsp of coconut oil and 1 tsp of ghee, fry the finely chopped onion till it browns slightly and keep it aside.
 Step III: In the same kadai without adding any more oil or ghee, roast mustard, jeera, pepper and dry chillies on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Don’t over roast. Cool it, and powder it in a mixie and keep it aside.

 

Step III: For special Rasam Powder. Step IV: Frying,adding tomato & other items & Tamarind Juice.

Step IV: In the same kadai roast ½ tsp of menthe, some curry leaves and 2 finely chopped green chillies. In about 30 seconds as the aroma of methi comes, add chopped tomato and mix and cook for 3- 5 minutes till it gets soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder, salt as needed for the rasam as a whole, asafoetida powder and mix well. After it cools pour thin tamarind water and as much water as you wish the total quantity of rasam to be and boil well for a few minutes till the raw smell goes.
 Step V: Then strain the contents on to another vessel, add the onions, the special rasam powder, mashed dal and add any more water if needed. I added one more green chilli obliquely cut into 4 pieces. Heat and bring it to boil for 2-3 minutes, addling some pinched curry leaves. Optional: add about a tsp of powdered jaggery to balance the spiciness*. Test taste it and add either little more salt or jaggery as per your preference.  Sprinkle some chopped coriander leasves optionally. Rasam is now ready to serve.   
 * In many Udupi dishes, jaggery is usually added.

             

Step V: Strain contents add fried onion, mashed dal, i green chilli and special rasam powder.

 
Final product: To garnish with coriander leaves just before serving. 50% for next day.

 Preparation time:  About 25-30 minutes if precooked dal is used or 10-12 minutes more if dal is freshly pressure cooked. I use only one induction stove and hence all heating and cooking has to be one after another and not simultaneously.
 Serves 4 – 6 persons at lunch as the main dish.

P.S: Doing this Onion Rasam for the second time in the last 10 years. Had put 2 green chillies finely chopped, about ¾ tsp black pepper and one more green chilli obliquely cut in the last stage. Used 1 tsp jaggery. It was too spicy. Additional green chilli could have been avoided; only ½ tsp of pepper would do and little more jaggery, I would have liked.