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.