Tulu Saaru (Rasam) & Curd Rice

It's Jan 1st and we're expecting a couple of friends for dinner. The highlight tonight is some traditional Karnataka sweets I just got back from India (For those of you familiar with this variety, I'm talking about Holigae and Chiroti). So dinner's going to be as simple as Rice, Saaru (Rasam), Poriyal (Vegetable) and Curd Rice.

Now, Tulu food is only different in that we add a dash of jaggery into almost everything we cook.
If you're wondering what Tulu is, it's a sect hailing from the South Canara region of Karnataka and I'm a Shivali Brahmin. Now married to a Maheshwari Marwari- that's a different story for another blog :)

But coming back to my food, it's Tulu influenced, as in, I enjoy a touch of jaggery in all my dishes and I need a sweet to end my meal!

Here's the recipe for one of our staples: Saaru also known as Rasam in other parts of South India.

PS: My Mom makes the best Saaru :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup toor dal (pigeon peas): Cooked with 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp jaggery
• 3 tsps Rasam powder
• 2 green chillies - slit
• 1 big tomato or 2 small tomatoes chopped into chunks
• Vagar : Ghee, 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rye), 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 2-3 red chillies, a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing), 4-5 Curry leaves (Kadipatta)
• Cilantro to garnish

Method:

• Take 2 1/2 cups water in a vessel and bring to a boil.
• Add tamarind, jaggery and salt and allow to boil for 10 mins
• Add the tomatoes, 1 tsp rasam powder and slit green chillies and boil for another 5 mins
• Add cooked dal and 2 tsps rasam powder and bring to a boil for 10 mins
• Finally, for the Vagar: Heat ghee, first add rye and jeera and allow the rye to splutter. Then add the Red Chillies. Wait for the jeera to turn golden brown and the rye to stop spluttering. Add Hing and Curry leaves and immediately take off the flame and add this tempering to the Vessel.
• Rasam is now ready. Boil for another 5 mins and garnish with chopped cilantro.

My Saaru's a little thick as it is my main dish tonight.
Enjoy with Hot Rice and Ghee.

 Now for the Curd Rice, here's a quickie recipe:

• Leftover rice
• Curd
• Chopped green chillies (2-3) and grated ginger (1/4 inch)
• Cilantro to garnish
• Vagar with Rye, Urad dal, Red Chillies, Hing and Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Mash the rice well with your fingers and mix in the curd. To this add the ginger-green chillies and finally temper with the Vagar. Garnish with cilantro.

Tonight, I also grated half a cucumber that I had in my fridge and added it for a change.

 

Here's a traditional South Indian meal that deserves a try!