Ginger helps reduce indigestion, stomach aches, nausea and increases the overall metabolism. Lime is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Combining these two simple ingredients is a great health booster and also tastes phenomenal. On a cold winter night, curl up on your couch with some warm rice, flavourful Lime-Ginger Rasam and some dry potato curry. Taste of heaven right there.

Check out my other interesting rasam varieties too – Healthy Rasam and Buttermilk Neem Flower Rasam.

Ingredients

Moong dhal – 2 tbsp

Ghee/coconut oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Water – 1 L

Fresh ginger (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Green chillies (slit) – 3 (or to taste)

Salt – 1 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves (hand torn) – few

Black pepper (crushed) – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fresh ginger paste – 1 tbsp

Lime juice – 3 to 4 tbsp

Lemon zest – 1 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Yield
~ 1 L (serves 4)

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Soak moong dhal for half an hour in warm water and boil it with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp ghee/coconut oil until mushy. Set aside.

2)   In a separate pan, take around 300 ml water, add 1 tsp turmeric powder, chopped ginger, green chillies, salt, jaggery and a few curry leaves. Bring to a rolling boil. Let it continue to boil on medium heat for nearly 8 mins, or until the raw smell of turmeric powder goes away and all the other ingredients become aromatic.

3)   Now add ginger paste, lemon zest, crushed pepper and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Mix once and let it start to boil again. 

4)   Dilute the cooked dhal with approximately 600 ml water and add it to the boiling rasam. Simmer. In around 5 mins you will see froth forming on the sides of lime-ginger rasam. Switch off the heat when froth starts forming. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and lime juice and mix once.

5)   Heat a tempering pan, add the remaining ghee/coconut oil. When it starts heating up, add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add 1 tsp cumin seeds and wait for it to splutter too. Now add the remaining curry leaves to it and pour the whole thing over the rasam. Aromatic, healthy lime-ginger rasam is ready to be served. Serve hot with plain rice or as a starter on a winter night. 

Notes

1. I’ve used moong dhal in this recipe. You can use toor or masoor dhal too to make lime-ginger rasam and the taste won’t vary. 
2. Using chopped ginger and ginger paste has two advantages. Chopped ginger has mild ginger flavour and give texture. On the other hand, ginger paste has a concentrated ginger flavour and adds a lot of punch to the rasam. So add ginger in both forms to maximise the flavour.
3. Similar to ginger, I’ve used lime juice and lemon zest for maximum flavour. The entire sourness comes from lime juice and the flavour is enhanced by the addition of lemon zest. 
4. The entire spice comes from green chillies, ginger and black pepper for this rasam. Keep the ginger quantity as it is and adjust the amount of green chillies and black pepper according to your taste (I love the combination of all three though!).
5. You can store this rasam for a maximum of 2 days when refrigerated.

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From then on I started including green papaya in my diet and keep experimenting in different recipes. I include them in koottu, dry curry, kurma, salad, pickle, halwa, raitha and also as a vegetable in my sambar. Green papaya koottu is very light on the stomach and nutritious too, so can be had as an accompaniment to rice or roti for any meal of the day. In fact, the recipe for this koottu is somewhat similar to my Watermelon Rind Koottu, but with a few changes this Green Papaya Koottu tastes totally different and unique in its own way. The addition of yoghurt and coriander leaves while grinding the masala makes a big difference. So go ahead and try this simple, healthy koottu!

Ingredients

Green papaya (cubed) – 4 cups

Toor dhal – 1 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Fresh grated coconut – 3/4 cup

Green Chillies – 3 (or to taste)

Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Fresh ginger – 2 cm piece

Fresh coriander leaves (chopped roughly) – a handful

Plain yoghurt (or vegan yogurt) – 1 1/2 tbsp

Coconut oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal/Black gram – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – 3/4 tsp (or to taste)

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1 tsp (optional)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   Boil toor dhal with turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil until well cooked but not very mushy. Set aside.

2)   Heat a wide pan, take the cubed green papaya, add salt, jaggery, 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds. Add half cup of water to this. Mix and close the pan. Let it cook on medium heat for about 8 – 10 mins. Stir once or twice. Keep the pan covered until it cooks.

3)   After about 8 mins, open the pan and check if the papaya is fully cooked and soft. If it is not, then allow it to cook for a further 2 to 3 mins.

4)   Once the papaya cooks fully, add the cooked dhal to this. Simmer. Let it boil for further 2 – 3 mins.

5)   In the meantime, grind freshly grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds and green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, few curry leaves and yoghurt coarsely in a mixer.

6)   Add the coarsely ground coconut mixture to the papaya-dhal mixture. Mix well. Your green papaya koottu is almost ready.

7)   After 2 mins switch off the heat. In a small tempering pan, take coconut oil. Heat a bit, add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Once it starts spluttering, add urad dhal and fry until golden.

8)   Add the remaining curry leaves and pour the tempering on the koottu. Mix well and serve along with plain rice or roti.

Notes

1. I use moong dhal in most of my koottu dishes, because it is very light on the stomach and cooks faster. But this koottu tastes better with toor dhal. Adding a small quantity of coconut oil while cooking the dhal enhances the aroma of the dish. In case you have fresh turmeric root, I would suggest to use that instead of turmeric powder.
2. Fresh coconut is the best for koottu, so don’t substitute it with desiccated coconut or dry coconut powder. If you don’t have fresh grated coconut, just add 2-3 tbsps of full fat coconut milk or omit the ingredient entirely.
3. Coconut is highly nutritious and should be consumed as fresh as possible without much cooking. Therefore after adding the ground coconut mixture, don’t boil for more than a minute or two.

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Neer Aagaaram improves digestion, builds immunity, provides vitamin B6 and B12, enhances availability of micronutrients such as iron, potassium and calcium many folds and reduces many stomach related problems like acidity, bloating, heaviness, to name a few. It gives a lot of energy and cooling effect to those who go out in the sun for manual labour. The nutritional benefits of fermented rice is highly disproportionate to the effort it takes to make. And what’s more, it’s absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Plain yoghurt – 1 cup

Water – as required

Baby onions/shallots – 10 to 12 finely chopped

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Green chilly – 1 finely chopped (optional)

Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped or grated (optional)

Cooking sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Sprouted fenugreek seeds – 2 tbsp (optional)

Dried curry leaves powder – 1 tsp (optional) or few fresh curry leaves finely chopped

Yield
Serves 3

Prep time
Overnight soaking

Making time
10 minutes

Method

1)   Soak the cooked rice in an earthen pot (if you have one) with enough water to cover the rice. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.

2)   Next morning the rice will be fermented. Sometimes you may even see small bubbles from the fermentation process. Slowly transfer the excess water, if any, to a different vessel and keep it aside. With clean hands mash the rice slightly so it becomes like cooked porridge. 

3)   Add salt, yoghurt, dried curry leaves powder (or fresh curry leaves), sprouted fenugreek seeds and mix once. Set aside.

(See fenugreek grape pickle recipe and banana stem mung sprouts curry recipe for tips to sprout fenugreek seeds.)

4)   In a small pan, heat the sesame oil until medium hot and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add green chillies and ginger, fry for 30 secs. Immediately add the onions and fry just for 30 secs. Transfer this tempering to the rice-yoghurt mixture. Mix well.

5)   Now add back the drained fermented water to the rice mixture. Your Neer Aagaaram is ready. If needed, add more water to dilute and bring the Neer Aagaaram to drinking consistency. Serve immediately, it cannot be stored.

Notes

1. Green chilly, ginger, sprouted fenugreek seeds and curry leaves are optional ingredients. Neer Aagaaram tastes perfectly fine even without these four ingredients. But I personally prefer to add green chilly and ginger to give that extra zing to my morning breakfast. Curry leaves and sprouted fenugreek seeds are added purely to enhance the nutritional value of this dish.
2. You can ferment red rice, brown rice, traditional rice varieties or millets too in the same method. 
3. Using clay pots to ferment rice is the best option. The natural pores in the clay increases the air circulation inside the pot which helps better fermentation, and thereby increases the production of gut friendly bacteria. It also gives a pleasant cooling effect to the Neer Aagaaram without any refrigeration. If you don’t have an earthen pot, it’s fine. Go ahead and ferment the rice in a porcelain/stainless steel or glass container. Please avoid nonstick or plastic containers when fermenting.
4. Adding plain yogurt to fermented rice increases the probiotic content of this dish. For vegan options, you can either use vegan yoghurt or just skip the yoghurt.
5. Don’t ferment the rice beyond 12 hours. It might start to spoil beyond that, depending on the weather. 

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There is no hard and fast rule as to what vegetables you can use. Having said that, there are some favourite varieties of sambar in my house like onion-drumstick, mixed vegetable, pumpkin-capsicum, fenugreek/drumstick leaves and shallots. These are some of the common, more flavourful varieties and a great combination for pretty much all South Indian tiffin items like dosai, idli, upma, veN pongal, pidi kozhukkattai and medhu vadai. You can mix sambar with plain rice (as a main course dish) and also have it as a side for curd rice.

There are two main methods to make Sambar. The first method is by roasting the Sambar masala/powder ingredients, adding fresh coconut to the ground masala, grinding it to make a paste and adding it towards the end of the preparation to give a fresh, strong flavour. The other version, which I’ve shown here, is relatively simpler and uses only homemade Sambar powder.

Sambar has a good balance of lentils and veggies so it’s not only delicious, but also incredibly nutritious!

Ingredients

Toor dhal – 1 cup (see note 1 for alternative)

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Ghee – 1 tsp (optional)

Sesame oil (cooking grade) – 2 1/2 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tbsp (see note 2)

Dry red chilly – 1 (or to taste)

Green Capsicum (cubed) – 1

Pumpkin cubes – 2 cups

Green chilly (slit) – 1 (or to taste)

Curry leaves – a few

Tamarind – 1 small lemon sized piece (see note 4 for alternatives)

Tomato (chopped into big chunks) – 1 large (or 2 medium)

Jaggery – 1 tablespoon

Sambar powder – 2 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1 1/4 tsp (or to taste)

Coriander leaves – to garnish (optional)

Water ~ 400 ml

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
1/2 hr

Cook time
1/2 hr

Method

1)   Wash the toor dhal once and boil it with turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp of asafoetida and ghee until soft (pressure cooker works best for this, but you could also just use a pot).  Stir the boiling dhal frequently to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot. The consistency of the cooked dhal should be like a thick porridge, and should be cooked thoroughly until mashable. 

2)   Simultaneously, boil the tamarind and tomatoes together in a pot until the skin of the tomatoes starts to shrink and peel off. Transfer to a wide pan and let it cool down a bit. Once it cools down, remove the skin of the tomatoes and discard. Mash the peeled tomatoes and tamarind. Discard any impurities from the tamarind at this stage. Set aside this tomato-tamarind pulp. (see note 4 for a quicker alternative)

3)   Heat a wide pan to medium heat and add 2 tbsp sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add the red chilly and fenugreek seeds, fry until fenugreek seeds turn light brown. Add 3/4 tsp of asafoetida and mix once. Immediately add the chopped pumpkin, capsicum, curry leaves and green chilly. Mix once. Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 4 mins or until the vegetables start to sweat.

4)   Open the pan and mix once. Add the sambar powder and fry for just 30 seconds. Immediately add the tamarind-tomato pulp. Add salt, jaggery and water. Increase the heat and bring the sambar to a rolling boil and then bring it to medium heat and allow the sambar to boil for 8 to 10 mins.

5)   After 10 mins the vegetables should be cooked and the raw smell of the sambar powder will be gone. Now reduce the heat completely and let it simmer for a further 5 mins or until the oil starts to float on top of the sambar.

6)   Add the cooked dhal now and mix well. Keep the heat minimum. When you see small bubbles start to form on the surface and sides of the sambar, switch off the heat. Garnish with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, chopped coriander and curry leaves.

Notes

1. I’ve used toor dhal in this recipe. As an alternative, you can use a toor-masoor dhal mix as well. The soaking and cooking process remains the same.
2. Instead of dry fenugreek seeds you can use sprouted fenugreek seeds. Sprouting actually reduces the mild bitterness of the fenugreek seeds and increases its nutritive value. (See Fenugreek grape pickle for tips on sprouting fenugreek)
3. Add a small quantity of ghee to the dhal while cooking to stop it from overflowing, whether in an open pan or in a pressure cooker. It also enhances the flavour of the cooked dhal.
4. Using only tamarind or only tomatoes will also work fine for making sambar. But a combination of both gives a nice balance of tang and sweetness, so I prefer to use both. If you don’t have fresh tamarind, you can use 2tsp tamarind paste instead and blend it with the boiled tomatoes.

Beginner’s tips

1. Soak your dhal for a minimum of half an hour before boiling to reduce cooking time.

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Neem flowers, despite their nutritional value, are also quite bitter. Bitterness is one of the six primary tastes but we often shy away from using it in our daily cooking. However, using bitterness in our cooking balances out other flavours and adds a layer of complexity to our dishes. In addition, bitter foods are great for regulating several hormonal and digestive processes in the body. So here’s a recipe to help you include more bitter foods in your diet and experiment with a flavour that we often neglect. 

In those days, my grandmom used to make butter at home by churning milk cream that is skimmed off and collected from freshly made yoghurt/boiled milk. She used to add some buttermilk to store this milk cream for a few days. After making butter from this collected milk cream, the left over buttermilk will be used to make this buttermilk neem flower rasam, more kuzhambu (buttermilk, coconut based stew), and many other dishes. Here’s the recipe my grandmom gave me. You can make this rasam in just 20 mins!

Ingredients

Sour Buttermilk – 600 ml

Water – 300-400 ml

Salt – 1 1/4 tsp (or to taste)

Sugar/jaggery – 1 tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) – 1/4 tsp

Dry red chillies (halved) – 3 (or to taste)

Green chilly (halved) – 3 (or to taste)

Curry leaves (hand torn) – few

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/4 tsp (optional, see puliyodharai recipe for details)

Fresh/dry neem flowers – 3 to 4 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Any cooking oil – 1 tbsp

Yield
~ 1 L (serves 4)

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Method

1)   Take the buttermilk in a pan, add salt, sugar/jaggery, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

2)   In a shallow pan/kadai take oil and heat until medium hot. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add the red and green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for a minute on low heat.

3)   Then add about 300 or 400 ml water (depending on how thick your buttermilk is) and increase the heat. Let it boil for 3 to 4 mins. After about 4 mins, switch off the heat. Add the flavour enhancer powder, mix and allow it to cool down a bit, until it becomes warm to touch. Now transfer this to the buttermilk mixture and mix well.

6)   Fry the neem flowers in ghee on a low flame until it turns dark brown and becomes crisp. Take your time to do this to avoid charring. The picture should help you determine how long you should fry the neem flowers. Now add this to the buttermilk mixture and mix once. Close the pan and let all the ingredients soak for 15 mins atleast. (you can soak everything for even 1 hour before serving).

5)   Serve Buttermilk Neem Flower Rasam warm or cold. Goes very well with hot, plain rice or just as a drink/cold soup.

Notes

1. Sour buttermilk is better for this rasam and adds taste to this dish. If the buttermilk you are using is not sour, then leave it outside the refrigerator for 1 day at room temperature to make it slightly sour and then use it.
2. The medicinal properties of Neem are widely known and it has been the subject of many research initiatives. Fresh flowers are carefully collected when the tree is in peak bloom, cleaned and air dried. This way it can be stored for the whole year and used. You can usually buy dry neem flowers at your local Indian store if you live outside India.
3. The flavour enhancer powder is optional but I strongly recommend it. It will elevate your buttermilk neem flower rasam!
4. You can substitute jaggery with the same amount of raw brown sugar.

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This is a traditional recipe in my family and when I make maangaai paruppu I don’t even need a curry or a side dish to go with it. Simple plain rice and maangaai paruppu is more than enough for a meal as it tastes great on its own and also nutritionally balanced.

Here’s the recipe for this simple flavourful stew!

Ingredients

Raw (unripe) mango (cubed) – 1 cup

Semi-ripe mango (cubed) – 1 cup

Toor dhal – 1 cup (see note 2)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Cooking sesame oil – 2 tbsp

Asafoetida (hing) – 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies (break into halves) – 2 (or to taste) 

Green chillies (slit) – 3

Curry leaves – a few

Salt – 3/4 tsp (or to taste)

Water – 350 ml

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/4 tsp (optional, check Puliyodharai recipe for details)

Yield
Serves 5

Prep time
25 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   Boil toor dhal, turmeric and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil together until the dhal cooks completely and becomes soft and mushy. Set aside.

2)   Heat a wide pan, add 1 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil and let it warm up. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.Then add fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies. Fry until the fenugreek seeds become golden (only takes a few seconds).

3)   Now add the slit green chillies and curry leaves together. Fry for a minute. Then add asafoetida and mix. Immediately add the cubed mango pieces, 1/4 tsp of salt and mix. Cover and cook the mangoes on medium heat for 4 to 5 mins.

4)   After 5 mins the mangoes will become soft and semi cooked. Now add all the water and the remaining salt. Cover the pan again and let it boil for few mins (until it comes to a rolling boil).

5)   By now the mangoes will be cooked completely. Now add the boiled and mashed dhal to the pan. Mix well. Add jaggery/brown sugar and simmer the heat. Let it simmer for a further 3 or 4 mins (or until the oil starts to mildly coat the top layer of the maangaai paruppu).

6)   Finally, add the flavour enhancer powder if you have it (check puliyodharai recipe for details) and a few curry leaves. Mix well and switch off the heat. Serve hot with plain rice, dosai or idli.

Notes

1. A combination of raw (unripe) and semi ripe mangoes would be perfect for this recipe. Fully ripe mangoes will make maangaai paruppu too sweet. A blend of sweet, sour and spicy taste is the highlight of this dish.
2. I’ve used toor dhal for this dish, but a combination of toor, moong and masoor dhal will also work. Choose according to your preference.
3. I prefer a combination of dry red chillies and green chillies. But it’s totally a personal choice. You can either choose to make maangaai paruppu with only red chillies or only green chillies. The final taste will not vary much. 
4. If the semi ripe mango you are using is slightly on the sweeter side rather than sour, then you can skip jaggery/sugar.
5. Adding the flavour enhancer powder gives a boost to the already flavourful maangaai paruppu. Just 1/4 tsp of this, for the entire quantity of maangaai paruppu, definitely adds a punch.

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Did you know that you can eat all parts of the watermelon? The seeds (with the black coating removed), the rind, everything. The first time I heard from my daughter’s friend that watermelon rind can be cooked, I was totally surprised.  So I did some research and was amazed that the rind of watermelon is very nutritious. As the name suggests, watermelon contains a good amount of water and some fiber, both of which help keep you full for quite some time. It’s also filled with good amount of vitamins, minerals and heart healthy components.

Combine some lentils, coconut, coconut oil, curry and coriander leaves along with this nutritious watermelon rind and make yourself a rustic, nutritious, homestyle dish. Therefore, you can safely enjoy this watermelon rind koottu even during convalescence. Dishes like this are good for weight loss too.

Ingredients

Watermelon rind (cubed) – 3 cups

Moong dhal/yellow split gram – 1 cup

Fresh grated coconut – 3/4 cup

Green Chillies – 2 (or to taste)

Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida/hing – 1/2 tsp

Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal/Black gram – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Coriander leaves finely chopped – 1 tbsp

Salt – 3/4 tsp (or to taste)

Jaggery/brown sugar – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Yield
Serves 4

Prep time
25 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   Boil moong dhal until well cooked but not very mushy. Set aside.

2)   Heat a wide pan, take the cubed watermelon rind pieces, add salt, jaggery, 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, asafoetida and a few curry leaves. Add half cup of water to this. Mix and close the pan. Let it cook on medium heat for about 8 – 10 mins. Stir in between once. Keep the pan covered until it cooks.

3)   After about 8 mins, open the pan and check if the watermelon rind is fully cooked and soft. If it is not, then allow it to cook for a further 2 to 3 mins.

4)   Once the watermelon cooks fully, add the cooked dhal to this. Simmer. Let it boil for further 2 – 3 mins.

5)   In the meantime, grind freshly grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds and green chillies coarsely in a mixer.

6)   Add the coarsely ground coconut mixture to the cooked watermelon rind. Mix well. Your watermelon rind koottu is almost ready.

7)   After 2 mins switch off the heat. In a small tempering pan, take coconut oil. Heat a bit, add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Once it starts spluttering, add urad dhal and fry until golden.

8)   Add the remaining curry leaves and pour the tempering on the watermelon rind koottu. Add finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve along with plain rice or roti.

Notes

1. I use moong dhal in most of my koottu dishes, because it is very light on the stomach and cooks faster. Instead of moong dhal, you can use masoor dhal or toor dhal too.
2. I’ve used green chillies in this koottu. Alternatively, dry red chillies or whole black pepper can be used.
3. Fresh coconut is the best for koottu, so don’t substitute it with dessicated coconut or dry coconut powder. If you don’t have fresh grated coconut, just add 2-3 tbsps of full fat coconut milk or omit the ingredient entirely.
4. Coconut is highly nutritious and should be consumed as fresh as possible without much cooking. Therefore after adding the ground coconut mixture, don’t boil for more than a minute or two.

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Having said all this, a small word of caution, greens generally take a long time to digest, so I would not recommend Keerai Masiyal for dinner. Also, cooking greens in earthenware increases its taste, retains the natural colour and enhances the nutrition.   

Ingredients

Spinach – 2 medium sized bunches

Ghee / clarified butter – 1 tablespoon

Thuvar dhal / split yellow moong dhal – 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds – 1 1/2 tablespoons

Salt – to taste ( I used 1/2 teaspoon)

Asafoetida – 1/2 teaspoon

Green chillies – 1 tablespoon finely chopped

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Whole dried red chilly – 1

Yield
~ 3 cups
(serving size – 3/4ths of  a cup)

Prep time
1/2 hr
(to boil dhal)

Cook time
20 minutes

Method

1)   Boil the dhal with the turmeric to a mashy consistency. Set aside. 

2)   Wash the chilles and spinach well in running water and cut them finely.

3)   In a kadai/pan take the ghee, let it heat up a bit. Add half of the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Immediately add the asafoetida and the dry red chilly. Saute for 10 seconds. 

4)   Now add the cut green chillies. Saute for a minute on low flame. Add the spinach, salt, sugar and the rest of the cumin seeds. Add quarter cup of water and mix properly.

5)   Allow it to cook for nearly 6 to 7 minutes in medium flame stirring occasionally. The spinach would have cooked by now.  

6)   Add the mashed dhal to the cooked spinach at this stage. Mix well. Let it start bubbling from the corners of the pan. Now with a potato masher slightly mash the dhal and spinach mixture to bring it to a porridge consistency, adjusting it by adding few spoons of water, if required. It should be of a flowy consistency, neither too thick nor too runny.

7)   Serve Keerai Masiyal with steamed rice, jeera pulav or any indian bread. 

Notes

1. Soak the dhal for 1 hour before cooking, if possible, to speed up the cooking process.
2. I used spinach in this recipe. You can use a whole variety of greens in place of spinach. Feel free to experiment with this basic recipe!
3. Using green chillies is purely optional. If you want a more subtle variety of the masiyal/stew which can be served to children or people who want their food to be less spicy then avoid using green chillies.
4. Do not cover the greens while cooking. Always cook on medium flame and in an open pan to retain the colour. Greens generally cook in a few minutes time, so don’t boil it for more than 5 to 8 minutes maximum. Otherwise there is great possibility of losing all the vital nutrients.
5. Adding a spoon of sugar not only helps in retaining the colour but also helps in balancing the flavours. Jaggery or unrefined sugar can be healthier substitutes to regular white sugar. 

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Ingredients

Moong dhal – 2 tablespoons (*Note 1)

Garlic – 2 pods

Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon

Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon

Whole black pepper – 1 tablespoon

Dry red chilly – 1 or 2 (or to taste)

Cumin seeds – 1 ½ teaspoons

Coconut grated – 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves – 1 handful

Ginger – 5 cm piece (cut into small pieces)

Ghee – 2 tablespoons

Dry neem flowers – 1 tablespoon (*Note 2)

Tamarind – 1 small lemon sized ball (*Note 3)

Jaggery – 1 tablespoon (*Note 4)

Black mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon (or to taste)

Asafoetida – ½ teaspoon

Yield
~ 1 L
(serving size 200-250 ml)

Prep time
1/2 hr
(to soak dhal)

Cook time
1/2 hr

Method

1)   Dry roast fenugreek seeds.  Set aside and let cool. 

(Fenugreek should be roasted separately on low heat for nearly 5 minutes to bring out the right flavour and suppress the bitterness. If it is fried with other ingredients, it may burn because of its small size. The picture shows you the right colour.)

2)   Dry roast coriander seeds, black pepper and red chilly on low flame for 2 mins. Set aside and let cool.

3)   Sauté curry leaves and ginger in a tablespoon of ghee.  Set aside and let cool.

4)   Grind all the above ingredients along with a teaspoon of cumin seeds and the coconut into a coarse powder.

5)   Boil moong dhal and garlic together.  Mash well and set aside.

6)   Fry the neem flowers in ghee on a low flame until it turns dark brown and becomes crisp. Take your time to do this to avoid charring. The picture should help you determine how long you should fry the neem flowers.

7)   In a vessel, take 200 ml of tamarind water (soak a small lemon sized tamarind in 200 ml hot water for 15 minutes.  Squeeze out and extract the juice.)

8)   Add turmeric powder, salt, jaggery and asafoetida.  Let it boil for 10 minutes on low to medium flame (or until the raw smell of the tamarind goes away).

9)   Now add the powdered ingredients.  Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

10)   Now add the boiled dhal, 500 ml of water and the fried neem flowers to the rasam.  Simmer (about 5 mins).

11)   Switch off the stove.

12)   Separately, in a small pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee. When it is hot enough, add the black mustard seeds and when it starts to splutter add a teaspoon of cumin seeds. Now add a few curry leaves to this and add the whole mixture to the rasam.  Mix and cover.  Rest it for 10 minutes.  

13)   Serve hot either with rice or as a soup.

Notes

1. Soak the dhal in 150 ml of water for half an hour, if possible, before boiling it to reduce cooking time.
2. The medicinal properties of Neem are widely known and it has been the subject of many research initiatives. Fresh flowers are carefully collected when the tree is in peak bloom, cleaned and air dried. This way it can be stored for the whole year and used.
3. Tamarind can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1 large tomato. If you go with lemon juice, then, just take plain water in step 7 and add lemon juice after adding the dhal to the rasam in the final stage. If you are using tomato, then, cut it into small pieces and add to plain water in step 7.
4. Jaggery can be substituted with the same amount of raw brown sugar.

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