Mango Rasam ( Mamidikaya rasam )

            

Raw mangoes are  found during summer and most of us like to make something nice and innovative with the mangoes rather than always having them directly. Hear is a Raw Mango Rasam recipe my mom makes for us during summers .This dish is known for its cooling effect , while consuming mango directly brings heat to the body.

Ingredients :

• Raw mango - 1 (big)
• Dhanaya seeds - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds ( jeera )  - 1 tbsp
• Roasted til ( Seasame seeds)  - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste 
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Finely chopped onion - 1 cup
• Green chilies - 4
• Curry leaves
• Coriander - to garnish

Method :

• Boil the mango. Squeeze to make pulp out of it.
• Take mango pulp into a bowl .
• Add salt and six cups of water and mix it well.
• To this add finely chopped onions, sliced green chilies and coriander leaves.
• Make a smooth paste of dhaniya seeds , cumin seeds and til .
• Add this paste to the mango rasam.
• Take this into a serving bowl.
• Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan.
• Add two red chilies , mustard , cumin seeds  and a pinch hing.
• Add this to the mango rasam and garnish with fresh coriander leaves .

You may also want to check the most prepared rasam - Tomato rasam

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Tomato Rasam

           
The Tomato Rasam is the most basic kind of rasam . Its simple to make with pureed tomatoes simmered with rasam powder which adds the main tang to the dish.

Ingredients :

• Tomatoes - 6
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves 
• Coriander leaves
• Salt - to taste
• Rasam Powder - 3 tbsp

Method :

• Boil the tomatoes and make a puree of it .
• Add salt, coconut , rasam powder to it.
• Boil it  for 3 -5 minutes . 
• Take it into a serving bowl.
• Heat two tbsp of oil in a pan .
• Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds , curry leaves and two red chilies to it.
• Once it starts to splutter, take off from the fire and add it to the rasam.
• Serve hot by garnishing with coriander leaves .

Make your own  Rasam Powder with this simple recipe - Make your own Rasam Powder 

You may want to try this rasam too -  Raw Mango Rasam

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Aloo Palak Curry ( Spinach Potato Curry)

Aloo Palak Curry is a homely north Indian dish with potatoes (Aloo) cooked in pureed iron rice spinach (palak) and simmered with light spices.

Ingredients :

• Palak / spinach  - 10 bunches 
• Potato - 200 gm
• Onions - 2
• Cumin seeds / jeera - 1 tbsp
• Green chilies - 10 
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Souf / Fennel - 1 tbsp
• Ginger / Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Garam masala powder
• Salt - To taste

Method :

• Clean the spinach.
• Take spinach , cumin seeds , green chilies and salt in a vessel .
• Boil this for five minutes.
• Grind it into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan. 
• Add chopped onions , turmeric powder , ginger / garlic paste , garam masala powder and fry then for five minutes.
• Add the ground spinach and salt now . Saute for two minutes.
• Add sliced pieces of boiled potatoes to it and let cook for another two minutes.
• Take into a serving bowl and garnish with sauf powder and fresh coriander leaves .

Tastes best when consumed with  Roti or Pulka.

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Vegetable kootu

Vegetable Kootu is a veggie rich semi liquid curry , a Tamil Nadu native that can be had with both rice and roti. Its a sure addition into the cook-book of the health conscious as it hardly has any place for unwanted calories. 
Not sure what a kootu is ?
                  

                                               


Ingredients : 

• Cabbage - 100 gm
• Carrot - 100 gm
• Beans - 50 gm 
• Cauliflower - 1/2 
• Green peas - 100 gm
• Salt - to taste 
• Moong daal - 25 gm
• Channa daal - 25 gm
• Green chilies - 5
• Finely chopped garlic - 2 tbsp
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup 
• Curry leaves 
• Refined oil - 4 tbsp
• Jeera/ cumin seeds  - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Method :

• Cut all the veggies into small pieces .
• Boil them for ten minutes by adding a pinch of  salt.
• Drain the vegetable stalk and keep it aside for later use .
• Heat oil in a pan ; add mustard seeds , cumin seeds , curry leaves , green chilies , moong daal , chopped garlic , grated coconut and chenna daal.
• Fry for two minutes .
• Add boiled vegetable and salt to this.
• Saute for five minutes .
•  Add 1 small cup of the vegetable stalk to this and let cook for another two minutes.
• Taken this into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander and grated coconut .

 Don't cook  the veggies in the stalk for longer than two minutes as they may get over-cooked . We only need the stalk to capture the flavor of the spices.

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Cabbage Poha curry ( Rice flakes )

                                                   
                               

     Ingredients 

• Cabbage - 1/4 kg
• Poha - 1/4 kg
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Chenna dal - 1 tbsp
• Red chilly - 2
• Green chilly - 3
• Curry leaves 
• Sat - as per taste
• lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp 
• Grated coconut for garnishing 

  Method 

• Soak the rice flakes for about two minutes.
• Crush the flakes to remove the water and keep aside for later use.
• Heat oil in a pan and add red chillies, curry leaves , both the dal , turmeric powder, mustard seeds , cumin seeds, sliced green chillies. Keep on fire for a minute.
• Add grated cabbage. Cover with lid for five minutes.
• Add salt and rice flakes to this and saute .
• Take it off the stove after two minutes .
• Add lemon juice and mix it well .
• Serve with coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut.  

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Cabbage curry with coconut

 A homely Kerala dish tastes best when consumed with chapatis or pulkas.

                                 

         Ingredients                                                       

• Cabbage - 1/4 kg
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa daal - 1tbsb
• Urad daal - 1tbsp
• Green chilly - 4
• Peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Curry patta
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - As per taste
• Turmeric powder - a pinch 

      Method

•  Heat oil in a pan.
•  Add Channa daal , Urad daal , peanuts, sliced green chillis  , Mustard seeds , Curry leaves. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter.
•  Add grated cabbage and salt. Cover the lid and let the cabbage cook for about five minutes.Don't let it   get completely cooked . Let it be slightly coarse. 
•  Take the pan off the fire and add grated fresh coconut to it and serve hot.

The turmeric powder is optional . You can skip adding it if you don't want the yellow color in the dish .

Do leave your comments or further improvement to the dish below. 

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