Hello to all Aps Kitchen readers,
A year back I had wonderful guests sharing their wonderful
recipes, just like that I thought this year I will welcome more guests and
showcase their wonderful recipes here in Aps Kitchen.
Its more than 5 years I have never blogged about tomato
rasam here in my blog. The reason is I always have not got the right shot for
it. I have n number of pictures but all not upto the mark. Now that doesn’t
mean all my photos are awesome ;) . getting a rasam snap is not a easy task for
me ;).
Let us move on to today’s guest, she is a lovely lady, a
darling and my good friend Chethana.
I’ve known her since school times, she was not my school
mate or classmate but we were commuting friends and our friendship grew as
years passed by. This lady is multi talented I must say. She turns a piece of
cloth into a crayon pouch or waste papers into a basket and what not. Not only
this she is a crochet designer she just loves doing it. You are a super girl
Chetu J.
Coming to her recipe, when I asked her what she makes the
best she said rasam is one of the best one she makes. I know Rasam is such a
simple thing but simple can be awesome isn’t it?
Now over to Chethana.
Aps Kitchen. It has been a huge savior for me ever since
it came into being. when i got married,5 years back, all i knew to make was
whole moong usli and panpolo. don't even ask me about different types of
curries and ghashis...i used to be overwhelmed. As time passed, Aparna's blog
recipes have become a regular visit for me and have become as dependable as
Jaya v Shenoy
's book that my mum gave me. (i am sure most of us
konkanis have a copy of her book. my mum did and so do i.) However if i have
any doubts, its Aparna i turn to,apart from my mum. She is the best person with
who i clear doubts no matter how silly they are and even learn new recipes
everyday from. And i must say she has done a commendable job despite have a
boisterous three and a half year old along with another cutie baby. (it is a commendable
job, as i,with justone three and a half year old feel like
screaming all the time.) How do u do it Aparna? And i must say i was so honouredwhen
she asked me to do a guest post that i almost leapt at the opportunity (lest
she change her mind, i mean, I ask HERabout
basic recipes even now!) cause honestly ,not all can be as good as she is.
Right?
Well after lot of consideration (read: asking and
literally harrassing a lot of people, what i make best!) i decided to make my
version of tomato rasam. i remember aparna once mentioning that, for her, it
was her comfort food. upkari, rasam and rice. I so agree with her,
cause it seems to be my comfort food as well and something that i tend to make
often in my home as well. i love tomatoes but unfortunately, my hub, having had
too much of it while growing up, loathes it. Imagine the trying times in my
home. Sigh! so i come up with different ways to make it. this one is my
favorite way of doing it. I mixed rasam powder along with tomato saaru and
voila! my version of tomato rasam was concocted. common, who doesn't mix up
methods to try and see what is the result! right? Experiments is what keeps us
home makers sane i feel... and keeps us from screaming when asked cant u make
anything else??? But mind you, i have variations even for this (i can
experiment endlessly). But do not worry, this is a tried, tested and a hit
recipe with which no one cant go wrong. even if u tried to. Do try and let us
both know!
My version of the tomato rasam
Ingredients:
To boil together
Tomatoes 2 nos
Garlic cloves 3-4 cloves
Green chillies 2 nos
Salt as per taste
To Dry Roast and Powder
Peppercorns 4-5 corns
Cumin seeds/jeera 1 tsp
To add to the rasam:
Rasam powder 2tsp (increase or decrease depending upon how
spicy you want it to be)
Tamarind (optional/as per taste)
Asafoetida/hing
Dry roasted n powdered jeera and pepper, prepared above
Jaggery (optional)
To Temper:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Red chillies
Asafoetida/hing
Rasam Powder 1tsp
Method:
1. Boil tomatoes garlic n green chillies along with salt
till tomatoes are well done. Once cool, remove the garlic pods, discard the
skin and retain the pulp of the garlic, remove green chillies and blend the
rest well.
2. Keep the above for boiling. Add salt if required, little
jaggery, the green chillies, along with hing/asafoetida and the rasam powder
and bring it to a good boil. Check for seasoning. u can add tamarind if u feel
the tangy taste of tomatoes is not enough.
3. In a tempering pan dry roast jeera/cumin seeds along with
peppercorn till the cumin/jeera stop spluttering... powder it. it can be as
coarse or fine as per ones taste. Add this to the boiling rasam.
4. For tempering: in a small pan heat oil add mustard
seeds.. Once they have stopped spluttering add red chillies a little bit of
hing/asafoetida and rasam powder... n immediately temper the rasam. check if
all the spices and salt are balanced. Enjoy it hot.
Other notes:
On special occasion when garlic can’t be eaten u can avoid
it, u get a slightly different taste however it is equally enjoyable.
Tamarind is not necessary however i like tangy rasam. use as
per personal preference.
Using hing n rasam powder while tempering gives a slight
different taste... does try it once if it doesn't suit you you can avoid it. DO
NOT BURN RASAM POWDER AND HING as that causes the tomato rasam to taste
burnt.
For garnish u can add coriander leaves. I usually don't
cause its not available all the time with me.
If u do not like sweet u can avoid jaggery all together...
however jaggery gives it a balanced feel
U can even add curry leaves in tempering. I personally don't
like it ,hence avoided it.
Other variations: u can add two or three spoons
dal and make a thicker rasam, avoid rasam powder n make saar with the dry
ingredients, if u cooking beetroot u can add beetroot water (this one i tasted
in kamath hotel once made it at home n turns out just as great).
Hope u enjoy my version of tomato rasam. And once again
Aparna thanks for this opportunity and for everything and most importantly for
being You.
Thank You Chethana
for the awesome recipe and haven’t you said a little more about me ;). I have
tried this before writing here and as you said its great.
Happy Cooking,
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