Variety Podi : RASAM POWDER

RASAM POWDER ;


INGREDIENTS ;   Red chilly (gundu milagai) - 1/4 kg, Dhania - 1/2 kg, pepper (milagu) - 50grams, Jeeragam - 1 karandi, tur dhal (thuvaram parupu) - 100 grams, turmeric (kari manjal) - 4 pieces.


PREPARATION :
1.  Dry all the above ingredients under the hot sun for about 3 hrs.  Or dry as told for sambar powder.
2.  Powder these ingredients coarsely in the flour mill.  Check if they ve powdered any masala before and follow as told for sambar powder.
3.  This is powdered coarsely for tasty rasam and also easy to find out sambar and rasam powder easily.
4.  Mix well and store as said for sambar powder.

Variety Podi : SAMBAR POWDER

SAMBAR POWDER :


INGREDIENTS :  Red chilly (gundu molagai preferable because this is very good for sambar powder) - 1/2  Kg,  Dhania - 3/4 Kg, Pepper (milagu) - 100 grams, Tur Dhal (thuvaramparupu) - 250grams,  turmeric (you get it in shops as kari manjal for sambar powder which is cheap and good) - 5 - 6 long pieces.


PREPARATION :
1.  Dry all the ingredients under the hot sun for about 3 hours.  If it is prepared during rainy season, either dry roast in a tawa or the best method is to do it in microwave oven.  Spread each ingredient on the microwave plate and run for 4 mins.  Repeat this for all the ingredients except tur dhal and turmeric as it is always crispy.  Be careful when you take it out from the plate as it ll be very hot.  Do all this patiently. 
2.  Powder all the ingredients in a flour mill.  Check before you powder them if they ve powdered any masala before because it ll spoil the entire sambar powder.  Wait for them to powder chilly or dhania or any other sambar powder without masala and then you give yours.
3.  If it is hot, spread the powder in a sheet of newspaper after mixing well.  Then store it in a airtight container.  When you store, always  press the powder little with spatula, spread evenly and then close .
4.  Never take sambar powder for cooking from the whole lot.  Take small quantities and store it in a bottle and use.
5.  You can use 5 spoons of this sambar powder for one medium lemon sized measure of tamarind.
Approximately 5 tumblers of water is needed for this tamarind.  2 and half karandi of tur dhal is needed to make sambar for this measurement of tamarind and sambar powder.  This quantity of sambar can be served for 8 to 10 people.
6.  Since vendhiyam (methi seeds) is not added to this sambar powder preparation, always splutter kadugu, kattiperungayam - 3 katti and vendiyam seeds - 1/2 spoon and add to the sambar while preparing.  Fresh spluttered vendiyam will add taste to the sambar rather than adding to the sambar powder.

For Functions : ULUNDHU VADAI

ULUNDHU VADAI : 


THINGS REQUIRED :  Uraldhal (ulutham paruppu) - 1 cup soaked in water for 1 1/2 hours, salt, green chillies - 6 nos., asafoetida - 2 katti, curry leaves, oil for frying.


PREPARATION :
1.  Soak urad dhal (ulutham paruppu) in water after washing well 3 times for 1 1/2 hours.  Soak with just the right amount of water for it to be used as it is while grinding.
2.   Grind green chillies 6 nos, salt and asafoetida 2 katti first in a grinder.  When half done, add soaked dhal (if the soaked water has been consumed by the dhal fully add it as it is.  otherwise remove water and then add )
3.  Grind for about 45 mins.
4.   Mix curry leaves with the ground batter.
5.  One clue for soft vadai.  If the batter is slightly creamy in colour, or if it does not come up when tested in a cup of water, it means the vadai will not be soft after preparation.  For that, mix the vadai batter well on hand vigorously.  You can see the colour changing from cream to white which means the vadai will be very soft.  Careful : too much of water will also spoil vadai.
6.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Test if heated by dropping little batter and if it comes up then it is ready for frying.
7.  Wet both hands first.  Take one medium ball and put in left hand. Then transfer it to the wet right hand, make a hole with the thumb finger and then drop it in oil.  This comes excellent by practice only.  This method will make the vadai look soft and fluffy like you buy in hotels.
8.  Turn it when it is fried on one side.
9.  Filter oil well and take it out.
10.  Do not cover vadai when it is slightly hot even because it ll lose it crispiness when closed with a lid.

For Functions : DHAL VADAI

DHAL VADAI or AAMAI VADAI :


THINGS REQUIRED :  Tur dhal (thuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup,  Bengalgram dhal (kadala paruppu) - 1 cup,  green chillies - 4 nos., red chillies - 4 nos., asafoetida - 3 katti, salt, curry leaves, coriander leaves, oil for frying.


PREPARATION :
1.  Soak 1 cup tur dhal and 1 cup bengalgramdhal together in water for 2 hours.
2.  In a mixer first grind 4 red chillies, 4 green chillies, 3 katti asafoetida and salt in little water or without water.
3.  Then add the soaked dhal and grind it to a coarse paste. Do not make it a fine paste.  Do not add more water.
4.  Mix finely chopped coriander leaves and chopped curry leaves.
5.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Test if heated by dropping a pinch of the mix and if it comes up, then it is ready for frying.
6.  Take one small ball of the mix.  Wet ur left palm and keep the ball and slighty press it and then put it in the heated oil.
7.  You can put 6 atleast.  It depends on how much oil you ve heated.
8,  Drain oil when vadai is done and keep it aside.
9.  Do not close it when the heat is there in the vadai because if closed crispiness will go.

For Functions : APPAM

APPAM ;   Method : 1


THINGS REQUIRED :  Rice flour - 1 cup, Wheat flour - 1 cup, Vellam (jaggery) - 1 3/4 cup, elaichi powder - 1/2 spoon, finely chopped coconut 1 tbspn, oil to deep fry.


PREPARATION ;
1.  Mix rice flour 1 cup and wheat flour 1 cup well with 1/2 tspn of elaichi powder and 1 tbspn of chopped coconut.
2.  In a separate vessel dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup of water by hand and filter and remove the residue.
3.  Add this jaggery water to the flour mix and mix well.  If it is thick add little water.  Take care to add water because even  little water  added will make it watery.  Consistency should be like idli batter.
4.  Heat oil in a kadai.  Dont over heat it.  Test with a drop of batter. If it raises then it means oil is rightly heated.
5.  Keep the stove in medium flame and not high.  
6.  Pour the mix in small quantity using a small spatula.  When it comes up turn it down and wait for it to be done.
7.  Definitely dont squeeze oil but filter it well when taken from the kadai and keep it aside.
8.  Tasty appam is ready.



METHOD : 2
THINGS REQUIRED ;   2 cups of raw rice soaked in water for 45 mins, 2 cups of jaggery, 1 medium size banana (preferably poovan), elaichi powder, finely chopped coconut 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION :
1.  Grind 2 cups raw rice already soaked for 45 mins with 2 cups of jaggery and 1 no. poovan banana all together in a grinder to a nice paste.
2.  Add elaichi powder and finely chopped coconut 1 tbsn.
3.  Batter should be of dosa batter consistency.
4.  In a kadai, heat oil.  Test if heated by dropping a pinch of batter and if it comes up immediately then the oil is ready for frying.
5.  Pour 1 big spoon of batter in the heated oil and allow it to come up.
Then turn it the other side.  
6.  Remove when done.  Do not squeeze oil but filter it well and keep it aside.
THIS CAN BE PREPARED IN APPAKAARAL TOO.  FILL APPAKARAL WITH OIL AND THEN POUR THE BATTER IN EACH.  USE SPOON OR ANY SHARP THING OR KNIFE TO TURN IT TO THE OTHER SIDE.  YOU WILL GET UNIFORM SIZED APPAM IN THIS METHOD.

Variety Rasam 5. Lemon Rasam

LEMON RASAM ;


Things required:    Sambar powder - 2 tspn, green chillies - 4 nos., asafoetida - 2 katti, turmeric powder -  1/4 tspn, curry leaves - 1 arc, coriander leaves - finely chopped 1 tablespoonful, salt , tomatoes - 2nos. finely chopped, cooked tur dhal - 1 small cup, lemon - 3 nos., 1/2 spn mustard seeds, ghee - 1 tspn.


PREPARATION ; 
1.  Take 2 1/2 tumblers of water in a vessel in which you want to make rasam.
2.   Add salt, 2 tspn sambar powder, 4 nos. vertically slit green chillies, 2 pieces of asafoetida, 1/4 tspn turmeric powder,  1 arc curry leaves,  1no. finely chopped tomato.
3.  Boil the above for about 4 to 5 mins.
4.  Add the cooked dhal mixed with 2 1/2 tumblers of water.
5.  Simmer the stove.  Allow yellow froth to appear on the top.  DO NOT BOIL.
6.  After removing from stove, squeeze 3 nos. lemon along with a pinch of salt (to avoid bitter taste) and pour it in the rasam and mix.
7.  Splutter 1 tspn of mustard seeds and few curry leaves in 1 tspn of oil.
8.  Garnish rasam with finely chopped coriander leaves and 1 no. finely chopped tomato.
9.  Mix rasam each time before serving to get uniform taste.

Variety Rasam 4. VEPAMPU RASAM

VEPAMPU RASAM ; Method : 1


ITEMS REQUIRED;
Tamarind - 1 medium lemon size, green chillies - 2 nos., sambar powder - 2 tsp, curry leaves - 1 arc,
asafoetida - 2 katti, salt, vepampu - 1 tablespoonful, ghee - 1 tspn., cooked tur dhal water .


PREPARATION ;


1.   Prepare 2 1/2 tumblers of tamarind puree from 1 medium lemon sized tamarind.  Or add 2 1/2 
       tumblers of water to the tamarind and use as it is.
2.   Add 2 green chillies, 2 tspn sambar powder, curry leaves, asafoetida 2 katti, salt to the tamarind
      water and mix well with hand.
3.   Allow this mixture to boil for 6 to 7 mins.
4.   Add tur dhal water or cooked tur dhal  and make it to the required quantity by adding water.
      (2 tumblers of turdhal water may be added.)  Adding more water will make the rasam less tasty 
      more watery)
5.   Simmer the stove.  Allow the froth to appear on top of rasam .  DO NOT BOIL.
6.   Remove from stove.  In a kadai, heat 1 tspn of ghee and roast 1 tablespoonful of vepampu until
      it turns from dark brown to black.  Add this to the rasam prepared to get a very tasty rasam.


METHOD ; 2


Same as method 1 but avoid only green chillies. Rest ingredients same.  Instead fry 2 red chillies with vepampu and add it to the prepared rasam.  This rasam does not require cooked turdhal or turdhal water.  We can simply add water instead of turdhal water.  


IMPORTANT:  THIS RASAM SHOULD NOT BE PREPARED ON TUESDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SUNDAYS.