Guava & Tomato Rasam

We had quite a wonderful yield of guavas this year. Our 2 year old tree is doing well and survived California winter. We were surprised to see so many fruits on the tree. These are pink guavas with reddish pink flesh and seeds inside. We expected them to be sweetish in taste just like we have it in Indian, but they are more on sour flavor. We wanted to slit and sprinkle salt and paprika just like it would be sold be street vendors in India. But that was not possible... they were too sour to be enjoyed as is. Since we could not have then in the fruit form, my husband thought of adding it to Tomato Rasam would be a good idea. The tangy rasam taste would be enhanced and would be a good use of sour guavas.

There are so many people who inspired this recipe. The idea of making Rasam with Guavas took more shape when one of my Maharashtrian friend told me how her mom made a Maharashtrian Amti with Guavas. Also my walking buddy and colleague who belongs to southern part of India shared her quick tomato rasam recipe. I would normally pressure cook dal lentils and tomatoes to make rasam, but she suggested to cook tomatoes first and then let it make delicious broth with water. This sounded exciting and then came the combination called Tomato and Guava Rasam :)My husband plucked a banana leaf from our banana plant to enjoy this meal South Indian style!

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)
4 ripe tomatoes chopped
3-4 sour guavas chopped
5 cups water
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. salt

For tempering:
1 tbsp oil
2-3 cloves garlic minced
4-5 curry leaves
1-2 dry red chilies
1/2 tsp. asafoetida

Rasam Masala
1+1/2 tbsp corriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
4-5 whole black pepper corns
4-5 curry leaves
2-3 dried red chilies
Method: Dry roast all the above ingredients in a pan. Let it cool, and grind it into fine powder. Use this fresh rasam masala.

Method to make rasam:
In a deep pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.
Add chopped tomatoes. Cook for a minute.
Add chopped guavas. Cook till they get soft and mushy.
Using a whisk or a muddler, muddle cooked tomatoes and guavas to make them mushy.
Add water,  salt and freshly ground rasam powder and bring it to boil.
Temper: heat oil in a temper bowl, add minced garlic, curry leaves, dry red chilies and asafoetida. Add to the rasam and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve as is or with rice.

Below are pictures of our Guava tree!

In a deep pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle.

Add chopped tomatoes. Cook for a minute.

Add chopped guavas. Cook till they get soft and mushy.

Using a whisk or a muddler, muddle cooked tomatoes and guavas to make them mushy.

Add water,  salt and freshly ground rasam powder and bring it to boil.

Temper: heat oil in a temper bowl, add minced garlic, curry leaves, dry red chilies, and asafoetida. Add to the rasam and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve as is or with rice.

Goodness of Ghee on steamed rice!

A simple South Indian Feast!!

Mooli Osaman: Clear Dal and Radish Soup

Cold and rainy days are accompanied with hot comfort food, and every family has their recipe of delicious comfort food. It could be samosa and pakoras for some, soups for some or hot spicy food for some. We definitely enjoy hot steamed rice with dal or vegetable. That is our way of enjoying a relaxing comfort meal.

Osaman is a clear dal soup made by collecting excess water from cooked dal. It is made flavorful by tempering and adding few healthy ingredients. Together with left over thick dal or lachko dal as we call it, it is a great comfort food with steamed rice. This is a wonderful protein-rich recipe to enjoy on a lazy weekend or a busy weekday!

My mother adds radish slices to osaman and we love it that way. The taste is enhanced by cooking radish slices with osaman water to make a delicious broth. You can choose to avoid it or add it as per your family likes.  Radish in this recipe helps to cleanse and detoxify your body, and Osaman is a healthy dal soup especially during the flu season.

Ingredients: (serves 3-4 people)

1 cup Toor dal/ split pigeon peas

4 cups water

For thick dal:

1 tsp. salt

pinch of turmeric powder

For Osaman

1+1/2 cup water

1 cup sliced radish

1 tsp. salt

2-3 tbsp. powdered jaggery

4-5 dried kokam berries

Pinch of turmeric powder

1 tbsp. ghee

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 chopped green chili
1/4 tsp grated ginger

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Cilantro and Shredded coconut to garnish

• Wash toor dal well. Add 4 cups water and pressure cook for 45 minutes or 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure cool and gently open the pressure cooker.
• Pour water from cooked dal in a different container.
• Use a whisk to mash cooked dal and add 2-3 tbsp. of mashed dal to dal water.
• Add 1 tsp. salt and pinch of turmeric powder to mashed dal. Heat it for 2-3 minutes while stirring to avoid dal getting burnt in the cooking vessel.
• Add 1+1/2 cup regular water to dal water.
• To the dal water, add sliced radish, salt, pinch of turmeric powder, grated ginger, jaggery, and kokam.
• To temper: heat ghee in a tempering bowl, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chopped green chilies.  When it crackles add pinch of asafoetida (hing) and pour the temper to dal water.
• Bring dal soup to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and immediately add 1/4 cup of yogurt. Do not mix. Cover the container and leave it untouched for 5 minutes.
• Mix and serve with thick dal and rice or enjoy as is.
• Garnish with cilantro and shredded coconut!

Wash toor dal well. Add 4 cups water and pressure cook for 45 minutes or 4-5 whistles. Let the pressure cool and gently open the pressure cooker.

Pour water from cooked dal in a different container.

Use a whisk to mash cooked dal and add 2-3 tbsp. of mashed dal to dal water.

Add 1 tsp. salt and pinch of turmeric powder to mashed dal. Heat it for 2-3 minutes while stirring to avoid dal getting burnt in the cooking vessel.

Here is a traditional Indian wooden whisk. It is held in between palms and the palms are rubbed, to creating rotating back and forth motion.

Add 2-3 tbsp. of mashed dal to dal water.

Add 1+1/2 cup regular water to dal water.

To the dal water, add sliced radish, salt, pinch of turmeric powder, grated ginger, jaggery, and kokam.

 Jaggery powder and dried kokan berries

To temper: heat ghee in a tempering bowl, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chopped green chilies. 

When it crackles add pinch of asafoetida (hing) and pour the temper to dal water.

Bring dal soup to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Turn off the heat and immediately add 1/4 cup of yogurt. Do not mix. Cover the container and leave it untouched for 5 minutes.

Mix and serve with thick dal and rice or enjoy as is.

Garnish with cilantro and shredded coconut!

Thick or Lachko Dal with a dollop of ghee, accompanied with Osaman and rice.

Enjoy!!

Steamed Rolls in Schezwan Sauce

It was a fun weekend dinner at home. Wanted to try something new with the indo-chinese flavors of our choice. I have made Momos, Pot-stickers, Dim sum, Shu mai, Wontons, and Dumplings, and have posts for everything. But this time I wished to make something that I haven't posted before.

The other reason to make a new post is that I am enjoying and am addicted to experimenting with my camera. I almost take more than hundred pictures of each recipe and select a few to post here, but propping, color combination, correct light, and getting it right is something that I enjoying.  It is rightly said, 'Practice makes man perfect'. No one is born with all the skills, but with determination and practice, one can surely learn a trait and do better in it.

This recipe is very similar to my Spring Rolls recipe. The filling is very similar but instead of frying the rolls, I used a steamer to steam the rolls and then tossed them in my freshly made Schezwan Sauce gravy. You should try this out. It was so delicious. If you do make this recipe, please share the pictures on my Facebook page. Instead of rolls, you could make steamed momos or steamed dumpling too.

Ingredients (To make 10 rolls)

10 spring roll or egg roll wrappers (store bought or click here for recipe of homemade wrappers)

1 cup green beans cut lengthwise into 1 inch pieces

1 cup baby carrots jullienne

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced bell pepper

2 cups shredded cabbage

3 cloves garlic minced

1 inch ginger minced

3 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vinegar

For sauce:

2 tbsp. oil

1 cup chopped spring onions and greens

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

4 tbsp. My Schezwan Sauce recipe

1 tsp. vinegar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water 

Method to make spring roll filling:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Saute onions, garlic, and ginger for 2-3 minutes.
• Add bell pepper, green beans, carrots, and cabbage. Add salt and vinegar and saute on medium to high heat for 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook veggies.
• Turn off the heat and remove it in a separate bowl and let the filling completely cool.

• To assemble the rolls, place filling in the center of the wrappers as shown in the picture.
• Fold the sides in and roll the wrapper tightly and seal the edge with water.

• Place the rolls in a greased regular steamer or bamboo steamer and steam for 4-5 minutes of till the wrapped appear translucent.

To make the sauce:

• Mix corn starch and water in a bowl and keep it aside.
• In a shallow pan heat oil.
• Saute spring onions and keep some greens aside for garnish.
• Saute chopped bell pepper and cabbage.
• Add schezwan sauce, pinch of salt. Mix well.
• Add corn starch mixture and mix well to form a thick sauce.
• Add steamed rolls into the sauce and turn them lightly till the sauce is coated on it.
• Turn off the heat and garnish with spring greens and bean sprouts.
• Enjoy!

**If you do not have a big pan to toss all rolls in the sauce, you can do few at a time and divide the sauce ingredients accordingly.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Click on the picture for the recipe of Homemade Schezwan Sauce!

Heat oil in a pan.

Saute onions, garlic, and ginger for 2-3 minutes.

Add bell pepper, green beans, carrots, and cabbage. Add salt and vinegar and saute on medium to high heat for 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook veggies.

Turn off the heat and remove it in a separate bowl and let the filling completely cool.

To assemble the rolls, place filling in the center of the wrappers as shown in the picture.

Fold the sides in and roll the wrapper tightly and seal the edge with water.

Place the rolls in a greased regular steamer or bamboo steamer and steam for 4-5 minutes of till the wrapped appear translucent. 

In a shallow pan heat oil.

Saute spring onions and keep some greens aside for garnish.

Saute chopped bell pepper and cabbage.

Add schezwan sauce, pinch of salt. Mix well.

Add corn starch mixture and mix well to form a thick sauce.

Add steamed rolls into the sauce and turn them lightly till the sauce is coated on it.

Turn off the heat and garnish with spring greens and bean sprouts.

YUMMY!!!!