Jeera- Pepper Rasam (Jeerakarra - Milagu Rasam)

This week I am having rasam everyday as the fluctuating weather in Bengaluru and the weekend indulgences have wrecked havoc on my digestive system. I could not think of a better cure than a dose of pepper and cumin, both of  are medically proven to benefit digestion. So, here is another rasam recipe. This time I have used a homemade rasam powder. Read on:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind, pinch of turmeric, salt to taste.
For the rasam powder - 1 tsp peppercorn, 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli, 1 tsp toor dal, 1/4 tsp asafoetida.
For the tempering - 2 tsp oil, 2 tsp chopped onions, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, dry red chilli, 2 sprigs curry leaves, 2 pinch asafoetida.

Preparation - Dry roast all the ingredients for rasam powder. Allow to cool down and then grind into a smooth powder.
Soak the tamarind in 3 cups warm water for 20 mins. Squeeze out all the juice and dicard the pulp.

Cooking - Boil the tamarind water with turmeric and salt in a saucepan. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes till the raw taste goes away.
Add the rasam powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the spluttering starts, add onions and fry till translucent. Now add curry leaves and asafotida. Fry for 30 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the contents of the saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Switch off flame.

Serve hot.

Note - This rasam is great for curing indigestion, lack of appetite and even a bad cold. One can drink it directly as a hot/warm drink.

Masala Chai ( Tea with spices )

Its been raining incessantly for 5 days now. The laundry baskets are spilling over and the house smells of half-dry clothes. No sunshine greets me as i wake up in the morning. The pitter-patter of the raindrops against the glass windows seems to be drowning out every other sound. The only saving grace to such a gloomy morning being the luscious verdant carpet that covers the open fields in sight.

I steal a sideways glance. Little angel is sleeping blissfully ensconced in his blanket. The sight of his innocent face always manages to lighten my mood. I tuck the blanket around him once again and step down from the bed. Hoping fervently that the newspaper guy is not late, I open the door. Today's edition of TOI greets me back. I pick it up lovingly and step into the kitchen. Need something special to warm up the house and dispel this dank musty feel which seems to hang in the
air. Its too early to bake a cake, so I settled for a cuppa of Masala chai instead.

Time to wake up hubby. Putting the water on the stove to a boil, I called out to him. Managed to wake him up but not without a few grunts and grumblings. Tea was served by the time he freshened up. Nothing better to drive away the blues. Before taking on the day, we savor these tranquil moments spent every morning with the newspaper and tea.

Here is the recipe for my special and always dependable 'Masala chai':

Preparation time - 10-12 mins (serves 4 )

Ingredients - milk ( 2 cups ), water ( 2 1/2 cups ), sugar ( 4 tsp ), tea leaves ( 4 tsp), ginger ( 1 inch ), cloves ( 2 nos ), cinnamon stick ( 1/2 inch ), green cardamon ( 1 no ), star anise ( 1 no ), peppercorns ( 6-7 nos ), bay leaf ( 1 small ).

Preparation- Bring the water to boil in a saucepan. Add the crushed ginger and all other spices. Boil for 5 mins. Strain the water, remove the spices and put it back into the saucepan.

Add sugar and tea leaves. Boil for 2-3 mins.

Add hot milk and simmer for another 2 mins.

Strain and serve hot with khari biscuits/cookies.