Spicy Kokum Rasam.

"Spicy Kokum Rasam" ... It’s been raining continuously for the past week in Mumbai … So it’s been soups / rasams / saars as appetizers … There is nothing more appealing than a hot drink during cold weather at dinner time. … Here is an awesome kokum rasam recipe that is extremely delicious and is good for health too ... Enjoy them hot, while it Rains, But plz. stay safe ...... 

** Rasams are a delicious spicy drink that tastes awesome both when served as an appetizer or along with some rice. We south Indian usually serve them along with rice and other dishes and it tastes simply delicious. The spicy flavored thin saar textured rasam has a place of its own in our cuisine. In my home however, saar, rasam, kolumbo, sambar are all a favorite and we never tire of it. My hubby has this habit of having saar/rasam piping hot in glass and along with rice too. So I have lots of rasam and saar combo recipes that I keep trying for changes from routine one’s. I have posted different types of rasam recipes in the blog before. The ingredients may vary but the powder addition remains the same in most of the dishes. I love the sambar powder we get in Mumbai and I have stuck to the same one for over 2 decades now. This time I prepared using dried kokum and I must say the rasam was extremely delicious. I served it with roasted and spiced groundnut~onion koshimbir. An excellent combo of dish as a starter or at dinner time, it really fills your tummy and also is a light dinner, though you should go easy on addition of the amount of groundnuts to the koshimbir. 

** For the " Spicy Kokum Rasam" Recipe .... My Style ... 

** Wash and put 15-20 dry kokum in a thick bottomed vessel with about a 5-6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and let simmer for a good 10 minutes. Remove, cover and keep aside for 30-40 minutes. When it is just warm crush the kokum well with hands pressing it well to remove as much juice from it as possible. Now strain the liquid from a very fine sieve or muslin cloth. 

** In a small pan, heat 1 tblsp of ghee along with 1 tblsp of oil, when hot add in 1 tsp of mustard seeds (rai/sasam), when they begin to splutter, lower the heat and then add in 1 tsp of jeera (cumin) and when they get fried add in a pinch of haldi (turmeric) powder, 1 tsp of hing (asafetida) powder, 8-10 curry leaves (kadipatta) and fry for a minute, finally add in 3-4 tblsp of sambar / rasam powder and fry for another minute. Do not allow the powder to get burnt, keep the flame low / minimum and if you find that it still getting burnt, then sprinkle some water and mix well. 

** Pour the fried ingredients into to sieved kokum water in the vessel and mix well. Check the consistency and add water only if required. Do not make the rasam too thin. Add in about 25-40 gms of grated jaggery and salt to taste and give the rasam a good boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with handful of finely chopped coriander leaves. 

** "Spicy Kokum Rasam” is done and ready to be served. I serve this both with rice for lunch and as an appetizer during dinner time. It is your individual choice as to how you want to relish this spicy hot rasam. Whatever be your choice, do try this out and enjoy with your family and friends. For those who love spicy soups, this one is a great choice to relish in place of it. 

** Note : Always keep the prepared rasam / saar aside covered for at least an hour or two. The flavors will all get well seeped into the rasam that way and the dish becomes that much more tastier. 

** Note : The delicious taste behind rasam/saar is always a good sambar powder and the cooking method. The rasam/saar should always be simmered once the powder has been added for a good 20-30 minutes. The flavor is induced and the saar becomes that much more tastier. Try it and check for yourself, you will never regret it. 

** Note : You may cut down on the quantity of the sambar / rasam powder as per its spice level and individual choice. 

** But remember that Saars/Rasams should be very spicy bringing water from your eyes and nose, that is what my father used to say. It loosens all the congestion in the chest, so it is important to prepare it in the right spice level. This helps in loosening of cold and keeping you safe in monsoon. However, if you have cough, I advice you against having it spicy as red chillies may lead to more throat irritation. 

** You can use the search option for "Saar or Rasam" where you will get many more combinations of the same prepared using different Ingredients. Do try out various types of dishes to relish with yummy side dishes that are also included in the Blog. Just use the labels on the right side of the blog for various types of dishes.

** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of similar type in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. You can also go to my page (add on the left side of blog) and leave a message and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible … Thank you.