1,000 Indian Recipes (118 page)

1.
In a small saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons oil (or ghee) over medium heat, add the whole red chile peppers and stir until golden, about 30 seconds, then add the channa dal, coriander, fenugreek, peppercorns, and asafoetida, and cook, stirring, until the channa dal is golden, about 1 minute. Let cool, then transfer to a blender and blend, adding about
¹
⁄
₄
cup water to make a smooth paste.

2.
In a medium saucepan, add toor dal, 3 cups water, tomato, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the toor dal is soft, about 30 minutes. Mix in the cilantro and the spice paste and simmer until another 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

3.
In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of the ghee over medium heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds and the curry leaves; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the spiced oil to the soup. Then add the buttermilk and scallions and stir well to mix. Serve.

Mysore Coconut Soup

Mysore Nariyal (Thengu) Rasam

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Thicker than most other
rasam
soups, this lovely variation comes from Mysore, a city in the south-ern Indian state of Karnatka. In addition to rich flavor from coconut milk, this soup also has a little crunch from the grated coconut. Fresh or frozen coconut (found in Indian markets) works best here. Dried coconut can substitute, but some flavor will be lost.

1 cup dried split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

5 to 6 cups water

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste
(or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₂
cup fresh or canned
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

1 tablespoon peanut oil or melted ghee

2 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

6 to 10 fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons fresh or frozen grated coconut

1 large tomato, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Soak the dal in 2 cups water until it absorbs the water and softens slightly, about 30 minutes. Then transfer to a large saucepan, add the turmeric, salt and another cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, watching carefully and stirring, until the dal is very soft, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tamarind paste and coconut milk.

2.
When soft, whip the dal in the saucepan with a hand-held beater or immersion blender, or stir it vigorously to make it as smooth as possible.

3.
Heat the oil (or ghee) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the black pepper, asafoetida, curry leaves, and grated coconut, and stir about 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.

4.
Mix in the tamarind paste and the remaining water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the tomato is very soft, about 10 minutes.

5.
Mix in the dal and simmer about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Then stir in the coconut milk and cilantro, cook another 2 minutes, and serve.

Chunky South Indian Tomato Soup

Tamatar Rasam

Makes 4 to 6 servings

With chunks of tomato lending texture to a naturally smooth
rasam
, this soup is a little more substantial than most
rasams
. Eat it for lunch with steamed white rice or toss in some
vadai
(
South Indian Croquettes with Curry Leaves
) and serve it as an anytime snack. I love this
rasam
with a tuna or a chicken sandwich, too.

1 tablespoon
South Indian Soup Powder (Rasam Podi)
or store-bought

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds), coarsely chopped

5 to 6 cups water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons peanut oil or melted ghee

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the soup powder. Then, in a small skillet, roast the cumin seeds and peppercorns over medium heat until fragrant and a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to a cutting board and grind them coarsely with the back of a large spoon.

2.
Blend half the tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Mix in the remaining chopped tomatoes, and then add about 5 cups water, roasted cumin and black pepper, salt, and rasam powder, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the chopped tomatoes are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. (Add more water for a thinner rasam.)

3.
Heat the oil (or ghee) in a small nonstick sauce-pan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add the asafoetida, curry leaves, and cilantro and stir about 30 seconds. Mix into the rasam. Bring to a boil again, then serve hot.

Spicy South Indian Vegetable Soup with Tamarind

Tarkari Rasam

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Rasam
soups are generally simple thin broths, but sometimes health-conscious mothers sneak in fresh vegetables. These hearty
rasams
make a great meal with rice and a
coconut chutney
. Try them also with
dosas
(rice and
dal
crepes) or with
iddli
(steamed fermented rice cakes).

Drumsticks, called
muringakkai
in Tamil are green, fibrous, foot-long beans,
¹
⁄
₄
- to
¹
⁄
₃
-inch in diameter, and are favored in the southern state of Tamilnadu. You may find fresh ones in Indian markets here, but you can use cut canned beans, too.

¹
⁄
₂
cup dried split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

5 to 6 cups water

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste
(or store-bought)