Allam Rasam and Arvi Baingan

My mom used to make "Chaaru" which was a simple dish made of tamarind juice and some basic spices. I and my mom used to love it. I loved to just drink it like soup. But my brother never liked it. He always used to say "oh! if only you would just throw in some tomatoes for some taste in there" . I never understood him. I just loved the Chaaru my mom used to make.

Today, I made this Allam Rasam/Chaaru. Seriously I am not sure what the difference between Rasam and Chaaru is.

Anyway, the rasam I made today has a generous dose of Ginger in it and just a little bit of Toor dal or lentils in it to make the dish just a bit thicker . I served it with Arvi Baingan and plain white rice.

Arvi Baingan (Taro Root with Eggplant Curry)

Arvi Baingan

Ingredients:

1. 1/2-3/4 lb Arvi or Taro root cooked in the pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles. Peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2. 1 lb egg plant chopped into big pieces
3. 1 medium tomato chopped into pieces or 1/2 cup tomato paste
4. 1 medium small onion chopped
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. 1/4 teaspoon cumin
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander powder,chilly powder
9. 3/4 teaspoon salt

In a non stick pan heat the oil and fry the cumin till they start to splutter. Add the onions and fry till they become translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and eggplant and stir to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the boiled arvi pieces and 1/2 cup water and stir to combine. Simmer for 6-8 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Roti or rice and rasam

Allam Rasam (Tamarind soup with Ginger)

Allam Rasam

Ingredients:

1. 1 in x 1 in x 1 in piece of ginger grated (heaped teaspoon of grated ginger)
2. 1 tablespoon toor dal (cooked with 1/4 cup water in the microwave for 5-6 minutes. Mash them)
3. 1 garlic pod grated
4. 1 teaspoon rasam powder
5. 4 cups juice from tamarind the size of a small lemon
6. 1 large tomato chopped fine
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal
8. 1/2 tablespoon oil
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. 1 green chilly chopped
11. 2 red chillies broken
12. few curry leaves

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal red and green chillies and curry leaves and fry till the seeds start to splutter. Add ginger and garlic and fry for 30-60 seconds. Add tomatoes and fry till they become mushy. Add the mashed toor dal. Add the tamarind juice and bring to a boil. Add rasam powder and salt and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with Cilantro and serve with steamed rice