Lemon-Rasam-with-Vallarai

#LemonRasamwithVallarai : A good Thamizhan lunch should have spicy and tangy rasam with an apt accompaniment. The accompaniment that goes well with rasam would be Vegetable stir fry [ Poriyal ] or a spicy curry or vathal or papad. Me and my daughter, we both are great lovers of rasam. Our lunch would not be complete without tangy aromatic rasam mixed rice and a vegetable stir fry [ poriyal ]. Some people like to relish rasam rice with kara curry and some used to enjoy rasam mixed rice only with papad or vathal. I had started off my blog with a rasam recipe as my daughter enjoys rasam rice for lunch. Subsequently, I have shared a few more varieties of rasam recipes in this blog.

The main purpose of this blog was to serve as a reference guide to my daughter who went abroad for higher studies. Then I didn't have a decent camera to click pictures and moreover didn't know the technology to add images to the blog post. So I have shared only the recipe without images in some of my earlier posts. Later I got a camera and uploaded posts with nice pictures.
Initially I thought I would stop writing recipes in this blog after sharing all the dishes that I usually prepare at home.  I realized only after I started writing that I had to write nearly 300 to 400 blog posts to share my regular dishes. Other than that I had to share some special festival dishes, mouth watering sweets and spicy savories. Those special dishes were around 100 in numbers. It took me around three to four years to post recipes of all those dishes.

Moreover we were always on the move once in every three or four years and setting up home at different places in different states of India. We came across some new vegetables and leafy greens native to that particular region. I learned about millet when we lived in Chhattisgarh, the land of tribes and millet. I tried many dishes out of them. So... It is a never ending process! It goes on and on and still I have been sharing some new recipes one by one regularly.

Now again I am going to share a special rasam recipe after a long long time in which I have included #Vallarai [ Centella ], turmeric tuber along with other regular ingredients. Another reason to write this recipe now is that I thought it would be beneficial to everyone to try a immunity boosting food which is absolutely necessary during this corona pandemic situation.

When we were in Mysuru I used to buy turmeric tubers from the market and always used to save them in the fridge. Since then I have started adding a little bit of smashed/grated fresh turmeric tuber in dishes wherever possible like in Pongal, sambar, rasam, lentil, etc.,... I found it enhanced the taste and aroma of the dish. I preserve some by drying them up in the Sun. To preserve turmeric tubers have to be cooked in a pressure cooker for a whistle on high flame and then have to be dried them completely in the Sun.

Now we are living at Chittaranjan located in West Bengal. Vallarai keerai is available in plenty in our local market here in Chittaranjan. I regularly buy them to prepare chutney. Sometimes I used to add 3 - 4 vallarai keerai along with coriander leaves to garnish rasam. Here I have used 10 - 15 Vallarai keerai [ Centella ]. I have prepared a mix from vallarai keerai, turmeric tuber, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, dried mint leaves, black pepper, cumin, coriander seeds and chilly to make this special rasam. Vallarai keerai is slightly bitter in taste. So adjust according to your taste.
#Vallarai [ வல்லாரை ] or #VallaraiKeerai [ வல்லாரைக்கீரை ] is known as Gotu kola or #Pennywort in English. Its scientific name is Centella Asiatica. It helps to increase brain function and memory. Research has shown it contains substance which increases collagen production and circulation that improves healing of wounds and burns. It is good to eat 2 - 3 leaves to relieve arthritis pain.

Last year during the monsoon season many turmeric plants started coming up that might have been planted by previous occupant of my house. When I saw plants I was so happy that I don't have to go back to my earlier method of using turmeric powder and I can continue to add fresh turmeric tubers in cooking. We carefully maintained them and harvested quite a large quantity of turmeric tubers. I distributed those tubers to my parents, brothers and relatives when I visited them before the Pongal festival this year.
Usually the taste of my rasam happens to be sour. Adjust the quantity of lemon juice according to your taste. In the same way increase or decrease the number of chilly also.

Preparation time                : 10 - 12 min
Quantity                             : 2 Cup approx.
Serves                                : 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients :
1 medium size	Thakkali [ Tomato ]
1 Tsp heaped	Madras Rasam Powder
2 medium size	Lemon
1 1/2 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
4 - 6 sprigs	Kothamalli fresh [ Coriander fresh ]
8 - 10	Karuveppilai [ Curry leaf ]
6 - 8	Pudina fresh [ Mint fresh ]
Ingredients for Tempering
1 Tsp	Kadugu [ Mustard seed ]
1/2 Tsp	Saunf [ Fennel seed]
1/2 tsp	Jeera [ Cumin seed ]
1 Tsp	Gingelly oil [ Sesame/til oil ]
4 - 6	Karuveppilai [ Curry leaf ]
Ingredients for Rasam mix
10 - 15	Vallarai keerai [ Centella leaf ]
15 - 20	Karuveppilai [ Curry leaf ]
6 - 8	Pudina dried [ Dried Mint leaf ]
10 - 15	Milagu [ Black pepper ]
1/2 Tsp	Kothamalli vidhai [ Coriander seeds ]
1/2 Tsp	Jeera [ Cumin seeds]
1/2 Tsp	Saunf [ Fennel seed]
4 - 5 pods	Poondu [ Garlic ]
1/2 in. piece	Inji [ Ginger ]
1/2 in. piece	Manjal kizhangu [ Turmeric tuber ]
1 - 2	Pachai milagai [ Green chilly ]
1 - 2	Sigappu milagai [ Red chilly ]
2	Krambu [ Clove ] - optional
1	Yelakkai [ Cardamom ] - optional

Method :

Take all things given under Ingredients for Rasam mix in a mixie jar.

Grind coarsely without adding water.


Wash tomato and cut it into eight equal pieces.

Put tomato pieces, salt, Madras Rasam Powder in a vessel.

Transfer the prepared rasam mix into the vessel.

Wash mixie jar with half a cup of water and pour into the vessel.

Add 1 1/2 cup of water into the vessel.

Heat on a stove over medium flame.

Allow to boil until rasam starts foaming up.

Turn off the stove.




Squeeze in lemon Juice.

Adjust lemon juice according to your taste.

Tear some curry leaves and put over hot rasam.

Cut the stem portion from the coriander sprigs and add over the hot rasam.

Keep the vessel closed.

Heat a kadai with oil on a stove over medium flame.

Crackle mustard seeds once oil starts fuming.

Then add jeera and fennel and turn off the stove.

Now add curry leaves and stir for few seconds.

Pour the tempering over the hot rasam.

Finally garnish rasam with chopped coriander leaves and some pudina leaves.

Tasty and tangy rasam is ready to serve.

Take hot white rice in a plate.
Take out one or two pieces of tomato from the rasam and put over the rice.

Slightly mash tomato and rice together by hand.
Now add plenty of rasam and mix well.
Enjoy along with any spicy curry of your choice.

Rasam mixed rice also goes well with  Vegetable Stir fry [ thuvatal ]

or onion fryums.






Other recipes you might like to try

Ammaan Pacharisi Thuvaiyal [ Asthma plant chutney ]

Kokum Rasam

Kollu Rasam

Rasam 1

maangai herbal chutny

Variety of dishes for Lunch

Recipe Index