Poppucharu (Lentils soup), an everyday recipe without the spices of Sambar

I like making Poppucharu, which doesn't have so much spice like sambhar for everyday. This doesn't mean I am not a fan of sambhar or anything like that but poppucharu goes easy on tummy with all the goodness of protein and veggies in less spice. My Idea of everyday food. Of course sambhar is there for those special days :-)



Ingredients:-
Toor Dal- 1 cup
Onion- 1 medium sized (onions here in US are bigger in size compared to India. So, you might want to use large onion in India)
Tomatoes- 2
Green Chillies- 3 to 4
Tamarind paste- 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder- 1 Tsp(optional)
Salt- 2 1/4 Tsp( or to taste)
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka(Seasoning)
Oil- 1 Tbsp
Whole red chilli- 1
Cumin seeds- 1 Tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 Tsp
Turmeric- 1/4 Tsp
Garlic pod- 1 chopped fine


Procedure:-
1. In a pressure cooker cook the toor dal adding 2 cups of water to 1 cup dal along with 2 pinches of turmeric. When the first whistle comes, turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn thr heat off.
When the pressure releases, open the lid and mash the dal with a ladle until the dal turns nice and smooth. This should be done right after the pressure releases when the dal is still hot. Once the dal becomes cold, mashing would be hard.

2. Add 30 Oz of water to the dal. Also this is the time to add sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, greenchillies which are slit lengthwise. Add salt and chilli powder and give a good stir. Turn the heat on medium, do not cover. When you get first boil, reduce heat and add tamarind paste. Cook until all the veggies are cooked.

3. To a seperate pan, add oil. Turn the heat on to medium and add broken whole red chilli, cumin seeds,mustard seeds, turmeric powder. Let the mustard seeds pop and add chopped garlic fry for a second and add curry leaves and pour over the poppucharu. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Spicy Tomato Rasam

Rasam is my favorite dish being very light on the tummy and it's so easy to make! When I was small my Grandmother used to make so many variations in rasam I used to like them so much. This particular Spicy Rasam goes well with all non-vegetarian items. So let's see how to make the Spicy Rasam.



Ingredients:

Large Tomatoes- 2
Green chillies- 2
Tamarind paste- 1 TBSP (paste not concentrate)
Rasam powder- 1 TBSP
Salt- to taste
Ginger-garlic paste- 1/4 TSP
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Seasoning(tadaka):
Oil- 1 TBSP
Mustard seeds- 1/2 TSP
Cumin seeds- 1/2 TSP
Dry red chilli whole- 1
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Garlic clove- 1(cut into small pieces)
Curry leaves- 1 strand

Put a sauce pan on medium heat. Add oil to it and once it gets hot break the red chilli into 2 pieces and add it to the oil. Let it fry a little bit and then add mustard, cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Wait until they start spluttering then add the pieces of garlic and curry leaves. After they are fried for 2 to 3 seconds, add tomato pieces that are cut finely and green chillies that are slit into half. On high heat let the tomatoes get mushy and when the water from tomatoes is getting evaporated, add ginger-garlic paste. Fry it until the raw smell disappears for about a minute. Now add 5 cups of water, tamarind paste, salt, rasam powder and bring it to a boil in high heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and garnish with Cilantro.

Rasam can be served with Rice. Try it along with my Easy Chicken Fry or with any other fry of your choice. Tomato can be pureed instead of adding pieces for a smooth rasam. But I like mine with some texture to it. Well my lunch is getting cold. Happy eating to you on this Thanksgiving Day! Enjoy!