1,000 Indian Recipes (116 page)

1 small russet (or any) potato, unpeeled, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, quartered

2 small carrots, coarsely chopped

12 to 15 green beans, ends removed, coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup dried split yellow mung bean (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 to 5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic, peeled

¹
⁄
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cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

4 to 6 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, coarsely ground

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, coarsely ground

Minced scallions, green parts only, or chives

1.
Place everything except the oil, coriander and cumin seeds, and scallion greens in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the dal and the green beans are tender, about 35 minutes.

2.
Let cool, then pour contents into a blender and blend until smooth. If you prefer a smoother texture, pass soup through a food mill or a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.

3.
Return the soup to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, adding more water if you prefer a thinner soup. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and simmer 7 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and keep warm.

4.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coriander and cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly transfer them to the soup and stir lightly. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.

South Indian Soups (
Rasam
)

Rasams

Rasams
are tangy, highly spiced, thin and watery south Indian
dal
(legume) soups. Ranging in taste from mild to fiery hot,
rasams
are almost a year-round staple in most southern homes. Served piping hot and with all their bold flavors,
rasams
are considered potent antidotes for congestion, fevers, colds, and a gamut of similar ailments (perfect for cold-weather months in the United States). Paradoxically,
rasams
are also popular in the summer (and it gets pretty hot in southern India), because they cause the body to sweat and eventually cool down.

Rasam
soups are served with other foods, rather than as a first course. The chunkier
rasams
are traditionally eaten over steamed rice and the watery ones are drunk. Often,
rasams
are served as a snack with
iddli
(
Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes
) or
vadai
(
Deep-Fried Fermented Lentil Croquettes
) floated in the soup.

With all these possibilities, it really speeds preparation if you keep a supply of
rasam
powder in your pantry. You can make the blend at home or buy it from an Indian market. The store-bought
rasam
powder is always very spicy hot, so exercise caution when using it.

Traditional South Indian Split Pigeon Pea Soup

Toor Dal Rasam

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Toor dal
, also called split pigeon peas or red gram, are yellow-gold split discs similar to yellow split peas. This
dal
(legume) is popular all over India, but especially in the southern parts and along the west coast, where it is a pantry staple. In the United States, it is found in Indian markets.

Enjoy this thick soup as a first course or serve it with steamed white rice. For a simpler version, add about 2 tablespoons
rasam
powder (
South Indian Soup Powder
) and some tamarind paste to cooked
dal
.

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

3 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste
(or store-bought)

5 to 6 cups water

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large tomato, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

2 teaspoons peanut oil or melted ghee

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

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves

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

1.
Soak the dal in 1 cup water until it absorbs the water and softens slightly, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tamarind paste. Then, transfer the dal to a medium saucepan, add the ginger, green chile pepper, 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.

2.
In another saucepan, mix together the tomatoes, tamarind, asafoetida, 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 tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked dal mixture, adding more water if you prefer a thinner soup, and bring to a boil once again. Transfer to a serving bowl.

3.
Heat the oil (or ghee) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers and the mustard and cumin seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Add the curry leaves and cilantro and stir 1 minute. Transfer to the soup. Mix well and serve.

Classic South Indian Ginger Soup

Adrak (Inji) Rasam

Makes 4 to 6 servings

With no tamarind or lemon juice, this
rasam
has the pure intensity of ginger as its main flavor. This version is particularly popular to settle an upset stomach. Mix in about 1 tablespoon of jaggery (
gur
) or brown sugar, if you wish.

Serve alone as a soup with
Spicy Lentil Wafers
or during a meal with steamed white rice and a bowl of
Tomato and Cucumber Pachadi with Asafoetida
.

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

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

4 to 5 cups water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon peanut oil or melted ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 whole dried red chile pepper, such as chile de arbol

5 to 6 fresh green curry leaves

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

1.
Soak the dal 30 minutes in
¹
⁄
₂
cup water. Then, in a blender, grind together the dal and water, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, green chile peppers, and ginger to make as smooth a paste as possible.