Today is probably the 11th day of the 21 day Corona lockdown but then who is really keeping track. Days are passing by in a blur, without any identity and I have stopped naming them. So for me, everyday is yet another Day.

Being stuck at home has its advantages and disadvantages and in my case, being forced back into the kitchen definitely belongs to the latter 😀

However, this is not the only downside because the dishes that I cook, also scream to be photographed and paraded on social media. And that brings into play, the additional task of responding to requests for the recipe which I then have to document and prettify and blog about.

I have however decided to skip the beautifying part and use minimal gimmicks to present them to you. Maybe someday I will revisit them and do the honors.

So today you will be the beneficiary of my Mother in law’s recipe for rasam powder which is a simple and straight forward recipe, just like my blog.

Despite my hectic travel in the last few years, I have always preferred to make my own home made powders, masalas, batters, bakes and so on. Powders especially are not on the highly perishable list and hence are conducive to being made in larger quantities and stored.

One can also make a large batch and store it in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container so that it retains its flavor for longer. The ingredients are all dry and not really prone to spoiling for several months.

Of course the quantities you need will depend on how frequently you use the powder and you can choose to halve or double the given recipe. A regular batch of rasam for a family of 4, will use around 2-3 tsps of this powder.

In most Tamilian homes like that of my in law’s, rasam is made everyday without fail. In my house on the other hand, it is made occasionally but then I also use this powder as a curry powder of sorts, where I add it to my sabjis (vegetable side dishes) at times.

Rasam powder –

There are several versions of this spice mixture and the only one that I have ever used is my mother in law’s age old recipe. Super simple and quick to make, this falls well into my collection of simple and easy recipes.

Prep time – 15 min

Cooking time – 15 min

Makes – around 350 gms of powder

Ingredients –

Dhaniya (coriander) seeds – 125 gms

Red chillies (sambhar variety) – 125 gms

Pepper corns – 50 gms

Jeera (cumin) seeds – 50 gms

Tur dal (pigeon pea lentils) – 50 gms

Kashmiri or Byadgi chilli powder (for a deeper red color) – 2 to 3 teaspoons. This is optional. I have used 2 tsps.

Method –

In a large kadai dry roast each ingredient separately on low heat, until it is warmed through and emanates a roasted aroma. Approximately 3-5 minutes per item. The dal should turn lightly brownish/reddish.

Keep each ingredient aside separately and allow it to come to room temperautre. Grind the red chillies to a coarse powder in the mixie/dry grinder and keep aside. Grind the rest of the items together or one by one depending on your comfort, to a coarse powder. Add back the chilli powder towards the end, along with the Kashmiri/Byadgi powder if using.

Now continue grinding until you obtain the desired texture. Some people prefer a coarse powder but I grind it to medium fine.

Once the powder cools to room temperature, store it in an airtight container.

I usually take out a 100 gm portion into a smaller bottle for my daily use.

The recipe for making rasam, using this powder will be up soon. The effort of typing this much itself was too much for me. I need to rest now 😀