Pavazhamalli or Parijaat flower Rasam
Ingredients
- A lime-sized ball of tamarind, deseeded
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 handful toor dal
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- 1 piece katti perungayam or whole dry hing/asafoetida
- 1 and ½ teaspoons rasam podi
- 1 tablespoon jaggery
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 3-4 tablespoons dried pavazhamalli flowers
Instructions
To make the rasam:
- Set the tamarind, turmeric powder, and salt to boil in about ¾ to 1 liter water
- While that’s going, roast the dal, chillies, and hing in 1 tablespoon sesame oil until the dal turns fragrant and golden-brown
- Tip this into the simmering tamarind water
- Add the rasam powder and jaggery
- Simmer this mixture until the dals have cooked, the raw tamarind smell has dissipated, and the rasam is deepening in color.
- In 2 tablespoons ghee, fry the dried pavazhamalli or parijaat flowers gently until they are several shades darker—a minute or two will do. Take care not to let them burn.
- Pour this into the simmering rasam
- Serve hot with a nice soft table rice like thooyamalli or khichli samba
Notes
If you have extra dried flowers, save these and have them with plain hot rice and a little salt!
The rasavandi or heavier dal-chilli-flowers that settle at the bottom are great as accompaniments to curd-rice.