Punarpuli Saaru: All the way from Hebri to Singapore

Here is what my mom-in-law has to say about punarpuli/bhadpuli/kokum. "When my mom was alive, she used to dry the kokum & prepare rasam with both dry & fresh kokum(also known as bhadpuli in Tulu). Kokum fruit would be available during late spring/summer & kokum has cooling effects on the body. It is given to people having pitta dosha, as it is said to balance the pitta. We used to drink this as a soup. These days we get kokum syrup in Hebri & other places, that is used to prepare cool drink or a summer drink".

This saaru is prepared, relished from many decades(could that be centuries too!!, not sure) & I'm sure, this will also be prepared for many more generations/decades to come. The rasam is very very simple & can be prepared within minutes. Not many ingredients & this one tastes heaven. This one is a perfect example for "Less is More".

Ingredients:

Dried Kokum/bhadpuli: 8-10

Water : 1 liter

Powdered Jaggery: 1.5-2 tbsp

Salt: According to taste

Onion: 1 medium sized

Green Chilli: 2-3 (small ones, they are very very hot) or 4-6(normal ones)

Coconut Oil : 1 tsp

Curry Leaves: 1 strand

Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp

Method:

• Boil the water. When water is hot, add the dried kokum pieces to it. Let it boil for about 1 minute
• Let the mixture soak for about 10-20mins.
• Finely chop the green chillies & add the chillies to the same water & squeeze the juice of the kokum + green chillies.
• Discard the squeezed kokum. Add salt, jaggery & mix well. No need to heat it again.
• Finely chop the onion & add the raw onions to the rasam prepared.
• Prepare the tempering. Add oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, when mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves & saute till the leaves color change. Pour this tempering to the rasam prepared.
• Rasam is ready to be served.

Notes:

• Unlike conventional rasams, this rasam is not boiled & consumed warm or cold. It can be preserved for 3-4 days in fridge(Add onions & tempering only for the required quantity). This rasam tastes better the next day.


• Curry leaves has tremendous health benefits. Finely chop the curry leaves & then add it to rasam or any vegetable. This way, we donot discard the curry leaves & consume them.


• Adjust the sweetness in the rasam according to one's family needs.


• Store bought kokum/punarpuli would be soaked in salt & then dried. Hence adjust the salt level accordingly.


• If hands start burning after squeezing the green chillies, apply coconut oil on your palms.

I'm posting this on behalf of my mom-in-law. She is the owner of this recipe. Another version of punarpuli saaru could be found here

This rasam is also making its way to "RCI: Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine" event hosted by Sia & started by Lakshmi

Sevu Bajji(Kesuvina Gojju)

My friends can notice the difference in me. They say, i have changed. It is just 15 days & they can see the change in me. Oops, I have to control myself, else I will have to repent for this. I'm shocked that I have got a noticable change already. Guys, wondering what that change could be!! I am sure most of you have guessed it already. The change is....., I have put on weight (aiyyo rama!!!) & the credit goes to parents & in-laws. Both are cooking lot of traditional dishes & we are enjoying every bit of it. They are also refreshing my memories with these dishes. I am happy that, I am learning lot of new recipes from my mom, mom-in-law & also fine-tuning my recipes to get the authentic touch.

Sevu bajji is one such dish prepared by my mom-in-law last week. This is a very tasty gojju prepared using colocasia leaves & is liked by most people. My mom-in-law was little skeptical to prepare this bajji(gojju) using store bought leaves as few leaves could cause irritation of tongue & become impossible to eat or even chop. She says, "Back at home, during monsoon, workers cut enough leaves to prepare bajji. We never add coconut or urad dal to make the bajji thick. We also replace tamarind with either amtekayi (ambade in Tulu) or vaatehuli (Both amtekayi & vaatehuli are fruits available in abundance in the western ghats & they are sour/tangy like tamarind. I donot have more information about them). Bajji is prepared using taro leaves, green chilli, ambade & garlic". Her advice for people using these leaves for the first time:
Apply little coconut oil while chopping the leaves. If hands start itching, please discard the leaves.Tear a very small portion of the leaf & taste it, if toungue starts itching.., add more tamarind or try them at your own risk :)

Some language translations
Bajji is a Tulu word for Gojju (Kannada) or curry in general.
Sevu is a Tulu word for Taro or Colocasia leaves(Kesuvina yele in Kannada).

Ingredients:

Taro leaves: 12-14 medium sized
Tamarind: 1 big lemon sized
Salt: According to taste
Green chilli: 4-5
Urad dal: 2 tsp
Jaggery: a pinch (optional)
Oil: 1 tsp
Grated Coconut: 1-2tbsp(optional)


For tempering:

Garlic: 3-4 pods (finely chopped)
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-6 chopped


Method:

*Wash the leaves thoroughly. Remove the hard stem. Apply little coconut oil to the palms & chop the leaves. Chop the green chillies.

*Mix the green chillies & leaves. Add 1 cup water & cook the leaves on a medium flame for 10mins. Now add, the tamarind, salt & boil again for 5mins. Allow it to cool.

*Meantime, heat oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, add urad dal & fry till dal turns golden. Turn off the heat, add coconut & let it cool completely.

*Make a smooth paste of coconut & urad dal, add the leaves to the coarse paste & pulse it in the blender for 10secs.

*Prepare the tempering. Heat oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, when mustard seeds splutter, add uradadd garlic & sauté till garlic turns golden brown. Add curry leaves & pour this tempering over the gojju/bajji prepared.

This dish goes to "RCI: Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine" hosted by Sia & also to Lakshmi.