Kottambari Jeerige Saaru / Coriander Jeera Rasam and a MEME

Seema, from Everyday cooking recipes from my kitchen..... has tagged me for the Fantastic Four MEME. Thanx Seema for tagging me! :). So, here goes....


Four places i've lived:

• Mangalore, India
• Bangalore, India
• Salisbury, NC
• Chicago, IL

Four jobs i've had:

• Tried my hand at a Callcenter for about a week after college.
• Was into IT for the next couple of years.
• Been trying my hand at cooking and home making since then :)
• Still looking for the fourth job :)

Four Favourite places i've holidayed:

• Las Vegas
• Myrtle Beach
• Darjeeling
• Kerala

Four Favourite foods:

• Bisibele Bhaat with raita :)
• Gobi and Baby corn Manchurian
• Pani Puri
• Veg Pad thai

Four Places i'd rather be:

• Can't think of four places, but I love being at home among family. Home sweet home!!!! :)

The Meme brought back sweet old memories to me..... All those lovely vacations that I had in the past... The friends I made during these years..... It all made me feel really good!!! Thanx Seema :). I'd like to tag Sagari from indian recipes,indian cooking ,indian food,home cooking for the Fantastic Four MEME. Play along whenever you find time , Sagari! :)

Coming to the recipe..... A friend of mine had pinged me about 6 months back, asking for the recipe of "Coriander Rasam". I had never heard of that rasam before... I asked my mom and MIL about it and they didn't seem to know it either. So, I left it at that and I completely forgot about it. When I went to India this time, one of my aunts was talking about this rasam and it immediately caught my attention. I collected the recipe from her and tried it after I got back to my kitchen. It tasted so very good that I made it continuously for the next 2 days!!!! This now, comes right on top of our comfort foods list.... So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 tsp Coriander seeds

1.5 tsp Jeera seeds

2 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2-3 Dry red chillies, low spiced

2-3 strands Cilantro

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

1 tsp Ghee/Clarified butter

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

A pinch of hing

3-4 Curry leaves

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Grind together coconut, coriander seeds, jeera, cilantro and red chillies with some water.
2. Add about 2-3 cups of water and dilute the masala.
3. Bring to boil on stove. Add tamarind paste, jaggery and boil for another 4-5 mins.
4. Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. Note: Any veg oil can be used for tempering. However, using ghee for tempering in rasams adds to the taste and flavor.
5. Serve hot with rice and enjoi! It tastes great even as a soup.... You can try that too!