Drakshi Saasive/Fresh Grapes in Coconut & Mustard Sauce

        

So, I got  this pack of fresh green grapes from the store over the weekend. I was actually picking up some grapes after over a year.... While Aadi was an infant, his ped had asked us to keep him away from grapes for a  little while so he wouldn't catch any cold and cough. And now that he's a year old, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce them to him. But to my disappointment, the grapes were so sour that they weren't good for even juices :(

My mother in law  is great with innovative recipes and  using up left overs. So I picked up the phone and called her up to see if she could suggest something with the sour grapes that I had in hand.  She  suggested I make Saasive- an instant Mangalorean dish that needs no cooking on the stove top and takes very few ingredients. With just red chilies and mustard as spices, it was amazing how flavorful the dish had turned out! Definitely worth  a try and its just right for when you need a change from the usual .

Ingredients:

1 cup  Fresh grapes (I used the green ones, you could use the black variety as well)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

3-4 Dry red chilies, low-medium spiced

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste (optional)

1/2 tsp Jaggery (optional)

1.5 tsp Mustard

2 tsp Oil

1 strand Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

 

Method:

1. Wash and slit each grape in the center and keep aside.
2. Grind coconut, red chilies , tamarind, jaggery and salt to a smooth paste with some water; Towards the end, add half a tsp of mustard and pulse a couple of times.
3. Add the ground masala paste to the grapes and mix well; Add water to get the desired consistency; Adjust ingredients according to taste.
4. Temper with mustard, hing and curry leaves; Serve immediately with hot steamed rice and relish!

Tip:

• While grinding mustard with the other masalas, keep in mind that adding too much mustard will make your dish bitter; So add just a little of it towards the end.
• If your grapes are really sour, you might wanna do away with tamarind altogether, like I did with mine this time; Or if your grapes are sweet, you might wanna let go of jaggery!

Variation: Instead of grapes, you could also use cucumbers,pineapple or  mangoes.

Prep Time: About 10-15 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Rasam Powder/ Saarina Pudi/Menasina Pudi

         

Rasam powder, THE KING of all masalas, is the most essential ingredient in any South Indian pantry. This basic South Indian masala is used in several other dishes like Avarekai Sambhar (grind 2-3 tsp of rasam powder with coconut and use as an alternate masala), Avalakki upkari, Tomato Gojju, Puliyogare Gojju (Recipe coming soon!), Punarpuli Rasam, Tomato Puree Rasam, Bolu Huli, Bitter Gourd Sabzi, Gojjavalakki and several other dishes. So, if you have the rasam powder in stock, you could get your meal ready in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:

1 cup Jeera

1 cup methi seeds/fenugreek

1 cup Black pepper

1 cup Mustard

8 cups Coriander seeds

6-8 cups Dry red chilies, adjust quantity according to taste

3 cup Curry leaves

Method:

1. Dry roast each of the ingredients separately until you smell the fresh aroma of the spice and the color changes lightly;Keep aside and let cool.
2. Powder the roasted spices in a blender; DO NOT add any water while powdering.
3. Store in airtight containers; To make rasam, follow Tomato Puree Rasam.

Tip:

• While measuring red chilies, chop them into tiny pieces; This way, its a lot easier to stuff into cups and measure them.
• While powdering, you might want to powder coriander seeds and dry red chilies  separately 'cause, coriander seeds and red chilies take longer to grind.
• Rasam powder has a shelf life of about 6 months, so feel free to make enough and store in air tight containers.
• You might want to store this masala in the refrigerator to retain its freshness and aroma.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Makes: Enough to fill a 500ml bottle;