Jeeraga-Milagu Rasam

        As I mentioned in my previous post, I am posting a recipe mentioned in the song 'Bhojanam seiya vaarungal'.
       Whenever anyone in my family has a cold, I make this rasam.When mixed with hot rice and had with a sutta appalam, it is indeed a comfort food.The ingredients are minimal, simple and serve a purpose.Cumin or Jeeragam as well as black pepper or milagu are both warming spices.Cumin helps in digestion and black pepper aids in enhance respiratory function and also acts like a cough reducer in small quantities.Ghee or clarified butter aids in digestion, bringing these useful spices to the cells faster.
      I have severe cold from yesterday  and have been either sipping piping hot rasam or having it with hot rice.It is definitely soothing my soul and healing my cold.

Vaikku miga rasikum (Rasam which wakes up your taste buds)
Jeeraga-Milagu Rasam


Ingredients
Jeera/cumin  1 tsp
milagu      1/2 tsp
red chilli    2
tuvar daal   1 tsp
tamarind paste 1 tsp
or extract from lemon size tamarind
curry leaves    a few
ghee 2 tsp
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1.In a saucepan, mix tamarind paste/extract with 3 cups of water.Bring to boil,let simmer until the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
2.Add tuvar dal,cumin,black pepper and one red chilli to a dry spice grinder and make a fine powder.
3.Mix the powder in a little water to make a paste and dissolve in the tamarind water.Add salt.
4.Let simmer,until the mixture starts to rise.Switch off heat.
5.In a saute or tempering pan,heat the ghee and add mustard seeds.After the mustard seeds sputter,add one halved red chilli and curry leaves.Pour it in the rasam.

      This rasam has more medicinal value than nutritive value.It has less ingredients but tastes very good with hot rice and sutta appalam(papad roasted over a open flame).Susvaad.