Neem Flower Rasam

Neem flower rasam below in darker shade due to tamrind colour .

vepampoo rasam

A delicious concoction of neem flowers, spices and tamrind with dal and condiments to give a refreshing thin rasam suited for a day of celebration that is Tamil New Year . .

Tamil New Year also called Puthandu heralds the beginning of the Dravidian New Year in Tamil Nadu . Also called as Varusha Pirappu in Tamil meaning the birth of a new year .It begins with  the arrival of yet another year of peace prosperity, and thanksgiving to the Gods for a good year .The festival is celeberated on the first day of Chitirai which is the Tamil month .

Based on the solar cycle, the Tamil calendar has a sixty years cycle, with each year comprising twelve months. The Tamil New Year is celebrated after the vernal equinox and it generally falls on April 14 of the Gregorian Year.

As like any festival Tamil New year also means a variety of dishes cooked and enjoyed ,  most predominant among them the use of neem flowers in few dishes .

Neem and Tamil new year are inseparable .Most importantly the simplest dish is the Neem flower rasam ,or the vepampoo rasam in Tamil which is nothing but a delicious blend of rasam powder, spices, tamrind and a tbsp of toasted neem flowers used in tempering .Neem flowers are also used in tempering the manga pachadi .

The neem flower rasam which  I  made is a hack of sorts as I  used a pulikaachal paste ( homemade ) to make quick rasam , as basic requirements of a vepampoo rasam have ingredients similar in puliyogare paste .This was also as a substitute for tamrind paste .You can use  just plain tamrind paste and add other ingredients or use only the pulikaachal paste as base for rasam .

Prep Time3 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Servings nos 5

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp tamrind paste or pulikaachal paste

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 2 nos red chilies

• 1 tsp toor dal

• a pinch salt

• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

• 1/2 cup dal water (optional )

• 2-3 tbsp neem flowers

• 1 tbsp ghee

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tbsp curry leaves

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Method :

1. Take a pan . When heated, add a drop of ghee.

2. Add cumin seeds, red chillies and toor dal

3. Toast lightly.

4. Add the tamrind paste diluting in water / or the pulikaachal paste by diluting in water.

5. Add salt, asafoetida powdr, turmeric powder.let the mixture boil .

6. When the tamrind paste has no raw smell , keep flame lowered.

7. In a tempering pan add some ghee, add mustard seeds, let it splutter , add curry leaves.

8. Add it to boiling tamarind spice mixture.

9. Separately toast the neem flowers in ghee till brownish .

10. Add it to boiling tamrind dal, spice mixture.

11. Add dal water if you wish.

12. Allow the mixture to come to a slight froth .

13. Switch off.

14. Enjoy with hot rice.

Neem leaves, flowers holds a place of pride in Ayurveda with both leaves and flowers used extensively in various medicinal products, from pastes , powders and juice to name a few. Its astonishing to note that the commonly found Neem trees are a store house of almost 130 different biologically active compounds. Is it any wonder that the Neem is so effective as anti viral, anti bacterial, anti toxic as well as being a powerful immuno stimulant .

lunch menu with vepampooo rasam.