Spicy Rasam Vada - South Indian Combo

Step 1: Prepare Homemade Rasam Powder

Take 12-15 pieces of dried red chillies (Kashmiri or Byadgi) and dry roast them in a pan on low-medium flame for 5-6 minutes until they are well roasted. Remove them into a bowl and keep aside.

Step 2: Roast Dal and Spices for Rasam Powder

In the same pan, heat 2 tsps of ghee. Once heated, add 1 tbsp Chana Dal and 1 tsp Toor Dal. Roast these on low flame for 2 minutes. Once roasted, add 5-6 tbsps Coriander seeds, 3 tbsps Cumin seeds, 1-2 tsps Methi dana, and 2 tbsps Black Peppercorns. Roast these on low-medium flame for 3-4 minutes until aromatic. Black pepper is the main ingredient of the Rasam powder.

Step 3: Add Remaining Spices and Grind Rasam Powder

Next, add 1/2 tsp Asafoetida, 20-25 pcs Curry leaves, and 1/4 tsp Haldi powder. Roast these as well for 2 minutes. Once done and cooled, transfer this mixture over the roasted dried red chillies in the bowl. Transfer all the cooled ingredients into a blender and grind until a fine, fresh, and aromatic powder is ready. Store this homemade Rasam powder in an airtight container for months.

Step 4: Cook Toor Dal for Rasam

Soak 1/4 cup Toor Dal half an hour before. Remove the water and transfer the dal into a cooker. Add 1.5 cups of water. Cover and cook on medium-high flame until 3-4 whistles. Once cooked, churn the dal using a churner until it becomes very fluidic and thin. Keep aside.

Step 5: Prepare Garlic and Tamarind Paste

In a mortar, take 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds, and 5-6 Garlic pods. Crush these well until coarse. Once done, keep it aside. Next, in a bowl, soak some Tamarind in 1 cup Warm water. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Mash the tamarind and extract its water. Keep aside.

Step 6: Temper Spices for Rasam

Next, using an authentic earthen pot for cooking, add 2 tbsps Oil. Once heated, add 1/2 tsp Rai (mustard seeds). Once it starts to crackle, add the ground cumin, coriander, and garlic mixture. Sauté it a little. Then add 3-4 Dried Red Chillies, 10-12 pcs Curry leaves, and 1/4 tsp Asafoetida. Cook everything for a minute.

Step 7: Cook Tomatoes and Add Rasam Powder

Next, add 2 pcs Finely chopped Tomatoes. Add 1/2 tsp Salt to speed up the cooking, and a few chopped Coriander stalks. Mix and cook this as well on medium-high flame until the tomatoes turn soft. Once done, add 2-3 tsps of the prepared Rasam powder. Toss it well here.

Step 8: Combine and Boil Rasam

Next, mash the soaked tamarind and add its water to the pot. Mix and cook it well. Next, add 1-1.5 cups of Water. Mix and cook this as well. Rasam has a soupy consistency, and we'll keep the same consistency here. Add 1-2 pcs of Jaggery to tone the sourness. Mix this and let it boil on medium flame for 5-6 minutes. Rasam has boiled well here. Adjust Salt if needed here. Lastly, add 1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder and Fresh Coriander. So, our hot & flavourful Rasam is ready. This is the consistency that is needed. Keep it aside.

Step 9: Prepare Vada Batter

Next, for the Vada's, take 1.5 cups White Urad dal. Wash this and let it soak for 3-4 hours. Remove all of its water and transfer this into a mixer. To this, add 2-3 Ice cubes and blend this well until a sticky & coarse mixture is ready, just as desired. Transfer the batter over a Kadai (or a large bowl).

Step 10: Aerating the Vada Batter

Start to beat the mixture in only one direction. Keep beating this for 5-6 minutes. This will provide great aeration to the batter, helping it to become soft & fluffy. You can also beat it with the help of a beater or use your bare hands. The batter has become so airy & fluffy, it doesn't even drop this way. To check its doneness, drop a dollop of batter into water; it floats and is airy like a cotton ball.

Step 11: Season and Fry Vadas

Now to this batter, add 1 tsp Salt, Crushed Black Peppercorns, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 5-6 pcs chopped Curry leaves, 1-2 pcs Finely chopped Green Chillies, and 1 tbsp Finely chopped Adrak (ginger). Mix & beat it again for a minute. So our Vada batter is ready. Next, heat Oil on med-high flame in a pan. Soak your fingers in water and pick the batter this way. Slide it over the Hot Oil. Repeat the same process for all the Vada's. Immediately start to pour Oil over it. These have started to set nicely. At this stage, switch gas flame to medium. You can see them rolling over on their own, which means the batter is beaten perfectly. So we'll let it turn Golden brown on Medium flame until it is pretty crunchy. Remove these out. Similarly, fry the other batches as well.

Step 12: Serve Rasam Vada

Break one Vada to show you; it's crunchy from the outside but soft from within. You can enjoy these with chutney as well. But today we'll serve it with the prepared Rasam. Pour some hot hot Rasam over the Vadas. Let's quickly scoop a bite. This is so tempting! Please do give this recipe a try and comment below how it turned out for you.

• Use Kashmiri or Byadgi dried red chillies for good color and flavor in rasam powder.

• Roast rasam powder ingredients on low-medium flame to prevent burning and ensure even cooking.

• Store homemade rasam powder in an airtight container for long-lasting freshness.

• Soak urad dal for 3-4 hours for a soft and fluffy vada batter.

• Add ice cubes while grinding urad dal to keep the batter cool and aid in achieving a smooth, airy consistency.

• Beat the vada batter in one direction for 5-6 minutes to incorporate air, making the vadas soft and fluffy.

• Test the vada batter by dropping a small dollop into water; it should float if perfectly aerated.

• Immediately pour hot oil over the vadas after dropping them into the kadai to help them set and roll on their own.

• Cook vadas on medium flame until golden brown and crunchy.

• Add jaggery to rasam to balance the sourness from tamarind and tomatoes.

• Serve vadas with coconut chutney or sambar instead of rasam.

• Adjust spice levels in both rasam and vada batter according to preference.