FOOD

How to Make Veppampoo Rasam | Dried Neem Flower Rasam

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FOOD OF THE MEDICINAL GODS


My earlier post on Tomato Rasam introduces the humble healing broth of South Indian homes. This South Indian classic plays a supereminent role amongst culinary beasts in traditional Madras Samayal, such as the Sambar or Kootu. Very similar to a 5-spice pho, this simple rasam recipe in Tamil Nadu is a medicinal wand that can flick away any cold through its peppery goodness. Essentially, it is the food of the medicinal gods!

100S OF VARIATIONS

There are brilliant variations of this recipe. Think of Rasam like a math equation, and it becomes so easy to put together. Sour + Spice = Rasam. You can make rasam with literally any ingredient as long as you make up for the sour and spice element. I have experimented with sour strawberries in the past, and the berry concoction was as heartwarming as the original! 

MOTHER OF ALL MEDICINAL TREES

In sync with the medicinal theme of rasam, a lot of the traditional recipes try to imbibe healing qualities in each rasam. One such recipe that is a subtle version is the Veppampoo Rasam. This rasam is typically made at the onset of Indian summers when the blooms of the Neem tree make their first appearance. In Ayurveda, the Neem tree is considered the mother of all medicinal trees, able to cure all ailments.

WHAT IS VEPPAMPOO?

Veppampoo literally translates to Neem Flower. The neem flowers boast an intense scent reminiscent of jasmine flowers with an ambient woodsy note. These flowers, when dried, become softer in fragrance while retaining a mild bittersweet flavor. These bittersweet neem flowers don’t have a sour note in their delicate petals. The dried florals are infused with the striking tang of tamarind pulp and finished with a fistful of the deep brown sugar-like sweetness of jaggery to balance the bitterness of the flowers. This makes for the wonderfully mild and beautiful Veppampoo Rasam.

MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE RASAM POWDER

I make the Veppampoo Rasam with homemade rasam powder. This rasam powder uses a very specific set of spices to compliment the bittersweet neem flowers. It is versatile to use in many curries and stir-fry recipes. Definitely a keeper in your list of dinner recipes in Tamil Nadu.

You can buy the dried Neem flowers at your local Indian grocer or on Amazon.

Dried Neem Flowers steeped in tamarind and spices.
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Veppampoo Rasam

The bittersweet neem flowers, sweet tang of tamarind, and deep brown sugar-like sweetness of jaggery in a heartwarming brew.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • medium-sized pot

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Dried Neem Flowers
  • 1 inch Ginger smashed
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1-2 tsp Rasam Powder
  • 2 tbsp Jaggery Powder
  • 1 Green Chilly slit
  • 1/2 – 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tbsp Cilantro Leaves chopped
  • Coarse Sea Salt to taste

For Tamarind Paste

  • 2-3 tsp Dry Tamarind
  • 2 cups Lukewarm Water

For the Spiced Drizzle

  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 8-10 Curry Leaves

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, add 1 tsp oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and cook until it turns brown.
  • Add the dried neem flowers and sauté for a couple of seconds. 
  • Make a tamarind paste by adding a large piece of dry tamarind to 2 cups of lukewarm water. Optionally, you can substitute with 1 tbsp store-bought tamarind paste and 2 cups of water.
  • Add the smashed ginger, sliced green chilli, salt, turmeric and rasam powder.
  • Strain the pulpy tamarind water into the pan. Let this broth boil for 10-15 mins. 
  • In a separate small pan, add 1 tbsp ghee/oil. Add the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the curry leaves. Pour this immediately on top of the rasam. 
  • Finish by adding jaggery. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Optional: I like to add 1/2 cup cooked toor dal to the boiling rasam. Let it simmer for 5 mins before adding the spiced drizzle.

Copy and print the below recipe cards to add to your collection!

Serve this rasam over steaming hot rice and fried appalams!

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FOOD

Pindi Chole Recipe | How to make Chole Masala

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Here’s an inspired version of Kunal Kapoor’s inferno-esque yet super delicious Pindi Chole recipe! This Chole Masala recipe is an essential keeper for your recipe book!

A Must-Have Chole Masala Recipe

Chole Masala needs no introduction. This chickpea stew is hands down one of the most popular dishes at Indian restaurants. It is comfort food that transcends many cultures and is easily the go-to weeknight meal for many across the world. Dunk a piece of buttery, greasy-good bhature into a luscious tomato-ey tea-infused chole masala and you’re transported to another world. 

The Richer Cousin of Chole Masala

Pindi Chole is a richer, denser, and stronger cousin of the infamous Chole Masala. Many sources believe the name is inspired by the name of the Pakistani city Rawalpindi. I draw inspiration from Kunal Kapoor, one of India’s favorite Punjabi chefs for this recipe. He uses dried amla, a fairly new ingredient to my pantry. His recipe is extremely good but certainly not for the faint-hearted. Made with plenty of chilies like a true Punjabi, his recipe is for brave souls.

My version is not as spicy. I still highly recommend cutting down the chilies and spices if you want a chole masala recipe that is a bit milder. Incidentally, Amla is alkaline in nature much like limes and unlike lemons. I have a classic lime pickle recipe from Tamil Nadu that is a perfect addition to your pantry cabinet this summer!

Why should you add Tea to Chole Masala?

Brewing Tea and Dried Amla

Back in the 90s, my mom’s recipe was a typical Chole Masala recipe that used onions, tomatoes, and a wonderful blend of spices. No amla or chai! Years later, I saw this tip on the internet that mentioned the use of brewed tea in chole recipes. I decided to try this tip out. And lo and behold, tea adds notes of malt and amps up your recipe with a richness that I can’t describe. All you do is brew a cup of strong tea using Assam tea leaves or the strongest black tea leaves that you have. You can even use this tea from Kenya which comes pre-mixed with spices. This adds an extra oomph to your recipe.

Can You Add Dried Amla To Chole Masala?

The answer is YES! The amla adds sourness and brightens up your dish in a way that no lemon, tomato, or tamarind can. It is uniquely sour and smoky in flavor. This is definitely one ingredient that I didn’t know I needed in my Chole recipe until Kunal Kapoor showed me the way! It’s always good to learn this kind of tip and I’m happy to share this with you. After all, good food is really a bunch of tips that have been passed from generation to generation.

How to make Pindi Chole Recipe

There are two ways to make this recipe. One is using dried chickpeas. And the other with canned chickpeas.

Dried Chickpeas – When you use dried chickpeas, there is a certain amount of soaking that needs to be done before you can cook the chickpeas. This is done to break down some of the tough fiber that naturally is present in chickpeas. The softening of the chickpeas also helps cook it faster.

Canned Chickpeas – With canned chickpeas, I drain the liquid from the can and give the chickpeas a quick rinse making sure not to over rinse. This helps retain the nutritional value and it also leaves my mind to rest knowing that slimy water is not in there! (of course, I know this water is great for some recipes)

Baking Soda – Another tip is to add baking soda. Baking soda helps break the chickpea further. This is especially great if your chickpeas are old. Old chickpeas tend to take longer to cook and in some cases are inedible.

Chole Masala Recipe
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Pindi Chole Recipe | Chole Masala Recipe

A richer, spicier version of Chole Masala, a chickpea stew recipe from Northern India.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chana masala, channa masala, chole, chole bhature, chole masala, chole masala recipe, pindi chole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Pakoda Stories

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot
  • 1 Medium Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans skip the dried chickpeas if using canned
  • 3/4 cup Dried Chickpeas skip the canned chickpeas if using dried
  • 1/4 cup Oil

Fresh Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic finely chopped
  • 1 Green Chili slit
  • 1 medium Onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup Tomato Purée
  • 3 cup Water

Amla-Tea Brew

  • 1 tsp Loose Black Tea Leaves
  • 3 Pieces Dried Amla
  • 2 cups Water add more, if required.

Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Asafetida or Hing
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 2 tsp Red Chili Powder 1 tsp in the dish and 1 tsp for garnish
  • 2 tbsp Chole Masala Powder

Garnish

  • 2 tbsp Ghee for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala Powder
  • 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves chopped
  • 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tbsp Onion finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda

Instructions

Soak the Chickpeas

  • If using dried chickpeas, soak them in a large bowl for 8-12 hours

Make an Amla-Tea Brew

  • Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small pot
  • Add Tea leaves and Amla. Brew for one minute

Cook the Chickpeas

  • Place your chickpeas, amla-tea brew in an instant pot
  • Cook for 4 mins on manual pressure if using canned chickpeas.
  • Cook for 40 mins or bean setting if using dried chickpeas.

Make the Pindi Chole

  • In a medium saucepan, add oil and 1 tbsp ghee.
  • When the oil is hot, add the onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Sauté until the onion starts to brown.
  • Now add your spices – asafetida, turmeric, red chili powder, chole masala, and salt. 
  • Cook for at least 1-2 minutes on medium-low to prevent masalas from tasting raw and bitter.
  • Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 more mins.
  • Now add your cooked chickpeas. Adjust consistency by adding more water as needed.
  • Let this simmer for at least 20- 30 mins. The more you slow cook this, the better. 

Make a red chili oil

  • In a small pan, add the ghee. When the ghee is melted and starting to get hot, add the red chili powder. 
  • When you see the red chili powder instantly bloom, take off the heat and pour over the cooked chickpeas. 

Garnish

  • Garnish the dish with chaat masala, chopped coriander leaves, chopped onions and lemon juice. 
  • Serve with bhature, rotis, any flatbread of your choice or even with plain basmati rice!

Notes

  • I cook with canned chickpeas just because it is more convenient. The older dried chickpeas get, the harder they are to cook.  If you cook frequently with chickpeas, dried chickpeas are the way to go.
  • Use a teabag of the strongest black tea you can find. I prefer Tea India’s Orange Pekoe Tea Bags.
  • Dried Amla is hard to find especially if you live in Western countries. Thank god for Amazon, we get a salted variant of dried amla in smaller chunks. I used these and adjusted the salt accordingly.
  • I blend 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes in a blender and use the strained puree. Canned tomatoes lend a slightly more acidic profile to the dish. This is a personal preference. I would always prefer the fresh tomatoes over the canned ones. But that’s just my choice! Also, if convenience is the need of the hour, it’s ok and you will still ladle up your bowl with warm and spicy Pindi Chole! Enjoy!
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