I’m pretty sure most of you agree that a South Indian meal feels incomplete without the humble rasam. There are many variations to rasam and this Drumstick Rasam Recipe is one of my favourites. Simmering a simple rasam is no rocket science. But the flavours are intricate, so getting a balance of the flavours is the trick.
Drumsticks are widely used in many South Indian preparations and also in Bengali and Konkani cuisines. You can’t imagine what an amazing flavour this magical slender, green juicy vegetable can impart!!
Only the insides of the drumsticks are edible – that is, the seeds and the white pith. When you cut a cross section of the vegetable, you will see a triangular arrangement of seeds with the drumstick flesh. The outer green parts are usually chewed to get the maximum flavour (my favourite part 
) and then discarded. Oh my gosh…I’m drooling!!
Apart from the lovely flavour that they can add to a dish, drumsticks are a great source of calcium and vitamin C. The interesting part is that the seed pods retain high proportions of Vitamin C despite the cooking process. And not just that, they are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, manganese and dietary fibre. It also helps in treating the diseases of liver, spleen etc., good for bones, heart, skin, and it is supposed to impart a glow on our face.
Even the leaves and flowers of a drumstick plant are used in cooking. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant with many vitamins, protein and other nutrients to its credit.
We are fortunate enough to get fresh drumsticks almost throughout the year and I make sure to stock up a few pods whenever I visit the Indian food store. Although, widely used in sambar and other lentil preparations, drumsticks can blend well with curries, can serve to be a standalone dish or an excellent side dish. You are going to see many more recipes on the blog using drumsticks!!
Rasams are a saviour on days of torrent rains and so apt to drive away the flu blues…. Every mouthful of this piping hot rasam soothes the frigid soul asking for more. Today’s Drumstick Rasam Recipe has a tangy tamarind – tomato base. I always use freshly ground the rasam powder/paste, as it adds more flavour to the rasam. But I have used in moderation to keep the flavour solely focused on the drumsticks. The flavour from the drumsticks adds a nice punch to the rasam, which makes it so delicious.
Actually this rasam is not quite common even among south Indians and hence I wanted to share the Drumstick Rasam Recipe for those who are not familiar with it. Hope you enjoy it!!
Off to Drumstick Rasam Recipe!!
Step-by Step process for
Drumstick Rasam Recipe:
- Soak tamarind in half a cup of water and microwave for a minute. Extract the juice by squeezing it with hand and discard the pulp.
- Chop tomatoes and coriander and set aside.
- Wash and scrape the drumsticks, but remember not to peel it completely. With a knife just scrape off the skin a bit, gently. Wash them thoroughly and cut them into sizes of two inches.
- Transfer to a microwave safe bowl and add a cup of water. To this add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon red chilli powder and microwave for 5 to 6 minutes or till they are almost cooked. They shouldn’t be overcooked.
For the paste:
- In a mixer blend together black pepper, cumin seeds, red chillies and garlic pods to a coarse powder.
- To this add cut tomato pieces, chopped coriander and curry leaves. Blend for a few seconds to a coarse puree and set aside.
Preparing Drumstick Rasam:
- Heat oil in a vessel/sauce pan over medium heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add asafoetida, curry leaves and the boiled drumstick pieces. Stir for a minute.
- To this add in the ground paste and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
- Now add the tamarind pulp along with required amount of water, salt and sugar.
- Bring the contents to a boil over medium high heat. This may take around 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow it to boil for another 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander and serve with hot steaming rice and potato fry, any other vegetable fry or an egg omelette on the side or just a papad. These are my favourite combinations….feel free to explore you favourite combo!!!
- Btw…it also goes well with non vegetarian gravies like chicken curry, chicken korma , fish curry or fries like masala egg fry, chicken fry or fish fry. Today we enjoyed it with mutton curry….yummy combination right??
A Quick Summary:
Drumstick Rasam Recipe | Murungakkai Rasam
Ingredients
To boil drumsticks:
- 2 Drumsticks plump and tender ones
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the paste:
- 3-4 Dry Red Chillies
- 2 Teaspoons black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 red chilies
- 3 garlic pods unpeeled
- 2 medium sized tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander
- A sprig of curry leaves
Other Ingredients:
- 1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 to 2 Red chillies
- A sprig of Curry leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Gooseberry size Tamarind soaked in ½ cup water microwaved for a minute & extract juice
- 2 to 3 cups water or more adjust accordingly to suit your taste
- Required salt
- 1 teaspoon powdered jaggery or sugar
For garnish:
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped coriander
Instructions
Cooking drumsticks:
- Wash and scrape the drumsticks, but remember not to peel it completely. With a knife just scrape off the skin a bit, gently. Cut them into sizes of two inches.
- Transfer the drumstick pieces to a microwave safe bowl and add a cup of water. To this add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and microwave for 5 to 6 minutes or till the drumstick pieces are almost cooked.
For the paste:
- Blend together black pepper, cumin seeds, red chillies and garlic pods to a coarse powder.
- To this add cut tomato pieces, coriander and curry leaves and blend for a few seconds to a coarse puree and set aside.
Preparing rasam:
- Heat oil in a vessel over medium heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the boiled drumstick pieces and stir for a minute.
- To this add in the ground tomato paste and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
- Add the tamarind pulp along with required amount of water, salt and jaggery/sugar.
- Bring the contents to a boil over medium high heat. This may take around 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow it boil for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Serve with rice and any sides of your choice or papad!!...or enjoy it as a soup.
My Notes:
- The key to the perfect rasam is to balance the spice, salt, tangyness rightly. Hence while making it, feel free to add more salt or jaggery or tamarind pulp or water to balance the rasam using your judgement to suit your taste buds.
- Sugar/Jaggery is used to balance out salt and sour flavours in a dish.
- Do not overcook the rasam, as it will change the taste and become bitter and more acidic.
Try out other Rasam recipes from blog!!….Do not miss out the Chicken rasam recipe, which is a hit on my blog!!….Many more to come…Stay Tuned!!
Happy Cooking 🙂
Cheers!!
Padma.
