NEEM FLOWER RASAM

This is a very traditional rasam followed in Tamilnadu. According to the climatic conditions, our ancestor's gifted recipe. Its better to take monthly once in our family. In Tamilnadu, people have started to sell these neem flowers in the market, during the seasons. We can clean it in the water and dry it in the sun and store it for years. Ofcourse people can also collect from the near by neem trees, freshly and can preserve it. 

Ingredients:

1. Thick tamarind juice - 1/4 cup or as required
2. pepper powder - 2 tsp
3. Jeera powder - 2 tsp
4. Salt - as required
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Hing - 1 tsp
7. Dhal water or plain water- 1 cup
8. Red chilli powder or Rasam powder - 1 tsp or as required


 Seasoning :


1. mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Neem flowers - 1/4 cup
4. Curry leaves - 1 twig

Method:

1. Mix the dhal water, tamarind juice, salt, turmeric powder, jeera powder, pepper powder, rasam powder and hing  together in a cooking vessel. Allow to boil this mixture for 4-5 minutes until it gives frothy mixture. Switch off the stove.


2. Heat oil in a pan for seasoning, add mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves. Once they got popped transfer that to the rasam.

3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add the dried neem leaves to the hot oil. Fry until it becomes crispy.
Once it gets to room temperature just crush it with your hands and sprinkle over the rasam and serve it. For extra flavour you can fry the neem leaves in the ghee instead of oil. 


4. Serve hot with white rice.