Ginger Garlic Rasam

I really didn't know what to call this recipe. Speaking honestly, it really is nothing other than chaaru. But its not the regular chaaru or rasam that I have always made. I tasted this at my friends place, and this was so different and flavorful that I really wanted to post it here. The best thing about this recipe is that it incorporates ginger also, which as I mentioned earlier, is reputed to be a great anti inflammatory agent, making this a wonderful thing to have when you are down with a cold! Like all other rasams, this makes a great soup.

Nutritional Information: *
Per half cup of rasam:
Calories: 31
Calories from Fat: 21
Total Fat: 2 g (4% of DV)
Saturated fat: 0 mg
Monounsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 585 mg (24% of DV)
Total Carbohydrates: 3 g (1% of DV)
Dietary Fiber: 1 g (2% of DV)
Sugars: 0 g
Proteins: 1 g

Vitamin A: 6% of DV
Vitamin C: 6 % of DV
Calcium: 1% of DV
Iron: 2% of DV



Ingredients: (Makes 4 cups)
Olive oil: 4tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp (menthulu, methi seeds)
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp (Gram dal, yellow lentil)
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp (minapappu)
Red Chilies: 3
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp (aawalu, rai)
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp (zeera, jillakarra)
Water: 4 cups
Tomatoes: 2, medium, chopped
Tamarind: 2 inches
Curry leaves: 2 sprigs
Cilantro: 1/2 cup, chopped
Ginger: 2 inch pieces, skin removed
garlic: 4 cloves
Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp (hing, ingua)
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 2 tsp (adjust to taste)
Chili powder: 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)
Rasam powder: 1.5 tsp

Method:

Add 4 tsp olive oil to a stock pot. Let it warm and add the chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, finely crushed ginger and garlic, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric, red chilies and cilantro.

Saute till the raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears. The tadka (popu) will smell heavenly at this point.

Add the water.
Microwave tomatoes on high for 3 to 4 minutes and add to the water.

Add a little water to the tamarind. Microwave for 30 seconds. Let cool and squeeze out the pulp. Add to the water.

Add about 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chili powder. Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes.

Add the rasam powder and let boil for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Serve hot as soup or as an accompaniment with rice.



*Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet and may vary based on individual requirements.

Breakdown of Calorific Information:
Carbohydrates: 29% Fats: 67% Proteins: 4%

Antibiotics and Intestinal Health

I am sure all of us have, at some point in our lives, rubbed shoulders with antibiotics. Some important things you should know about antibiotics:

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, they don't help treat viral infections. In fact they lower immunity and reduce a persons ability to fight a viral infection and so should never be taken without the knowledge of your health care provider.

Antibiotics should always be taken till the course is complete. Most of the times, you may experience a relief of symptoms after completing part of the course. This is not an indication to discontinue the medication. Stopping the course midway may result in development of antibiotic resistance by your body which will culminate in a requirement of stronger antibiotics to fight future infections.

If you have never taken a particular antibiotic before, be careful to note any symptoms of allergies you may develop. Different antibiotics cause different side effects. Two of the most common side effects are mentioned below. If you develop these symptoms, discontinue the medication and contact your health care provider asap:

Hives, itching, rashes, redness, swelling or a burning sensation of the skin (Anaphylaxis)
Diarrhoea and cramps: bloody diarrhoea (Pseudomembranous colitis)

A very useful link to Mercks manual: Information about antibiotic side effects and resistance.

What do you do if you develop gastrointestinal irritation or, simply put, diarrhoea and cramps? The first thing to do is to discontinue the medication and let your physician know.
Do not take any medicines for the diarrhoea or the cramps. Do not take any analgesics (pain medication). These may increase the symptoms.

Start off on a course of probiotics. These are capsules/tablets available in many health food stores. They contain helpful bacteria which will colonize your intestines and bring them back to normal very quickly. Probiotics are available in Trader Joe's for $5.99 per a box of 30, available in tablet form combined with acidophilus.

You can also get immediate relief by including as much Kefir or yogurt with live cultures in your diet as possible. Kefir is a good choice because, like probiotics, it contains live cultures which will colonize the intestines. Kefir is available in Whole Foods, price ranging from $2.99 to $3.29 per bottle, available in many flavors. It is also available at most Safeway stores and Albertsons for approximately $4.59 per bottle. If you are unable to find kefir, yogurt is still a very good alternative.

The best course of action if you are on antibiotics is to include probiotics, either in tablet form or from yogurt and kefir, in your diet. This will help avoid the potential complications of gastrointestinal irritation.

Another important thing to remember while you are on antibiotics is that Vitamin B12 absorption by your body is impaired. This is because the helpful bacteria which synthesize "intrinsic factor" necessary for absorption of Vitamin B12 are also killed. To avoid deficiency symptoms, combine consumption of probiotics with Vitamin supplements during antibiotic therapy.

Chekkalu

Am trying to think of the perfect senaga pappu chekkalu that will not be toooo unhealthy :) We bought some a couple of weeks back, and since then have been craving for some home-made action! So, looked up the recipes from amma and attha for ideas, and merged them with ideas from the ingredient list on the bag, and lets see how it goes from there! Thanks Dr Armstrong! Didnt know retrosynthesis would come in this handy!!! Will keep you posted step by step on this one!

Ingredients:
Rice Flour: 4 cups
Ginger: 4 inch piece
Green Chilies: 10
Chana dal: 3/4 cup (Senagapappu)
Boiled potato: 2 medium (I used russet)
Besan: 1/2 cup (senagapindi/ Gram flour)
Peanuts: Roasted: halved: 1/2 cup
Peanuts: Roasted: powdered: 1/2 cup
Curry Leaves: 6 to 8 sprigs, leaves torn to small pieces
Dried coconut powder: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp, crushed
Ajwain: 1 tsp, crushed (vaamu, carom seeds)
Ghee or butter: 1 tsp
Hot water: to make thick dough
Salt: 2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Chili powder: 2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Olive oil: Enough to fry in

Method:

Soak the chana dal in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In a small saucepan, without adding any oil, on a low flame, saute 1 cup peanuts till creamish or light brown.Grind half the peanuts to powder, preferably fine.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients: 4 cups rice flour, 1/2 cup gram flour (dont add more, it will make the chekkalu soft!), salt and chili powder.

In a microwave safe bowl, add 2 peeled chopped potatoes. Cover with water till the potatoes are completely submerged. Microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes (may var based on individual microwave). The potatoes should be completely mashable. Reserve the hot water for mixing the dough.

Grind the green chilies and ginger with a small amount of water till a soft paste.

Crush the cumin seeds and ajwain seeds lightly. Also break the peanuts to smaller pieces.

Add crushed cumin, ajwain seeds, coconut powder, 1 tsp ghee, mashed potatoes, peanuts, ghee, torn curry leaves and soaked chana dal to the flour mix. Add the hot water and knead well to form a thick dough (like puri dough)

Layer an aluminium foil on the countertop. Lubricate the foil with a few drops of oil. Have some oil handy for lubricating the foil again if need arises. Use a rolling pin if necessary, but ideally try to made small flat rounds of about 2.5 inch diameter with the tips of your fingers. Make sure the centers are thin too!Deep fry in heated oil on a low flame till the chekkalu are brown.Store in an air tight box to enjoy!!!!!

This recipe made about 100 chekkalu. Just ate a bunch of them, and they taste pretty good! I think the chili garlic paste and the peanut powder made a big difference to the taste.

Caution:
If peanuts are not crushed to small pieces, it will make rolling out the chekkalu hasslesome.
If you prefer crispier chekkalu, reduce the amount of besan further.
Do not let the dough sit for more than 2 to 3 hours, it will make the chekkalu absorb more oil, and will also result in softer chekkalu.

As it is difficult to determine the nutritional informtion of chekkalu, I will try and get the nutritional information off a store bought version and publish it here as soon as possible.