Vepampoo Rasam (Neem flower rasam)

Vepampoo rasam is my Grandma's favourite recipe. I make it quite often since it is a favourite in our family. It is also healthy and good for the stomach. You can also fry neem flowers in a little ghee with a pinch of salt and mix it with plain rice and have it since it is very tasty and delicious hope you try this recipe and like it.

You can conveniently get this vepampoo in any south indian grocery shop. They sell it in packets, or if you are lucky and any one close to you either a relative or friend who live in villas and happened to have a neem tree in their garden, they can provide you with these dried flowers which just fall down and they are collected by the owner and cleaned and put into use.

In India most people who live in bungalows have neem trees.I shall take you on a journey to prepare the vepampoo rasam.

Ingredients:

1 lemon sized tamarind (soaked in water)

Dried Neem flowers -1 Tblsp

Red chillies -3

Turmeric powder (haldi powder) 1 tsp

Rasam powder -1 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) a pinch

Curry leaves - few

Salt - as required

Ghee for seasoning -2 tsps

For Seasononing:

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Red chillies -3

Dried neem flowers - 1 Tblsp

Ghee - 2 tsps

Method:

1. Take a vessel with tamarind water and place it on the gas.

2. Put salt,turmeric powder,asafoetida (hing), rasam powder,curry leaves and allow it to boil.

3.When the thick liquid rasam boils and reduces add some more water and allow it to boil.

4.Meanwhile clean the dry neem flowers so that there are no stones in it.

5. After the rasam has boiled remove it from the gas.

6. Now take a kadai and season with ghee, the vepampoo, mustard seeds,red chillies.

Now the rasam is ready to be served with plain rice and papadam or any vegetable curry of your choice which you make.