Veppam Poo Rasam Recipe (Neem flower Rasam)

Veppam Poo Rasam (Neem flower Rasam) is a delicious bitter rasam which is mainly prepared for Tamil New Year. This Tamilian recipe has innumerable medicinal properties and is filled with antifungal and antibacterial properties. The main significance of making this dish in Tamil is to start a new year with body cleansing. This rasam is not similar to normal South Indian rasams as it is slightly bitter in taste because of its ingredients. Course : Lunch Ingridients : 1-1/2 tablespoon Neem Flowers 20 grams Tamarind 1/2 teaspoon Rasam Powder , chettinad 1 Tomato , chopped 2 teaspoon Jaggery , powdered 1 tablespoon Ghee Salt , to taste For the seasoning: 1/2 teaspoon Ghee 1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing) 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu) 1 Dry Red Chilli 5 Curry leaves Instructions To begin with the Veppampoo Rasam, heat one tablespoon ghee in a pan and fry the neem flowers on a low heat till they turn brown. Keep them aside.Now soak tamarind in 1 and 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Extract the juice and discard the pulp.The next step is to make the rasam. Take a medium size vessel and mix the tamarind juice, jaggery, Chettinad rasam powder, tomato and salt in it.Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water into the mixture and let it cook for 10-15 minutes on the low flame until the rasam froths up.Once the rasam froths up, add the fried Veepam poo/neem flowers and turn the heat off immediately. Keep them aside.Now take a tadka pan, heat ghee and temper the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, dry chilies and curry leaves.When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, put it into the rasam mixture.Serve the Veppampoo Rasam with hot steaming rice and Elai vadam or you can also have it as a soup.