Vepampoo or Dried neem flowers are known for their health benefits. This is a very mild rasam and prepared similar to goddu rasam and tempered with dried neem leaves in the end. It is a mix between paruppu rasam and goddu rasam; this rasam uses cooked toor dal water instead of mashed toor dal itself. This is a mild soup and great a rice accompaniment too.
I have already explained about the benefits of neem in my vepampoo sadam post. Neem tree is genuinely an Akshaya Patra (inexhaustible vessel err tree) of medicines. Also, I have mentioned this many times on my blog. My favorite recipe is rasam, and I can drink gallons of rasam any time.:-) In my TN cuisine journey how can I skip rasam? In the letter V, there were zillion options, but I made up my mind to prepare this Vepampoo rasam for sure. Here is the rasam served traditionally in the eiyachombu or eeya sombu or eiya patram. I never knew these vessels were so costly. Mom sold hers and my grandma’s (Even then we had to pay a lot) and got it from Kumbakonam. :-) I don’t cook directly in these but transfer the hot rasam to this vessel, and that enhances the flavor.
This rasam can be prepared without rasam podi also, and there are many ways to make this rasam. The “cook and see” book by Meenakshi Ammal has three variations to this rasam. But today I am posting our family recipe that I got from my mom. It is not too bitter, and at the same time, you can taste the dried neem flowers also. A perfect soup during winters and of course this is one of the quick home remedies for stomach ailments.
Here is V for Vepampoo Rasam,
Ingredients:
- Vepampoo / Dried Neem Flowers – 2 tsps
- Salt – 1.5 tsps
- Red Chilly – 2
- Cooked Toor Dal water – 1.5 cups
- Water – 1.5 cups (1 cup for tamarind extract)
- Rasam powder – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 strand
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Tamarind Paste – 2 tsps (1 cup of tamarind juice extracted by soaked a small gooseberry sized tamarind)
- For tempering
- Toor Dal – 1 tsp
- Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
- Ghee or Oil – 2 tsps
Prep Work: Cooked Toor Dal Water
- I pressure cooked 1/2 cup of toor dal with 4 cups of water and with a pinch of turmeric powder. Before mashing the dal, I drained and saved about 1.5 cups of dal water for this rasam. The mashed dal, of course, went for sambar :-)
- Mix the tamarind paste in 1 cup of water and set aside. If using tamarind, soak in water and extract the juice.
Method:
- Take a heavy bottomed vessel or pan in which you are going to prepare the rasam and add the tamarind water + 1/2 cup of water.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, rasam powder, salt, curry leaves and red chilies and mix well.
- Now heat this in medium flame and let it simmer.
- Once it starts to boil, add the dal water and mix well.
- Let it simmer again till forms the froth on top.
- Once the froth forms, turn off the heat.
- In a separate tadka pan, add ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot, add the toor dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the dried neem flowers.
- Roast them for a couple of minutes. The neem flowers should brown a bit.
- Now add this to the rasam and mix well. Here is the rasam in the eeya patram/sombu.
Notes:
- Adjust the rasam powder according to your taste. This is comparatively mild rasam.
- You can add more neem flowers and also add about 1/4 tsp while adding the rasam powder.
- You can also add red chilly while tempering.
- As toor dal plays a significant role in providing the protein, you can add mashed dal also. In that case, increase the rasam powder and even dried neem flowers to 3 tsps.
Vepampoo Rasam | Dried Neem Flower Rasam
Ingredients
- Vepampoo / Dried Neem Flowers - 2 tsps
- Salt – 1.5 tsps
- Red Chilly - 2
- Cooked Toor Dal water - 1.5 cups
- Water - 1.5 cups 1 cup for tamarind extract
- Rasam powder - 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 strand
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Tamarind Paste - 2 tsps 1 cup of tamarind juice extracted by soaked a small gooseberry sized tamarind
- For tempering
- Toor Dal – 1 tsp
- Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
- Ghee or Oil – 2 tsps
Instructions
- Prep Work: Cooked Toor Dal Water
- I pressure cooked 1/2 cup of toor dal with 4 cups of water and with a pinch of turmeric powder. Before mashing the dal, I drained and saved about 1.5 cups of dal water for this rasam. The mashed dal, of course, went for sambar :-)
- Mix the tamarind paste in 1 cup of water and set aside. If using tamarind, soak in water and extract the juice.
Method
- Take a heavy bottomed vessel or pan in which you are going to prepare the rasam and add the tamarind water + 1/2 cup of water.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, rasam powder, salt, curry leaves and red chilies and mix well.
- Now heat this over medium heat.
- Once it starts to boil, add the dal water and mix well.
- Let it simmer again till forms the froth on top.
- Once the froth forms, turn off the heat.
- In a separate tadka pan, add ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot, add the toor dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the dried neem flowers.
- Roast them for couple of minutes. The neem flowers should brown a bit.
- Now add this to the rasam and mix well.
Notes
- Adjust the rasam powder according to your taste. This is comparatively mild rasam.
- You can add more neem flowers and also add about 1/4 tsp while adding the rasam powder.
- You can also add red chilly while tempering.
- As toor dal plays a major role in providing the protein, you can add mashed dal also. In that case, increase the rasam powder and also dried neem flowers to 3 tsps.
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
That’s it. Yummy and healthy dried neem flower rasam is ready. Serve hot with rice and curry.
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Made this yummy rasam and it was very tasty. Thank you for your delicious and precise ingredient measurements. Tried your horsegram dhal rasam too and was also very tasty and healthy.
Thanks. I m so glad you liked it ?
I have never used neem flowers. Lovely to see all the variations in rasam you have!
Thanks a lot. :-)
You guys have so many variations of rasam na.Lovely
Yeah very true. thanks a lot Sapana.
What an interesting and nutritious rasma with neem flowers. I’ve never tried cooking with neem and this sounds just perfect.
:-) Thanks
Never tried the neem flower other than for Ugadi pachhadi. Your rasam is tempting me to try it especially with all the health benefits.
Thanks Amara. Please do try. :-)
This is new to me..haven’t ever tasted it. Just when i am trying to learn how to make basic rasam…here comes neem, pineapple and wateelon ones.
Hi.. Welcome to my space.. :-) Once you get the hang of the basic one, rest all is simple. All we do is add the purees or some changes in tadka. :-)
Healthy sounding rasam. Never used neem leaves other than for Ugadi Pachadi.
he he.. Neem flowers can be used in rice, rasam and for pachadi also.. :-) Please do try when you get a chance Harini.
This rasam sounds absolutely delicious Vidhya. Need to try..
Thanks Gayathri.
I have never tasted vepam poo rasam before and your recipe is just making me drool :)
Thanks CH :-) Its similar to regular rasam just with the dried neem flowers tadka. Please do try. :-)
Never made use of these leaves, though read about it so much..such a healthy rasam..
Thanks a lot Valli.
I always make rasam, but never knew neem flowers are a great addition. Definitely trying this recipe!
Thanks a lot Nish. Please do try.
I used to fish out neem flowers from even Ugadi pachadi. I have heard about this healthy rasam before but have never cooked it.
Please try suma.. I tastes good along with rasam and you will get acquired to the taste. Thanks
I always to make this rasam and even i have packed a small bag of dried neem flower from India, but to yet to give a try to this rasam,now you are tempting me, have to plan now.
Please do try priya. Its very soothing and yummy.
Neem in rasam sounds new to me, I would be so hesitant trying such thing..mental blocks !..but I am sure this one will be a healthy one.
I agree about the mental blocks. As dried neem flowers are part of our cooking, it us used just liked another ingredient. :-) Please do try when you a get a chance.
Husband loves vepampoo….I had heard about this rasam now will make it soon….
Thanks a lot Bharani. Please do try and let me know how you liked it.
Except in Ugadi pachadi, I never eaten vepa puvvu. Rasam with neem flowers sounds and looks delicious.
Thanks a lot Usha. This is very soothing and comforting.