Bisibela bath - No onion(Marathi Style)

INGREDIENTS: Serves 3 to 4

1. Rice - 2 cups(around 250ml)
2. Toor Dhal - 1 cup
3. Peanuts - 1/2 cup
4. Mix Veg - carrot or beans or peas or potato or chow chow or sweet potato.(any of them can be added in single or in mix) - 1 cup
5. Chickpeas(Optional) - 1/4 cup
6. Tamarind - small gooseberry size
7. Curry leaves,mustard seeds,turmeric powder - for seasoning.
8. Gingelly oil - for seasoning
9. Salt - to taste
10. Small Onions - 15 to 20 peeled and chopped
11. Cloves - 3 pieces to season 
12. Elachi powder(1/4 teaspoon) or Whole elachi - 2 

TO DRY ROAST AND GRIND: 

1. Coconut shredded - 1 tablespoon 
2. Coriander seeds/dhaniya - 1 table spoon 
3. Chana dhal/bengal gram -  1 table spoon
4. Fenugreek/methi seeds/vendayam  - 1 teaspoon
5. Asafoetida cube - 1 small cube (To be roasted with a drop of oil)
6. Seasame seeds/ Ellu - 1 teaspoon
7. Red chillies (Dry) - 8 to 10. 
8. Marati moggu - take 2 inch pieces

METHOD:

1. Boil the peanuts and the veggies together and keep aside.
2. Extract the tamarind water from the tamarind.
3. Put the rice and dhal(after soaking together for 15 minutes or so) together in a pressure cooker and allow 5 to 6 whistles.Add additional cup of water to make the mixture get mashed in the cooker.For 3 cups(2 cups rice and 1 cup dhal) add 6 to 7 cups of water.
4. Dry roast the ingredients given in the section above and grind well.You can use water to grind if needed.
5. Take a pan for seasoning. Add 6 to 7 spoons of gingelly oil and allow the mustard seeds to splutter.Add the cloves and elachi .Add curry leaves and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and few peanuts (optional) and keep this aside.In the same pan roast the small onions and add this to the tamarind water.
6. Once the rice and dhal has been cooked, add the tamarind water,salt needed and stir well. After 5 minutes,add the boiled veggies with peanuts and stir well. After stirring well add the ground paste and mix well.Add water if needed in this stage as the rice will get thicken soon. Keep the flame in low.
7. After the raw smell goes ,add the seasoning prepared in step 5 and bisibela bath is ready to serve.

NOTE: When switching off the stove the rice should be in semi solid state so that it thickens after some time.

Vepampoo Rasam(Neem Flower Rasam)

INGREDIENTS:

• Vepampoo(Dried Neem Flower ) - 2 teaspoons
• Salt - To taste
• Curry leaves - to season
• Mustard seeds - for seasoning
• Dry Red chillies- 3 or 4 
• Tamarind - size of 3 gems(button size)
• Ghee  - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida cube or powder

METHOD:

• Extract the tamarind juice from the tamarind
• Take a seasoning pan and add the ghee. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida cube or powder ,2 red chillies(Break into 2 pieces) , curry leaves and at last add the vepampoo. 
• Remove from flame after adding the vepampoo and keep it aside.
• Take a deep bottomed vessel and add the tamarind juice.Add the salt needed and spilt the red chillies (1 or 2) and allow this mixture to boil well.
• Once the raw smell of the tamarind goes well,remove from flame and add the already seasoned vepampoo.
• I have added this under medicine category since vepampoo kills all the germs in stomach.Having this weekly once will keep your stomach clean.
• NOTE: If the vempampoo is added when the rasam is in stove the rasam will be very bitter.