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Neem flower rasam

Vepam poo rasam (Neem flower rasam)

Published on April 21, 2021 | In | By
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One of the advantages of becoming a food columnist and writer is understanding food from not just the way it tastes or how good it looks but also understanding the science behind the cuisine of a country.

I will be honest. I belong to that generation where we just grabbed every bit of information coming from overseas and stuffed our palates, stomachs with every exotic leaf, berry and grain grown anywhere but here ! I knew very little about the food that grew around me, beyond the usual staples which I grew up eating. The good thing about being habituated to read is of course the learning that happens along the course of the way.

What i came across one day in a magazine article changed my perception towards the Indian diet. I did not know it at that time but my work began leaning more towards an exploration of ingredients and heritage recipes. I must say the findings have not only been fascinating but helped me share the wisdom of the elders in a language which we all find easier to understand (English!)

Neem flower rasam

Neem flower rasam

Getting involved in farming put me in touch with seasonal availability. I am talking about noticing things like Tamarind trees bearing fruit, mango season , when is the best time to eat peas , horse gram and now the neem flower. For the past two years we have been harvesting the neem flower and getting sun dried vadagams (South Indian preserved ready-to-fry crisps) but this year we decided to make optimum use of the vepam poo by making this neem flower rasam everyday for lunch.

The neem flowers are bitter . The properties and compounds in the neem flower help combat against intestinal worms, keep the respiratory tract free from mucous and so many other benefits which aid the immune system to take care of skin issues and other bacterial ailments. Since these flowers are available for only a few weeks in the year,it is advised to consume them during this time so that it helps the body build a resistance. The theory is that once summer is over and the monsoons set in, this reserve of nutrients is what will come to the rescue.

Makes sense doesn’t it ?

Look up a neem tree in your neighbourhood and help yourselves to a few sprigs. I am sharing an article which talks of other recipes for the vepam poo.  The simplest recipe is to fry the neem flowers in ghee with some onions and a few chillies and eat it mixed with hot rice. Try it please !

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/neem-flower-and-how-it-is-used-in-south-indian-cuisine-1786198

 

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Ingredients

  • Neem flowers- 10 sprigs
  • Ghee-1 Tbsp
  • Tamarind- lemon sized ball soaked in 3 C water for 15 minutes
  • Thuvar dhal (pigeon pea lentils)-1 Tbsp
  • Black peppercorns- 1 tsp crushed
  • Jaggery powder- 1 Tbsp
  • Asafoetida- a pinch (if using pure) otherwise 1/4 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds-1/4tsp
  • Dried red chillies-3-4

Instructions

  1. Clean the neem flowers by washing gently and removing from the stalks. Set aside.
  2. In a traditional cast iron or clay pot, add the ghee and set on a low flame. Once the ghee heats up, add the cleaned neem flowers and saute until cooked (a minute)
  3. Take off the fire and set aside the neem flowers in a small vessel.
  4. Put the pot back on a low flame and to the same ghee ,add the asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, yellow lentils, crushed peppercorns and dried red chillies. Saute until golden and fragrant.
  5. Add the tamarind water, cover and let boil until the raw taste of tamarind goes.
  6. Add jaggery and salt and mix well.
  7. Check seasoning.
  8. At the end, add in the cooked neem flowers and take off the hob. Do not let the neem flowers boil in the liquid. This is perfect for a summer lunch with some roasted pappad and any poriyal of choice. We ate it today with a yummy broad beans (avarakkai) poriyal and a beetroot poriyal.

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