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5 from 2 votes

Vepampoo Rasam – A Soothing and Comforting Recipe

Discover the unique flavors of vepampoo rasam, a mild and aromatic dish with the goodness of neem flowers. Perfect for a comforting and healthy meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, rice accompaniment
Cuisine: South Indian
Keyword: dried neem flower rasam, vepampoo rasam
Servings: 2
Calories: 127kcal
Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp toor dal
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 3 cups water divided
  • 1 tsp rasam powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 2 dried red chili
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves
  • 2.25 tsp vepampoo / dried neem flowers divided 2 tsp + ¼ tsp

To Temper

  • 1 tbsp ghee; use oil for a vegan version
  • 1 tsp toor dal
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds

Instructions

  • Pressure cook 2 tbsp of toor dal with 1 cup of water, ½ tsp turmeric powder, and a few drops of oil for 3-4 whistles. If using an Instant Pot, cook the dal using the pot-in-pot method for 20 minutes.
    cooking the toor dal
  • Once cooked, let the pressure release naturally, mash the dal, or you can even grind it smoothly like how I did and set it aside.
    grind the cooked toor dal
  • In a heavy-bottomed pot (such as an eeya sombu tin alloy vessel), combine tamarind paste, 2 cups of water, salt, rasam powder, curry leaves, ¼ tsp dried neem flowers, and red chilies (broken into small pieces).
    preparing the rasam base
  • Heat the mixture over medium flame and allow it to simmer. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the mashed dal along with another cup of water.
    adding toor dal and water
  • Let it simmer until frothy. Turn off the heat once the froth forms.
    cooking until frothy
  • In a small pan, heat the ghee. Add toor dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and the remaining dried neem flowers. Sauté until the neem flowers turn slightly brown.
    tempering for the vepampoo rasam
  • Pour the tempered mixture into the rasam and mix well. Serve warm as a soup or with rice, paired with poriyal or kootu.
    adding the tempering to the rasam

Notes

  • Adjust the rasam powder based on your spice preference. This rasam is relatively mild.
  • You can add up to 3 tsp of dried neem flowers for a more intense flavor.
  • The total water requirement for this rasam is 4 cups.
  • If you don't have tamarind paste, soak a gooseberry-sized piece of tamarind in 1 cup of water, extract the juice, and use it in the rasam.
  • I did not add any cilantro as wanted the flavors of neem flowers to shine. 

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1790mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg