Kitchen Chronicles - Mixed Vegetable Sambar

We make this Sambar on special occasions like Ugadi, Onam and Pongal. For this sambar, we grind fresh masala in the wet grinder.

Masala Ingredients
Toor Dal
Chana Dal
Coriander Seeds
Red Chillies
Fenugreek
Asofoetida
Curry leaves

Vegetables
Drum Stick
Cluster Beans
Snake Gourd
Cooking Banana
Yam/Elephant Foot
White Pumpkin/ Dosakai / Keera Cucumber

Other Ingredients
Toor Dal
Tamarind
Tomato
Small Onion
Salt

Tadka
Coconut oil
Mustard Seeds
Red Chillies
Small Onion
Curry leaves

Qty (Large)
200 gm
200 gm
500 gm
300 gm
50 gm
50 gm
1 bundle


2 kg
2 kg
2 kg
2 kg
2 kg
2 kg



8 kg
1/2 kg
4 kg
4 kg
As required


1/2 kg
100 gm
50 gm
1/4 kg
1/2 bundle

Qty (Four)
30 gm
20 gm
50 gm
8 nos
5 gm
5 gm
1 stem


1
50 gm
50 gm
1
50 gm
50 gm



100 gm
1 lemon size
2
8 nos
As per taste


30 gm
3 gm
5 pc
4 pc
1 stem

First, dry roast all the masala ingredients and grid to paste using little tamarind water. Then, wash, boil, and smash Toor Dal. Soak tamarind in warm water and take the pulp. Cut tomatoes such that each one is cut into 8 pcs. For Tadka, use broken red chillies and finely chopped small onions.

Keep the cooking vessel on the stove, pour tamarind pulp and water. Boil and add turmeric powder (50 grm), salt, asofoetida (50 gm), curry leaves (1/2 bundle). Add vegetables (Drum stick, Yam, Cluster beans, snake gourd, cooking banana). When half cooked, add small onion and tomato. After 5 minutes, add grinded masala, again boil for 5 minutes. Add smashed dal, cook again for 5 minutes.

Keep a small kadai on the stove, pour coconut oil. When oil is smoking hot, add mustard seeds, broken red chilli pcs, chopped small onion and curry leaves. Pour over to the Sambar. Better to cook this sambar by covering with lid.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Sambar Masala

We make six varieties of Sambar at Rishi Valley. We also make our own Sambar Masala. Below are the ingredients we use to make this masala.

Ingredient
Coriander
Red Chillies (Kashmiri/Bedgi)
Black Gram (White) Dal
Toor Dal
Chana Dal
Black Pepper
Fenugreek Seeds
Mustard
Cumin Seeds
Asofoetida (not powder)
Turmeric Powder
Dry Coconut
Curry leaves

Qty (Large)
1 kg
1/2 kg
1/4 kg
150 gm
1/4 kg
150 gm
150 gm
75 gm
150 gm
150 gm
150 gm
1 kg
1 bundle

Dry roast all the ingredients one by one except Turmeric powder. Mix turmeric powder and grind to powder. Keep in a airtight container and use as required.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Dal Rasam

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Ingredient
Toor Dal
Tamarind Juice Pulp
Salt
Rasam Powder
Asafoetida
Curry leaves
Green Coriander
Mustard Seeds
Red Chillies

Qty (Large)
5 kgs
1/2 kg
As required
1/2 kg
25 gms
1 bundle
1 1/2 bundle
50 gms
100 gms

Qty (Four)
75 gms
Lemon size
As per taste
35 gms
3 gms
1 stem
5 stems
3 gm
5 nos

Boil the dal, smash well, add tamarind juice, salt and curry leaves. Boil well for 10 to 15 minutes by adding rasam powder and asafoetida. In a small vessel, give tadka by adding oil, mustard, red chillies and curry leaves. Pour over the boiling rasam. Add chopped green coriander and switch off the stove. Do not forget to cover with lid. Chopped green coriander is an essential item on all rasams for good flavour.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Lemon Rasam

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Ingredient
Moong Dal
Lemon Juice
Green Chillies (sliced)
Ginger (Sliced)
Black Pepper
Mustard Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Asofoetida
Turmeric Powder
Red Chillies
Curry leaves
Green Coriander
Cooking Oil

Qty (Large)
5 kgs
100 nos
300 gms
200 gms
100 gms
50 gms
50 gms
25 gms
30 gms
50 gms
1 Bundle
1 Bundle
1.2 ltr

Qty (Four)
5 gm
2 nos
7 nos
1 small pc
5 gm
3 gm
3 gm
3 gm
3 gm
5 gm
1 stem
3 stems
7 gm

Boil moong dal, smash to paste and keep aside.

Keep cooking vessel on the stove, add oil. In the hot oil, add mustard, red chillies, cumin seeds and pepper. When these crackle, add curry leaves, asofoteda, turmaric powder. Add sliced green chillies and sliced ginger and roast well . Add moong dal paste mixed with warm water. Add salt and boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove, add lemon juice and chopped green coriander. Keep the lid on top.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Mysore Rasam

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Ingredient
Red Chillies
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Black pepper
Toor Dal
Urad Dal
Coconut (grated)
Toor Dal
Turmeric Powder
Salt

Qty (Large)
300 gms
200 gms
150 gms
100 gms
200 gms
200 gms
5 nos
3 kgs
50 gms
As required

Qty (Four)
5 nos
15 gms
10 gms
7 gms
15 gms
15 gms
1/4
50 gms
5 gms
As per taste

Keep a kadai on stove and add a little oil and roast all the first seven ingredients (till grated coconut) to brown color (should not burn). Grind to a fine paste . Wash the mixi/grinder, collect the water and keep.

Now boil Toor Dal, Turmeric powder, and salt and smash to paste .Add the grinded masala with water, mix well and boil with more water for 10 minutes.

In another kadai on the stove, add oil, add mustard, asafoetida powder, red chillies and curry leaves. Pour over the boiling rasam. Switch off the stove add lemon juice and chopped green coriander. Cover with lid.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Tomato & Drumstick Rasam

On school days, we make rasam twice a day (Lunch & Dinner). One will always be Tomato Rasam.

Ingredient
Tomato
Toor Dal
Tamarind
Oil (Rice Bran)
Mustard Seeds
Fenugreek Seeds
Urad Dal
Red Chillies
Curry leaves
Asofoetida
Turmeric Powder
Chilli Powder
Coriander Powder
Rasam Powder
Garlic
Jeera
Pepper
Coriander leaves

Qty (Large)
10 kgs
4 kgs
250 gms
300 gms
200 gms
50 gms
50 gms
50 gms
1 bundle
20 gms
50 gms
200 gms
100 gms
400 gms
100 gms
100 gms
100 gms
1 bundle

Qty (Four)
5 nos
50 gms
20 gms
15 gms
3 gm
2 gm
5 gm
3 no
1 stem
3 gm
3 gm
15 gm
10 gm
20 gm
5 to 6 pc
15 gm
15 gm
3 stakes

Boil tomatoes, allow to cool, smash and keep aside. Boil Toor Dal, smash to paste and keep aside. Add little warm water to tamarind; keep aside for a while and take out the pulp. Dry roast Pepper and Jeera and pound them with Garlic.

Keep cooking vessel on the stove and add oil. Add mustard, fenugreek, Urad Dal, Red Chillies and Curry leaves to the hot oil. When spluttering starts, add pounded mixture followed by turmeric powder, Asafoetida powder, Coriander powder, Red chilli powder and salt. Add smashed tomato liquid, tamarind pulp with water and boil for 10 minutes. Mix rasam powder in warm water and pour over to the boiling rasam. Boil for two more minutes, add chopped coriander leaves, and switch off the stove and cover with lid.

For Drum Stick Rasam, wash, cut long, slice and steam the drumsticks. When it is cool take out the pulp add along with smashed tomato liquid of tomato rasam.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - 10 Rasams at RV

Rasam is one of the most common items in R V Dining Hall menu. We make about ten types of Rasams. Tomato Rasam, Drumstick Rasam, Pepper Rasam, Jeera Rasam, Tamarind Rasam, Pineapple Rasam, Mysore Rasam, Lemon Rasam and Dal Rasam.

We make our own Rasam Powder too.

Ingredient
Coriander Seeds *
Red Chilli *
Cumin Seeds
Black Pepper seeds
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Toor Dal
Bengal Gram
Curry leaves

Qty
1 Kgs
1/2 Kgs
250 gms
75 gms
100 gms
100 gms
250 gms
150 gms
1 bundle

* Coriander seeds are organically grown in RV
* Red Chill variety we use is Kashmiri/Bedgi chillies

Dry roast the above ingredients one by one separately and grind to powder. Keep in an airtight container and use as required.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Pineapple Rasam

Toor Dal - should be cooked and smashed
Tomatoes - finely chopped

Ingredient
Toor Dal
Pineapple
Ginger
Green chillies
Mustard seeds
Tomatoes
Curry leaves
Turmeric Powder
Jeera
Urad Dal
Asafoetida 

Qty (Large)
5 Kgs
15 nos
250 gms
200 gms
100 gms
5 kgs
1 bundle
50 gms
100 gms
100 gms
20 gms

Qty (Four)
100 gms
1 no
1 medium pc
5 nos
5 gms
2 nos
1 stake
3 gms
5 gms
5 gms
3 gms

Clean and remove the total skin of the pineapple. Chop 1/2 portion finely and other 1/2 grind with ginger, green chilli and keep aside.

Keep cooking vessel on the stove , heat oil, add mustard, urad dal, jeera, red chillies, and curry leaves. Add asafoetida and turmeric powder as well. Add chopped tomatoes, roast continuously till oil floats on top. Add Pineapple, green chilli, ginger paste (made earlier and kept aside). Continue roasting, add boiled and smashed toor dal. Add chopped pineapple roast. Add hot water and cook some more time till chopped pineapple is cooked fully. Switch off the stove, add chopped green coriander and cover with lid.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

Kitchen Chronicles - Pepper/Jeera/Tamarind Rasam

Pepper Rasam, Jeera Rasam and Tamarind Rasam are same. Which ever flavour you want, you can add more of it. For pepper rasam, add more pepper, and for Jeera rasam add more jeera, and for Tamirnd rasam, add more tamrind pulp.

Cure Tamarind by keeping in warm water and removing the pulp.

Ingredient
Tamarind
Red Chillies
Pepper *
Jeera *
Garlic
Curry Leaves
Fenugreek
Mustard
Urad Dal
Green Coriander
Asafoetida 
Oil

Qty (Large)
1 Kgs
200 gms
200 gms
150 gms
250 gms
1 bundle
50 gms
100 gms
50 gms
1 bundle
50 gms
1/2 ltr

Qty (Four)
80 gms
5 nos
15 gms
10 gms
1 pond
1 stem
3 gms
5 gms
5 gms
3 stakes
3 gms
15 gms (1 tea spoon)

* Reduce pepper to 150 gm if you are making Jeera or Tamarind rasam
* Increase Jeera to 200 gm if you are making Jeera rasam

Dry roast Pepper and Jeera. Roughly pound Pepper, Jeera and Garlic together.

Keep cooking vessel on the stove, and add oil. When oil is smoking hot, add mustard, fenugreek, Urad dal, Red chillies & Curry leaves. When spluttering starts, add pounded pepper jeera garlic compound and roast. Add Asafoetida powder, tamarind pulp and water, salt. After switching off stove, add chopped green coriander and keep the lid on the top.

Hareendran A K
Dining Hall Manager

RV Matters - 11 February 2020

The seasons are changing and dryness has already set in. Trees have started shedding leaves in anticipation of the coming summer. There is hardly any surface water on campus and wildlife around us are looking for water.

On the last day of January, a little after we had poured water in the birdbath in our small yard (behind Red House), I heard bird song and a flurry of activity at the birdbath. A pair of Oriental Magpie-robins were having a bath, the male keeping a look-out for predators while his mate was enjoying a leisurely dip. A Red-whiskered Bulbul was awaiting its turn on a branch above and chirping. This seems to have irked the male Magpie-robin who hopped to the bulbul and shooed him away! A little later, after the Magpie-robins were done, a house crow drank a few drops of water.

The next afternoon, there was a pair of Cinereous Tits at the birdbath, splashing water all around and enjoying themselves, one at a time. They were quite bold and allowed me to take a few shots with my camera. After their bath, they retreated to a nearby branch to dry themselves and preen their feathers. The Magpie-robins were around but somehow did not object to their presence. Just then the flamboyant male Indian Paradise-flycatcher came into the scene and flew low over the birdbath and had a dip. This was repeated a couple more times before it noticed my presence and moved away.

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I have been observing other birds like the Tailorbirds and the Yellow-billed Babblers moving around in the area. This morning the babblers came looking for water and started complaining when they found the level had fallen below their requirements, prompting me to refill the bath!

Birdwatching does not mean just making a list of birds in an exotic location. It also involves careful observation of bird behaviour and ecology. A birdbath offers excellent scope to study the personalities of individual birds and once used to your presence, they shed their inhibitions and behave naturally. Try this at home this summer. Only ensure the water in the birdbath is not deeper than a couple of inches and its placed on a raised platform (a metre or so from the ground) in shade with plenty of vegetation cover nearby as the birds need time to dry up and cannot fly away from predators immediately after a dip. Also clean the bath regularly so that there are no chances of infection from bird droppings etc. I am sure you will gain a lot of insight of bird behaviour.

Dr Santharam

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