I made pineapple rasam today for lunch. I got this sudden desire to make Rasa vadai as I had some left over vadai batter in the fridge. Rasa vadai is not as popular as sambar vadai and Thair vadai. But it’s one of my most favourite. It’s delicious and more lighter than the other two.

Hot, soft vadai soaked in sweet, sour and spicy pineapple rasam was really very delicious:)

Ingredients

For the Vadai
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Whole urad dal – 1 cup
Cashew nuts – 6-7
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Hing( asafoetida/ perungayam) – 1/4th tsp

Oil – as much required for deep frying

For the Pineapple rasam
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Ingredients

Chopped pineapple – 1 cup
Chopped tomato – 1/2 cup
Tamarind – plum sized
Rasam powder- 2 tsps
Cooked tuvar dal- 1/2 cup
Ghee- 1 tsp
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Jeera ( cumin seeds)- 1/2 tsp
Hing ( asafoetida)- a pinch
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Crushed pepper- 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp

Method

To make the Vadai
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Wash and soak the urad dal for 2 hours.
Drain the water completely. Add cashew nuts to the soaked dal and grind to a smooth batter adding only required amount of water. Add the water little by little while grinding.
Add salt, hing and cumin seeds and mix well.

Heat oil in a deep pan. Make small vadais and deep fry on a medium flame it becomes crisp and golden.

To make the Pineapple Rasam
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Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 30 mins.
Squeeze well and take the extract.
Grind 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple to a smooth puree.
Mash the cooked tuvar dal well.
To the tamarind extract add chopped tomatoes, 1/4th cup of chopped pineapple, turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt to taste.

Let it boil on a medium flame well till the raw smell of tamarind goes ( will take approximately 10- 12 mins).
Now add the mashed dal, pineapple puree and 2 cups of water. Mix well and check for seasonings.

Let it simmer till it starts frothing. Do not let it boil.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering add jeera, hing, crushed pepper and chopped pineapple and sauté for few seconds.

Add the tempering to the rasam, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

To make the Rasa Vadai
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Add drinking water in a big bowl. Immerse the vadai in the water for few mins (2-3).

Take the vadai out and squeeze it gently.

Arrange it on a serving bowl. Pour hot rasam on top, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot:)