We are so delighted to share here an incredibly thoughtful, healthy and delicious recipe created by acclaimed chef and cookbook author, Chef Preeti Mistry.
The backstory: I was fortunate to have met Preeti through a friend of a friend, Moira Hanes of Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well, a few months back. We were in touch and planned a Furthermore Supper Club featuring an absolutely mouth-watering menu created by Chef Preeti.
In the interim, I had been in ongoing discussions with my friend, Anna Hammond, whom I had met (through a friend, naturally) a number of years ago. Anna has been a big supporter of Furthermore Ventures, and we are huge fans of Anna and all that Matriark Foods is doing to create a healthier, more equitable world.
With inspiration from these new and old friends and such positive forces in the world of real food, we decided to feature both Anna and Chef Preeti in the first Furthermore newsletter earlier this month. In addition to taking the time to be interviewed for the newsletter, Chef Preeti also happily agreed to create a recipe using one of Anna’s Matriark sauces.
Just have a look…in true Chef Preeti fashion – this recipe and dish is pure “WOW!” I have made a number of Indian dishes in the past and enjoyed numerous culinary rich trips to India, but it’s been awhile since I experimented in the kitchen with Indian cooking and certainly too long since my last trip to India. Excited to try something new with my Matriark sauces…and what I know will be so satisfying!
Grateful for women like Moira, Preeti and Anna who show up loud and clear in support of one another and the broader community of underrepresented leaders in food. The connections that this growing Furthermore community have fostered have been so rewarding and inspiring.
With gratitude and excitement for what’s to come.
Happy cooking!
A note from Chef Preeti
Makes 4-6 servings
This warming spicy rasam is made even easier with Matriark Arrabiata Sauce as the base. I like to serve it with a fermented rice and lentil pancake called uttapam. The uttapam can be made plain or in this recipe with shallots, cheese and cilantro. Feel free to experiment with your own additions of herbs or finely chopped veggies. And if you don’t have the time to make the uttapam, the rasam is just as delicious with toast or a scoop of rice.
Tomato Rasam
- 1 box Matriark Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
- ¼ cup Rice Oil
- 6-10 Fresh Curry Leaves
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- ¼ tsp Black Mustard Seeds
- 2 TBS Sambar masala (My Spicewalla tin or another variety from your Indian grocery store)
- 1 TBS Tamarind Paste
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Method
- Mix Pasta sauce with 1 cup cold water
- Heat oil to medium in large pan/pot
- Add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds & mustard seeds
- When spices start to sizzle add sambar masala & turmeric
- Stir to fully incorporate spices, do not burn
- Pour on tomato pulp/liquid & bring to a boil
- Add Tamarind paste and simmer on low for about 5 minutes
- Season with salt to taste
Vagar
Note: Vagar in Indian cooking is a method of pan frying spices before adding them to your dish.
- ¼ cup Rice oil
- 10-15 fresh Curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp Nigella Seeds or Black Mustard Seeds
Method
- Heat oil on medium in small saute pan
- Add curry leaves & seeds
- Remove from heat when leaves & seeds start to pop
- Drizzle on hot soup or set aside to garnish individual bowls
Uttapam Batter
Makes 2 quarts (reserve excess in fridge or freezer)
- 1 cup Urad Dal (washed white dal)
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 3 cups Idli Rice
Method
- Soak Urad dal & fenugreek Seeds in cold water (at least 12 hours)
- Soak idli rice in cold water (at least 12 hours)
- Grind dal & rice separately in a blender
- Combine purees in one container and stir with your clean bare hand
- Let batter sit in warm place (at least 12 hours, ideally overnight)
- Batter will rise almost to double its size
Cheesy Uttapam
- 2 cups Uttapam Batter
- 1 TBS salt
- 1 cup grated Jack cheese
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 TBS rice oil
- Season batter with salt and set at room temp for at least 15 minutes
- Heat griddle or nonstick pan to medium heat
- Add oil to bring up to heat
- Pour small pancakes on griddle about 2” diameter
- Sprinkle pancakes with cheese, shallots & cilantro
- When crisp and browned lightly on the bottom, flip the pancakes
- Cook on cheesy side until crisp & browned
To Assemble:
- Arrange pancakes on each plate
- Pour soup around pancakes
- Drizzle with curry leaf oil & cilantro leaves
Share your thoughts and photos
We would love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Share your comments below.
Share your Tomato Rasam photos, tagging Chef Preeti Mistry @chefpmistry, Matriark Foods @matriarkfoods and Furthermore Ventures @letsgofurthermore
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Preeti Mistry
Chef Preeti was twice nominated by the James Beard Foundation as the Best Chef of the West and ran the kitchens at both the deYoung Museum and at Google’s HQ.
Anna Hammond
Anna Hammond and Matriark Foods is on a mission to reduce greenhouse gases, expand access to healthy food, and increase deliciousness.