Paneer Rasam: A warm welcome

It is a tradition in India to welcome our guests by sprinkling Rose Water aka Paneer. When I visited Narasimhan, my dear friend and his wife at Minnesotta I wasn't expecting a Rose Water welcome, but they found another way to incorporate it to make me feel special and leave another lasting impression. But before I tell you how creatively he used Rose Water let me share with you on how various cultures have incorporated them in their cuisines.

The Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine use Rose Water in sweets such as nougat, gumdrops, raahat and baklava. In Iran, it is added to tea, ice cream and cookies and in India and Pakistan, it finds it way as a flavoring agent in lassi and jelabi. In Malaysia and Singapore, it is used to make a sweet drink called Bandung. Rose water is also frequently used as a hala substitute for red wine and other alcohols in cooking. The American and European bakers enjoyed the floral flavoring of rose water in their baking until the 19th century when Vannilla became popular.

Narasimhan is a very creative guy who adapts, incorporates and fuses various local and global elements to build his world. Last Sunday, I made a trip with him to Home Depot and he was on a mission to build an altar at his place for the upcoming festival time and create something similar to what he had back in India. He showed me pictures of his earlier prototypes and I was impressed by his originality and craftsmanship, and had no doubts that this creation would be any less impressive. Trying to choose the right material, and being able to adapt, and quickly alter the material to get the desired output was his forte. 

Sometimes I wonder if he is in the wrong profession, but nevertheless he does everything with at most commitment and conviction. A few years ago, when my mom was away and when we had a religious gathering at home he came over to lend me a helping hand and won the hearts of all the guests (elderly people). 

Last Saturday, when he gave me a choice of menu I was both intrigued and salivating. In fact, I told him not to spend time in the kitchen, and instead go out and find something quick and healthy to eat. 

I was intrigued because his menu for the day was elaborate and salivating since it reminded me of a typical South Indian menu: Small onion vethakozhambu, pudina thogayal (chutney), Paneer rasam, Potato fry, and Chow chow kootu. The hob was busy with a few pans and pots going at the same time and he turned down my offer to be his apprentice. But I poked my head into kitchen to watch and learn a few tips from this uncrowned Tambrahm Chef. And what got me out of my seat and into the kitchen was the Paneer rasam: A pleasant smell with spicy taste.

So, when I asked hi how it is made, he was brief like an expert. He replied, "it is paruppu rasam without Hinge aka Asafetida and add Rose Water at the end like how you make Lemon Rasam. This quick reply is difficult to follow for those who don't know how to make paruppu rasam and lemon rasam. 

Here are the steps:

1. Add tamarind water, a few tomatoes, necessary salt, rasam powder and bring the mixture to boil.

2. Add cooked Toor dal once you catch the waft of boiled rasam powder in the vapor and turn down the flame to medium heat and let the pot simmer for 5-7 mins.

3. Turn off the flame and add Rose Water. Add tempered mustard in ghee and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves to the rasam.

The kitchen and the dinning room was soon filled with the aroma of Rose Water. Isn't this a novel way to welcome your guests than the cliched sprinkling of Rose Water? That weekend I had multiple servings of Panner rasam and I found the aroma and taste to be better on the following day. 

Finding your way to your guest's heart through their stomach is easy if you are an expert. But if you aren't an expert, just copy the recipe, welcome your guests and earn your stars and stripes.