Vern ( Sprouted Moong Bean Rasam/Saaru/ Soup)

Whenever I make muga ghashi at home, I somehow always end up making "vern"."Vern"( pronounced like fern with a "v"), is nothing but rasam/ saaru made by grinding cooked moong beans with coconut and chillies. For those who are unfamiliar with saaru, "saaru " is something liquidy like soup that is traditiobally served as an accompaniment to rice in Southern India. It is actually served over plain rice so that the rice does not have to be eaten dry. There are several varieties of saaru and this is just one of them. I am very fond of Vern and hence save some of the cooked moong beans and peel when I cook it for the muga ghashi and make this flavorful soup.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Cooked moong beans: 1/2 cup
Cooked moong bean peel: 1/2 cup
Grated fresh coconut: 1/2 cup
Red chilli: 2
Tamarind: marble sized if using dry, 1/2 tsp if using pulp.
Jeera( Cumin seeds): 1/4 tsp
Raw rice: 1 tbsp
Haldi( turmeric powder): 1/2 tsp
Green chillies: 2-3, slit lengthwise
Salt: 1 tsp
Water: 1/2 cup + 3 cups

For tempering:

Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Jeera ( Cumin seeds): 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Method:

Grind together freshly grated coconut, tamarind, red chilli,turmeric and 1/4 cup water to a fine paste. When almost done add the cumin seeds and raw rice and grind. When that is done, add in the moong beans , peel and 1/4 cup water and grind to a fine paste.

Pour this paste into a cooking pot. To this add slit green chillies and salt and bring it to a boil. When it comes to a boil, switch off the flame and prepare for tempering.

Tempering:

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a small sauté pan, add the jeera first and then the mustard seeds. When all the mustard seeds crackle, add the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add this to the above pot.

Serve  hot with rice.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Always immediately clean the knife with soap and water after you chop onion/garlic or potatoes. Not doing so will blunt your knife edge faster.

Tip for healthy living:

Regularly massaging your scalp with warm oil can help prevent hair fall. In fact it is supposed to promote hair growth. Make sure you leave the oil in for at least 30 minutes before you wash your hair. Massaging the scalp improves the blood circulation to the scalp. It also supposedly helps relieve headaches.Applying oil to the hair helps condition them and prevents it from being dry which in turn may prevent split-ends.

Food for thought:

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise.Seek what they sought. Matsuo Basho