Nimmakaya Charu
- 25 min
- medium
- Serves 4
Nimmakaya charu is an Andhra-style rasam with garlic, black pepper, cumin and lemon juice. Medium-spicy, serves 4, ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Oil2 tsp
Mustard Seeds1 tsp
Cumin1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli2 grams
Curry leaves3 grams
Asafoetida0.5 grams
Garlic, Crushed15 grams
Black Peppercorns, Crushed4 grams
Green Chilli, Slit10 grams
Turmeric Powder1 grams
Water, For Cooking750 ml
Salt1¼ tsp
Coriander Leaves, Finely Chopped6 grams
Lemon Juice3 tbsp
Contains: wheat.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 49kcal | 196kcal |
| Protein | 1.1g | 4.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 4.6g | 18g |
| Fat | 3.4g | 14g |
| Fibre | 1g | 4g |
| Sugar | 0.6g | 2.4g |
Method
Wash the green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and lemon. Peel the garlic, then crush it with the black peppercorns and cumin. Slit the green chillies, break the dry red chillies, chop the coriander leaves and squeeze the lemon juice. Keep the lemon juice aside. Pat the curry leaves dry so they do not splutter in hot oil.
Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add mustard seeds and cumin, and let them splutter for 0.5 minute. Add the dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida, and fry for 0.5 minute until the curry leaves stop spluttering.
Add the crushed garlic, pepper and cumin, along with the green chillies and turmeric. Fry on low flame for 1 minute until the raw smell of garlic goes. Pour in the water and add salt.
Boil on medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes until the rasam turns lightly cloudy and the pepper smell comes through. Add the coriander leaves and simmer for 1 minute until they soften.
Switch off the flame and wait for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix well; do not boil after adding lemon juice, or it can turn bitter.
Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve the charu hot with rice.
Before you start
- How long does Nimmakaya Charu take?
- 25 minutes from start to finish. That is 10 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Nimmakaya Charu serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Nimmakaya Charu vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Nimmakaya Charu spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Nimmakaya Charu?
- 2 grams Dry Red Chilli, 3 grams Curry leaves, 0.5 grams Asafoetida, 15 grams Garlic, 4 grams Black Peppercorns, 10 grams Green Chilli, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Nimmakaya Charu?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Nimmakaya Charu?
- About 49 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
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