Vepampoo Rasam | Vepam Poo Rasam | Dried Neem Flower Rasam | Rasam Recipe with step-by-step pictures and video. Watch the video for Vepampoo Rasam and subscribe to the channel if you like it.
Vepampoo Rasam is a light, flavorful rasam made with dried neem flowers that supports digestion. It is a traditional postpartum dish for new mothers and is also prepared for Tamil Puthandu.
I seldom used dry neem flower in my everyday cooking, reserving it for dishes like vepampoo pachadi on Varusha Pirappu. After my first son was born, my mother included neem flower dishes often in postpartum meals. She also made vepampoo rice and once prepared vepampoo rasam without telling me the ingredient. To my surprise it tasted good and she hadn’t added sugar or jaggery to balance the bitterness.
When my mother visited for my daughter’s delivery she brought dried neem flower along with other ingredients like manathakali and sundakkai. She frequently made dishes such as poondu rasam, jeera rasam, milagu kuzhambu and karuveppilai kuzhambu during that time. After that day, vepampoo rasam became one of my regular postpartum favorites. Recently I used a fresh batch of dried neem flowers to prepare this rasam and decided to share the recipe.
The key to a balanced vepampoo rasam is not overcooking the neem flower. With just a few ingredients, this rasam can be ready in under 15 minutes and remains gentle on the stomach.
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Vepampoo Rasam | Dry Neem Flower Rasam
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Ingredients
- Vepampoo | Dry Neem flower – 1/2 tbsp
- Tamarind – 4 grams
- Green Chilli – 1
- Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
- Hing – generous pinch
- Salt – as required
- Ghee – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Hot Water – 1 cup + 3/4 cup
- Coriander leaves and curry leaves – few
To temper
- Cumin seed – 1/2 tsp
- Mustard seed – 1/4 tsp
- Kashmiri Red Chilli – 1 (deseeded)
Instructions
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In a heavy-bottomed vessel, add tamarind, hot water, turmeric powder, salt, hing and green chilli.
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Let the tamarind soak in the hot water for about 10 minutes.
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When the water is warm, squeeze the tamarind well and discard the hard portions and seeds.
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Add coriander leaves and curry leaves to the tamarind water.
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Bring to a medium boil. When the rasam begins to froth, cook for 30 seconds and switch off the heat.
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Transfer the rasam to a lidded container to retain the aroma.
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In a small pan, heat 1 tsp ghee. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the deseeded red chilli. When they crackle, pour the tempering into the rasam.
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In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp ghee and the dry neem flower. Sauté briefly until the neem flowers are lightly roasted — do this quickly to avoid bitterness. Switch off immediately.
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Add the roasted neem flowers to the rasam, close the lid, and let it rest for 15–20 minutes so the flavors meld. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Avoid overcooking the neem flowers or the rasam may taste bitter.
- If you prefer, add a pinch of sugar or jaggery to mellow the flavor.
- If the rasam cools down, warm it gently. Do not boil it again; instead place the lidded container in hot water to reheat.
- Adjust the green chilli to suit your spice preference.
- Garlic or ginger can be added if desired.
- If tamarind pulp is cleaned of seeds and hard bits beforehand, you can use all of it without discarding.
Ingredients:
Vepampoo | Dry Neem flower – 1/2 tbsp
Tamarind – 4 grams
Green Chilli – 1
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Hing – generous pinch
Salt – as required
Ghee – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Hot Water – 1 cup + 3/4 cup
Coriander leaves and curry leaves – few
To temper
Cumin seed – 1/2 tsp
Mustard seed – 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli – 1, deseeded
Step-by-step summary:
- Soak tamarind in hot water with turmeric, salt, hing and a green chilli.
- After about 10 minutes, squeeze and discard any hard bits or seeds.
- Add coriander and curry leaves, then bring to a medium boil until the rasam froths. Cook 30 seconds and switch off.
- Transfer to a lidded container to retain heat.
- Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan and temper mustard, cumin and red chilli. Add this to the rasam.
- In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp ghee and quickly sauté the dry neem flowers until lightly roasted. Do not overcook. Add to the rasam, close the lid and rest 15–20 minutes before serving.