Vepampoo Rasam – A Soothing and Comforting Recipe

This mild and aromatic dried neem flower (vepampoo) rasam is both soothing and comforting, with a step-by-step guide to help you prepare it effortlessly. Unlike traditional spicy rasams, this one is gentle on the palate while retaining the goodness of neem flowers.

Why neem flowers?

Dried neem flowers, known for their numerous health benefits, add a subtle bitterness without overpowering the dish. This rasam closely resembles paruppu rasam but contains less toor dal and rasam powder. A portion of the neem flowers is simmered with the rasam, while the rest is used during tempering, enhancing its flavor without making it too bitter. You may notice a mild bitterness when biting into the flowers, but it blends well with the dish. This rasam can be enjoyed as a soup or paired with rice.

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The wonder of neem

Neem is often called an “Akshaya Patra” (inexhaustible source) of medicinal benefits. Different parts of the neem tree—including its leaves, flowers, and seeds—have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. As highlighted by discoverneem.com, “About 75% of Ayurvedic remedies contain neem in some form! In India, the neem tree is fondly referred to as ‘the village pharmacy’ due to its extensive healing properties.”

I completely agree! Growing up, I regularly consumed tender neem leaves, which help cleanse the stomach. Neem twigs were traditionally used as toothbrushes, while neem leaves were ground into pastes for skin care and hair care. And neem oil, known for its cooling properties, is also used to relieve stomach ailments.

Neem flowers, in particular, are valued for aiding digestion. I always keep a stock of dried neem flowers on hand and recently brought back two large packs from India. Since they have a long shelf life, they are an excellent pantry staple.

Ingredients required

For the rasam base, you will need toor dal and water for cooking the dal and more. Along with that, we need tamarind paste, rasam powder, turmeric powder, salt, dried red chilies, and curry leaves. We also need 2¼ teaspoons of dried neem flowers (divided: 2 teaspoons for simmering and ¼ teaspoon for the base).
For tempering, we need oil or ghee and mustard seeds, toor dal, cumin seeds, and neem flowers.
Please check the recipe card for exact measurements.

Variations

This rasam can be prepared without rasam powder, and there are multiple variations of the recipe. The famous Cook and See book by Meenakshi Ammal describes three different ways to make it. Today, I’m sharing my family’s version, passed down from my mother. It has just the right balance of bitterness while highlighting the unique flavor of neem flowers. This rasam is perfect for cold weather and also serves as a quick home remedy for stomach ailments. If you’d like, you can enhance the flavor by adding a couple of crushed garlic cloves.

Dietary specifications

This vepampoo rasam is,

• Vegetarian ✅
• Vegan-Friendly ✅ (Use oil instead of ghee for tempering)
• Gluten-Free ✅ (Does not contain any gluten-based ingredients)
• Dairy-Free ✅ (When made with oil instead of ghee)
• Nut-Free ✅ (No nuts or nut-based ingredients)
• Low-Calorie ✅ (Light and easy to digest)
• High in Digestive Benefits ✅ (Neem flowers aid digestion and have antibacterial properties)
• Anti-Inflammatory ✅ (Contains turmeric and neem, known for their medicinal properties)

You can refrigerate this rasam for upto 3 days and I have never tried freezing the rasam.

How to make vepampoo rasam

• Pressure cook 2 tbsp of toor dal with 1 cup of water, ½ tsp turmeric powder, and a few drops of oil for 3-4 whistles. If using an Instant Pot, cook the dal using the pot-in-pot method for 20 minutes.

• Once cooked, let the pressure release naturally, mash the dal, or you can even grind it smoothly like how I did and set it aside.

• In a heavy-bottomed pot (such as an eeya sombu tin alloy vessel), combine tamarind paste, 2 cups of water, salt, rasam powder, curry leaves, ¼ tsp dried neem flowers, and red chilies (broken into small pieces).

• Heat the mixture over medium flame and allow it to simmer. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the mashed dal along with another cup of water.

• Let it simmer until frothy. Turn off the heat once the froth forms.

• In a small pan, heat the ghee. Add toor dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and the remaining dried neem flowers. Sauté until the neem flowers turn slightly brown.

• Pour the tempered mixture into the rasam and mix well. Serve warm as a soup or with rice, paired with poriyal or kootu.

Recipe notes

• Adjust the rasam powder based on your spice preference. This rasam is relatively mild.
• You can add up to 3 tsp of dried neem flowers for a more intense flavor.
• The total water requirement for this rasam is 4 cups.
• If you don’t have tamarind paste, soak a gooseberry-sized piece of tamarind in 1 cup of water, extract the juice, and use it in the rasam.
• I did not add any cilantro as wanted the flavors of neem flowers to shine. 

Enjoy this nutritious and comforting vepampoo rasam!

More rasam recipes

If you love rasam recipes, then give these recipes a try; I am sure you will love them.

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📖 Recipe

Originally posted in 2016, this recipe has now been updated with a recipe card, fresh images, and nutritional details.