Page 119 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024

RASAM | 'TIS THE SEASON

The Revitalising Rasam

A wiz at making rasams, of such a variety, that it
boggles the mind. Subrata Rajaram has graciously
shared her recipes with us, perfect to warm your soul
this monsoon season

Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor

eet Subrata Rajaram, a are the avid and discerning UpperCrust
Matunga resident and a proud reader, will recall we featured in Come
MSouth Indian from a wealthy Into My Kitchen two issues ago, which had
zamindari family of Govindapuram, a Shashi Tharoor on the cover. It was when
cosy, little village near Kumbakonam I was interviewing Preethi then, that I
which you approach after a six-hour drive had learnt her mum was a wiz at making
from Madras. She was just 21 years old rasams, that she had under her sleeve,
when she got married and came to live in dozens of rasam recipes.
Bombay which, more than 50 years ago, I had decided in an instant that we
was akin to someone from a small village would run a feature on rasams during the
in India going to settle in New York. “I monsoon quarter of the UpperCrust issue
did not know anyone here. I did not know and here we are now!
Hindi or even English. I had never been It is a pleasure meeting people from
out of my village. The customs here, the the era that Subrata Rajaram belongs
food, the way of living were so different. I to. Old-world, hard-working, principled,
survived only because my neighbourhood honest, and so real. No fuss, no frill.
was the friendly Matunga. It did feel a When Preethi told her amma,
bit like home.” She communicates to me UpperCrust wanted her to make some
through her daughter, Preethi, who if you rasams for them, her instant reaction was,

Originally pepper
water − millaga
thani, pepper garlic
rasam was made
by workers in the
Madras Club. Local
Britishers discovered
it and tweaked it to
include lentils and
went ahead to call it
Mulligatawny Soup!

Recipe in Editor's
Choice on Pg 15

Subrata Rajaram has everything a home-
maker needs to make traditional rasams
which includes eeya vessels and mortar and
pestles

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