Ras and Gude/रस और गूदे (Uttarankand's Thick Black Soup and savory Of Whole Pulses)

Ras with Rice and Gude

Ras

 Ras in Hindi as well in Kumaoni language means juice. No other name could have been better than Ras which is a thick black color soup made from the mixture of whole pulses available in Uttarankahand in some parts (Pithoragarh) it is called Chudkani. The high light of this savory are the black and brown flat grams available in Kumaon.  These are known by the name of Bhatt (Black) and Gahat (Brown/ reddish brown). Gahat is available in Maharashtra also and is called Hulga. Since Ras has lots of different whole pulses thus it has almost all type of proteins required by us as it is cooked in Iron wok thus rich in iron also. Ghee (Clarified butter) is used to prepare the seasoning which adds the great flavor to Ras. The Boiled dal mixture is used to make dry savory as a side dish and is called Gude.In Kumaon Ras is taken with simple plain boiled rice along with lai/Palak sabji and Mooli, Bhanga (A seeds used as spice in Kumaon) ki chutney. It is winter special and Kumaon is cold in summers and coldest in winter so there it is made throughout the year.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Servings: 8 Large Servings

Ingredients Required For Making Ras: (Measurements are of a tea cup having 120 ml. volumes)

• 1 cup Bhatt (Flat Black Beans). Also known as black Soya bean

Bhatt (Black Beans)

• 1 1/2Cup  Gahat (Brown Beans/Kultha/ Vicia faba equina)

Gahat (Hulga/Kultha) Vicia faba equina

• 1/2Cup Bengal gram

Kala Chana(Bengal Gram)

• 1/2Cup Chick Peas (Chole)

Chick Peas (Chole)

• 1/2Cup Rajma (Any variety)

Rajma

• 1 Cup Kali Urd (Sabut Urd/Whole Urd)

• 2-3 cm. Piece of Cinnamon

• 4-5 Cloves

• 15-20 ml. Ghee

• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 3-4 Whole Red Chilies

• 1 Teaspoon Jambu (Optional)

Jambu

• 1 Pinch Hing (Asafoetida)

• Salt to taste

• 2 Teaspoon Garam Masala

Directions For Making Ras (Cudkani):

• Clean all whole grams nicely and mix them.

Mixture of Whole Pulses(Sabut Dal) for Ras

• Wash the mixture of dals till clear water comes out.

• In a pressure cooker take

• Washed mixture of dals

• 500-600 Lt. Water

•  Lawang (Cloves)

• Piece of Cinnamon

• 2 Tea spoon Salt

• 1 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• Close the lid and heat on high flame till pressure builds in the cooker. Bring the heat to low and cook for 40-45 minutes.

• Switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool.

• Open the cooled cooker and sieve the cooked contents through a sieve.

• Take all cooked solid and add 200 ml. water stir and sieve the liquid again.

• Repeat the process again. Mix all the three filtrates and put it in a big Iron wok.

Liquid Filtered from Boiled Dal Mixture

Boiled Dal Mixture After Sieving the Liquid

• Keep the iron wok with stock (Filtrate) on high heat till it starts boiling. Lower the heat and let it simmer till it reduces to half. The soup color will turn from brown to black. 

Filtrate (Liquid after filtering the boiled dal Mixture Boiling

• Add garam masala and cook for 5 minutes.

Garam masala Added to Black thick filterate

•  Add salt according to the taste.

•  In a Pan take 20-25 ml. ghee and heat it. When the ghee is smoking hot lower the flame and In the order written below add

• Cumin seeds

• Red Chilies

• Jambu

• Hing

Tadka (Seasoning for Ras)

• The seeds will become brown and splutter and wonderful odor of spices will start coming with in 30 second of cooking. Immediately add the seasoning to the contents in the wok.

Ras ready to be served

• Cover and let the flavor of seasoning seep to the Ras.

Ras

Directions For Mkaing Gude:

• The boiled dal mixture is used to make Gude.

• In a cooking vessel take mustard oil and heat it.

• When the oil is hot add 

• 1Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 1Tea spoon Mustard Seeds

• 4-5 Whole Red Chilies

• Pinch of Asefoetida

• The seeds will splutter and chilies will become dark in color , lower the flame and add the boiled dal mixture and mix nicely.
• Add 
• Salt to taste

• 1 Tea spoon Amchur

• 1Tea spoon Red chili powder and mix nicely.

• Cover and cook for 10-15 min. with occasional stirring.

• Gude are ready.

• Serve Gude with Ras-Bhat (Rice) as side dish with a wedge of lemon.

• Gude can be had as chat/snack with some finely cut onion,cilantro and lemon juice mixed with it.

Gude

• Serve piping hot Ras with Rice, And any green vegetable, Gude, Slices of Mooli (radish) or it can be had as soup also.

• A dollop of Ghee on the top of Ras does wonder.

Tips:

• Gahat should always be more than Bhatt. You can increase the ratio of Gahat: Bhatt to 2:1.

• While serving 1 teaspoon of ghee can be added to Ras. It does wonders to taste and flavor.

• If your wok is small then you can boil some amount of filtrate from boiled whole first and when its volume reduces then keep adding more till all is cooked in wok and reduced to half.

• Garnishing of Ras with finely cut cilantro enhances the flavor of Ras.

• Many people add rice/wheat/flour to thicken Ras I prefer taking more dal mixture and boiling it to absolute softness then boiling the extract of the boiled dal till it comes to the thick consistency of my requirement.

• Adding flour changes the taste the idea is to have good Ras not to save Dal (Whole pulses mixture).

• Do not add Tur/Masoor/Moong/Chana dal to Ras.

Suggested Variations:

• Now a day’s most of the people do not have Iron wok. Even if the Extract of boiled dal mixture is cooked in any other wok than iron wok the color will become blackish-brown and taste will not be too different than the original taste.

• If you do not have iron wok then to bring the taste of Ras as near to original as possible you can put two three big iron (Not steal nails or pins) nails after washing them well and packing them in a piece of cloth to dal extract while it is boiling in wok then removing them before seasoning (Tadka). (Big nails will be removed without difficulty. Never put small nails).

• Finely cut onion and garlic can be sauteed till light brown and this seasoning can be added to Ras. My experience is that Ras should be given Tadaka of the spices I have mentioned in the recipe even if you do not have Jambu it does not matter. 
• Gude can be had without tempering or seasoning. 2 teaspoon of mustard oil and some amchur (Dry raw mango powder), green chilies, cilantro added to the boiled dal left after the extract is removed tastes classic.