EASY METHOD OF PREPARING HUNASE KAI RASA

Raw tamarind is called Hunasekai in Kannada. Tamarind pods are brown in colour with a shell like covering. Inside, the seeds are covered by pulp and strands of fibre. The pulp of the young fruit is green and sour. Raw tamarind pulp is used to make Tamarind Tokku (Hunase thokku) and Hunase kai  rasa or extract. Hunase kai rasa is used as base to prepare many types of pickles such as Makali beru/ Swallow root, Mavina kai shunti/ Curcuma amada, Bettada nalli kai/Indian gooseberry and mixed vegetable pickle. The thokku should be prepared when seeds are tender. Hunase rasa  can be prepared when the seeds are hard (but not brown).

Extracting the juice and separating the outer covering, seeds and fiber (Naru) is a tedious process while preparing Hunise kai rasa. The typical procedure followed is to crush tamarind in a pestle and mortar, taking care not to crush the seeds .Then the juice is extracted adding boiled and cooled water. My friend Rajalakshmi taught me a simplified procedure, which I am going to share with you below.

HUNISEKAI RASA

Ingredients required:

 Hunase kai or Raw tamarind  500 grams

Pieces of Bettada nalli kai/ Indian gooseberry, Makali beru/ Swallow root, Mavina kai shunti / Curcuma amada

Byadagi chillies   Sun dried  250 Grams or to taste

Mustard 2 table spoon full

Salt to taste

Asafoetida powder

Oil   4 table spoon

Turmeric powder 1 table spoon

Instructions 

Wash raw tamarind 3 to 4 times with clean water and dry them by spreading on a clean towel. Break each tamarind into 2 pieces by hand, do not use knife. Remove the strings by pulling the same with your hands as much as possible.

Tamarind pieces with fiber

Place the cleaned tamarind in a pressure cooker and add water such that it covers the tamarind. Cook for 5 minutes.

Allow the contents to cool. When you open the lid, you will see that the hard outer layer of tamarind has become loose and separated from its pulp.

COOKED TAMARIND

 Remove the hard shell by separating them slowly without crushing. 

SHELL IS SEPARATED

 Take out the pulp and squeeze and remove the seeds from the pulp. If needed add some more boiled and cooled water.  Mix it with the juice in the pressure cooker. Strain it to remove small bits of fibre and outer shell pieces. Grind red chillies along with mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder in to a smooth powder. To this powder add required amount of tamarind extract and grind it to a smooth paste. You can also use boiled and cooled salt water or vinegar for grinding. Add the chilli paste to the remaining tamarind extract and mix well.

HUNASE KAI RASA

 Heat required amount of oil in a pan for tempering. When the oil is heated, add mustard seeds and asafoetida. Cool it and add to the Hunese kai rasa or tamarind juice.

 Hunase kai rasa is ready!

 It will be very tasty if you mix the rasa with hot rice and Ghee or gingelly oil and eat.

You can add sliced green chillies, green pepper, and pieces of gooseberry, Makali beru , mavina kai shunti.

Mixed vegetable pickle can be prepared by adding pieces of mixed vegetable to this juice.