the taste of kerala ALWAYS FRESH...ALWAYS HOT THE MENU N16 55 Stoke Newington Church St, Stoke Newington, London N16 0AR Tel: 020 7249 0344 www.rasarestaurants.com RASA PRIDES ITSELF ON OFFERING THE VERY BEST IN SOUTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN CUISINE. HERE YOU FIND EXQUISITE RANGE FEAST OF KERALAN HEALTHY DISHES THAT ARE CREATED WITH LOVE AND DEEP RESPECT FOR INGREDIENTS. RASA VEG FEAST £19.99 RASA VEGAN FEAST £22.50 Our team of award winning chefs, are expert at preparing the most exquisite mix of flavours and textures in a Kerala Banquet. Why not let us prepare your own personal feast enabling you to sample a wide range of our dishes. A taste of all our specialities samples from our pre-meal snacks, starters, curry selection, side dishes, rice, breads and a traditional Keralan sweets. Please let us know if you have any particular favourites you would like us to include. pre-meal pickles& £3.95 £2.95 Snacks Chutneys These light and crispy treats are popular in The spicy fresh punctuation of the best Keralian tea shops for "tiffin" (afternoon tea) and Indian food and as important to a South to munch while waiting at the station for the Indian as the food itself. All of our pickles Trivandrum main train. They are best accompanied and chutneys are home made. by our unique selection of home-made chutneys and pickles. A snack tray consisting of: Garlic Pickle Achappam Mango Pickle A flower shaped snack made of rice flour and Lemon Pickle coconut, black sesame seeds and cumin seeds. Capsicum Chutney This snack began life in the Christian homes of Travancore and is now eaten all over Southern Mixed Vegetable Pickle India. Coriander Chutney Pappadavadai Pappadoms dipped in a light batter of rice flour, cumin and sesame seeds and fried to give them extra "crunch and crackle" - these are Pappadoms with a difference. Pappadoms DON'T SERVE Plain crispy snack made of black gram lentils FAST FOOD and rice. WE , Banana Chips WE SERVE Crispy banana chips FRESH FOOD AS FAST AS Murukku Crunchy sticks made from roasted rice flour, WE CAN black sesame seeds and cumin seeds. (v) Vegan (gf) Gluten Free (n) Contain Nuts ALWAYS FRESH...ALWAYS HOT THE MENU I AM IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD Starter Vadais, Bolis and Pakodas are very popular and enjoyed all over South India. When the tea shops start making these, the whole area is suffused with the aroma of curry leaves, fried onions and lentils. This in itself is an irresistible attraction to enter these colourful little village restaurants and taste these delicious snacks. Rasa Idli (v) £ 4.50 Medhu Vadai (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Steamed urad dal (black lentils) cakes Literally translated as "soft silky dumplings". topped with chef's speciality mixed A spongy dumpling in a crunchy case, made vegetable masala. Served with coconut from urad beans and chillies - served with chutney. coconut chutney. Mysore Bonda (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Masala Vadai (v) (gf) £ 4.50 The tea time snack in Kerala, but Vadas are South India's great treats, crunchy, delicious at any time. Potato balls laced deep-fried patties made of mixed lentil batter with fresh ginger, curry leaves, coriander laced with fresh curry leaves, ginger and and black mustard seeds, dipped and green chillies, served with coconut chutney. A fried in chickpea flour batter and crisply favourite tea time snack in the family home. fried. Served with a moist, creamy coconut chutney. Kathrikka (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Banana Boli (n) £ 4.50 Finely sliced pieces of aubergines are dipped in a special batter, blended with coriander and Plantains, like coconut and spices, are an chilli, before frying. Served with a fresh integral part of Kerala cooking. Plantain tomato chutney. slices are dipped in a batter of rice and chickpea flour seasoned with black Bhel Mix (v) £ 4.50 sesame seeds, then crisply fried. Served Famous Bombay roadside snack made of with our specially prepared peanut and fresh crispy chickpeas, bhel, sev, onions ginger sauce. Perfect for children and blended in spicy tamarind juice and freshly people who prefer non-spicy starters. chopped coriander leaves. www.rasarestaurants.com ALWAYS FRESH...ALWAYS HOT THE MENU soups Rasam (v) £4.50 The essence of Kerala - a peppery lentil broth laced with garlic, tomatoes, spices and tamarind. Parippu (v) (gf) £4.50 A soup made from a combination of three different lentils, flavoured with tomato, garlic, coriander and black pepper. Dosas Chilly Onion Rava Dosa (v) £7.95 A large lacy, crispy pancake made of semolina and rice flour batter mixed with ginger, green chillies and cumin seed. Served with sambar (lentil and vegetable sauce), coconut chutney and spicy potato masala. Masala Dosa (v) £7.95 A paper thin pancake made of rice and black gram, folded in half with a filling of spicy potatoes cooked with onions and ginger and served with sambar and coconut chutney. A most popular southern dish. Nair Dosa (v) £7.95 A speciality dosa from Kerala, usually eaten during festivals and celebrations. A rice and black gram flour pancake filled with a mixture of potatoes, beetroot, carrot, onions and ginger. Served with sambar and fresh coconut chutney. Plain Dosa (v) £5.50 A paper-thin pancake made of rice and black gram, sered with Sambar and coconut chutney. Rasa Idli (v) £ 4.50 Medhu Vadai (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Steamed urad dal (black lentils) cakes Literally translated as "soft silky dumplings". topped with chef's speciality mixed A spongy dumpling in a crunchy case, made vegetable masala. Served with coconut from urad beans and chillies - served with chutney. coconut chutney. Mysore Bonda (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Masala Vadai (v) (gf) £ 4.50 The tea time snack in Kerala, but Vadas are South India's great treats, crunchy, delicious at any time. Potato balls laced deep-fried patties made of mixed lentil batter with fresh ginger, curry leaves, coriander laced with fresh curry leaves, ginger and and black mustard seeds, dipped and green chillies, served with coconut chutney. A fried in chickpea flour batter and crisply favourite tea time snack in the family home. fried. Served with a moist, creamy coconut chutney. Kathrikka (v) (gf) £ 4.50 Banana Boli (n) £ 4.50 Finely sliced pieces of aubergines are dipped in a special batter, blended with coriander and Plantains, like coconut and spices, are an chilli, before frying. Served with a fresh integral part of Kerala cooking. Plantain tomato chutney. slices are dipped in a batter of rice and chickpea flour seasoned with black Bhel Mix (v) £ 4.50 sesame seeds, then crisply fried. Served Famous Bombay roadside snack made of with our specially prepared peanut and fresh crispy chickpeas, bhel, sev, onions ginger sauce. Perfect for children and blended in spicy tamarind juice and freshly people who prefer non-spicy starters. chopped coriander leaves. MAIN Dishes Chef Special IT DOES NOT Organic seasonal dish £6.95 MATTER HOW ( Available only on friday,saturday & sunday ) SLOWLY Fragrant explosion of taste on a plate, the YOU GO, AS LONG AS irresistible taste of seasonal curry sure to THE leave you asking for more!!!! DISHES ARE Thakkali Curry (gf) £5.95 YOU EAT A fresh and tangy dish made of fresh tomatoes, cooked in yoghurt with fresh ginger, TASTY onions, spices and coriander. Avial (gf) £5.95 This famous Keralian dish is the ultimate for feasts and celebrations. Potatoes, carrots, beans, green bananas and drum sticks (discard the fibrous outer part and enjoy its fleshy centre), steamed in turmeric water, and mixed with fresh coconut, chillies and home made yoghurt. Beet Cheera Pachadi (v)(gf) £5.95 An amazingly vibrant dish, traditionally only served at wedding feasts. Fresh beetroot and Rasa Vangi (v)(gf) £ 5.95 spinach are blended together in a yoghurt Aubergines cooked in a thick tomato and sauce with roasted coconut, mustard seeds onion sauce, flavoured with curry leaves, and curry leaves - a must for the adventurous. chilli and coriander. Rasa Kayi (v)(gf) £5.95 Nadan Paripu (v)(gf) £ 5.95 A mixed vegetable speciality from the A Kerala lentil curry made of washed mung Southern State of Karnataka. A spicy curry beans and split yellow lentils with tomato, made of beans, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes chillies and garlic. and simmered in a sauce of garlic, ginger and Paneer Cheera Curry (gf) £ 5.95 fennel. Home made Paneer (curd cheese) and Bagar Baingan (gf)(n) £5.95 spinach cooked with garlic, peppers and A Hyderabad recipe of aubergines cooked in a tomato in a creamy sauce. Goes well with ground paste of roasted onions, coriander lemon rice. seeds, chillies and tamarind, mixed with Moru Kachiathu £5.95 yoghurt and cashew nut sauce. An unusual combination of sweet mangoes Cheera Parippu Curry (v)(gf) £5.95 and green bananas cooked in yoghurt with Fresh spinach and toor dal cooked in a thick green chillies, ginger and fresh curry leaves. sauce of garlic, tomatoes and green peppers, A sweet and sour dish that is highly flavoured with curry leaves. recommended. www.rasarestaurants.com ALWAYS FRESH...ALWAYS HOT Side Dishes THE MENU Savoy Cabbage - Stir Fried (v)(gf) £4.95 Thoran, an essential dish at every Kerala feast, can be made from a variety of vegetables. This one is made from chopped cabbage, lentils stir fried together with onion, fresh coconut and mustard seeds. Spinach & Potatoes (v)(gf) £4.95 Nutritious keralan side dish with the combination of spinach, potatoes and spices. Black eye beans curry (v)(gf) £4.95 Black eye beans stir fried together with onions, coconut, mustard seeds, dry chillies and curry leaves.