Category: Appetizers & Snacks, Soups & Dal, Vegetarian Recipes
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Difficulty: Easy
Rasam is a kind of South Indian soup, usually eaten with rice. There are many types of rasam. Black peppers and tamarind are a key ingredient to rasam. It can be made without lentils, with lentils, with tomato, lemon, tamarind etc. Rasam is called “saaru” in Karnataka. In Gujarat, where I grew up, we ate dal and kathol but in Karnataka, it’s rasma and sambar on the menu everyday. That’s cultural difference -starts with food basics! Mysore rasam has a slightly thicker consistency and has more protein as it is made with a little lentils.
Ingredients
- For Seasoning
Instructions
- Wash tuvar dal and put it in a pressure cooker. Add tomatoes cut into quarters, turmeric and a cup of water. Close lid and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Once cool, open cooker and remove the tomato skins (will come off easily). Now mash the contents with the back of a spoon opr blender.
- Add a little shredded coconut, rasam powder, tamarind paste, jaggery/sugar and chopped coriander. Mix well and add about 3 more cups of water to this. Bring this to a rapid boil and then simmer on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the seasoning, melt ghee a small pan and add mustard. When the seeds crackle, turn off the heat and add curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Pour this into the simmering rasam, mix well and switch off.
- Rasam can be served as a spicy appetizer (good for colds and coughs) or with rice with a dollop of ghee.