Rasam is a typical South Indian soup. It is warming, helps with digestion, and very nice to take in cold weather. According to Ayurveda its primary taste is astringent which is necessary to end the digestive process in any meal. We should start a meal with the sweet taste and end with the astringent taste.
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lemon sized tamarind (approx 1 tbsp tightly packed seedless tamarind) + ½ cup warm water
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ½ tsp of asafoetida powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp mustard seeds/
- 2-3 dry red chilies, broken and deseeded
- 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Salt as required
To be powdered to a semi coarse consistency:
- 3 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp whole black pepper
- 6-7 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
How to make the recipe:
- soak the tamarind in ½ cup warm water for 20 to 30 mins.
- squeeze the pulp from the soaked tamarind. strain and keep aside.
- in a dry grinder or coffee grinder, powder the cumin seeds, whole black pepper and garlic to a semi fine consistency.
- heat oil in a pan. crackle the mustard seeds first.
- add the curry leaves, red chilies & asafoetida and fry for some seconds till the red chilies deepen their colour.
- temper on a low flame so that the spices don’t burn.
- than add the tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes soften.
- then add the semi coarsely powdered cumin, black pepper and garlic along with turmeric powder.
- stir and then add the tamarind pulp. add water and stir well. season with salt.
- just let the whole Rasam come to a gentle boil uncovered.
- then switch off the fire and add chopped coriander leaves.
- serve Rasam hot, plain or with steamed rice.
