Tomato and Garlic Rasam

Rasam is a traditional soup from South India. It is made with tamarind pulp / extract , tomatoes, cumin seeds, black peppercorns. It is eaten with steamed rice or drink it just like soup. It is spicy, tangy and tasty. There are many variations to the basic rasam  - tomato rasam, garlic rasam , pineapple rasam, lentils rasam, pepper rasam, jeera rasam depending upon the main ingredient used. 

 

 

Ingredients

• Tamarind about a large lemon sized ball or 2 tablespoon full of tamarind
• 1 Large ripe tomato
• 2 Tablespoon chopped Cilantro leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• 5 Curry Leaves
• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 big pinch of Hing / Asafoetida
• Salt to taste

For Grinding

• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper corns

For Dry Roasting and Grinding

• 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
• 2 Dry Red Chillies ( Adjust according to your taste. The rasam I made is for my kids and hence I added only 2 red chillies. You can add 4 red chillies if you like it spicy  )
• 1/4 Teaspoon Channa Dal
• 1/4 Teaspoon Toor Dal

Directions

 

                           

 

1.  Prepare Dry Roast powder : In a pan over low heat, add toor dal , channa dal and dry roast without oil until the dals are golden. Remove the dal from pan and add it to a spice grinder / small jar of your mixie / mixer grinder . Set aside

2. In the same pan, add coriander seeds and dry roast until you smell nice
aroma of the coriander seeds or until they start changing color. Do not burn coriander seeds. Roast on low flame

3. Remove coriander seeds and add it to the spice grinder

4. Now add red chillies to the pan and dry roast quickly for few seconds. Switch off flame. Add the red chillies to the spice grinder

5. Let all the ingredients inside the spice grinder cool completely. Grind it to fine powder once cooled. Set aside

6. Add garlic , cumin seeds, black peppercorns to the spice grinder and grind to to coarse paste

                             

                              

7.  Soak tamarind in 1/2 Cup Warm water for 10 minutes

                                     


8. Extract tamarind pulp /juice by squeezing the tamarind with your fist in warm water. Discard the tamarind and retain only the juice
9. In the tamarind juice add tomatoes and squeeze tomato / crush with your fingers/ fist. This will help retain tomato seeds and juice in the tamarind juice. Alternatively you can chop tomatoes finely and add it to tamarind juice
                                
                                   


10. Add chopped cilantro leaves to the tomato tamarind juice and set aside

                                   


11. In a wok/ pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. I use sesame seed oil for making rasam. You can use vegetable oil too. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves

12. When the curry leaves splutter, switch off the flame and add turmeric powder, hing and the garlic cumin , pepper paste we prepared at step number 6. Give it a nice stir

13. Switch on the flame and keep it on low. Fry until the raw smell of garlic goes. Then Add the roasted masala (coriander seeds, red chilli, channa dal, toor dal powder ) we prepared at step number 5 to the oil and roast it for few seconds

14. Finally add the tamarind juice we prepared along with tomatoes and cilantro leaves to the pan and add 2 cups of water, salt

15. Increase the flame to medium and Bring it to boil. Check for salt and adjust

16. Once it starts boiling, simmer for 5 minutes and switch off the flame

17. Serve hot with steamed rice or drink it plain