Rasam (Dal and Tomato)

Rasam is a tangy-spicy soup mainly served after the main course food. The Rasam is a healthy and nutritious drink, which helps in digestion and also gives a relief to cold because of the ingredients added to it. In one of the places, during winter, I was served Rasam as a welcome drink too, which I truly relished. So the Rasam can be had before food, as well as after food too.







Ingredients:

1. Split red gram/tur dal - 50 grams
2. Thick Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp.
3. Tomatoes - 2 nos medium size
4. Pepper corns - 4 to 5 nos.
5. Cumin seeds/zeera - 1/2 tsp.
6. Red chilly - 1 nos.
7. Sambar powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Curry leaves - 3 to 4 leaves
9. Coriander leaves - handful
10. Garlic - 2 to 3 pods (optional)
11. Oil - 1 tbsp.
12. Mustard seeds
13. Salt to taste

Cooking method:

1. Clean the split red gram/tur dal and add turmeric and tomatoes with 2 cups of water, and pressure cook until tender.

2. Powder the pepper corns and cumin seeds. Crush the garlic pods (can be chopped too finely).

3. Once the split red gram is pressure cooked, mash it with a spatula and add tamarind, salt, sambar powder, cumin and pepper powder, and garlic. Add extra water to drinkable consistency. Do not make it too thick. Keep it aside.

4. Now for tempering, heat oil in deep pan and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves, red chilly (broken into 2 pieces) and pour the liquid mixture into it. Add chopped coriander leaves to it.

5. Cook on medium flame. As soon as the Rasam starts to foam and just before it comes to a boil, turn it off.

* Do not allow the Rasam to over boil as the Rasam might taste bitter.
* After the split red gram is boiled with tomatoes, you can even strain the juice of it for better thin consistency and discard the fibres.
* Instead of tamarind even lemon juice can be added.
* For added taste, you can add a small piece of jaggery and fine thin slices of fresh coconut too.