Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a South Indian soup prepared with tamarind water and spices. This aromatic and healthy soup is native to South India & very light. Rasam making wasn’t very impressive during the first few times. After many trials & numerous tries to replicate the flavor that my mom made, I am yet to master the perfect ‘rasam’ but I think I am almost there. I always look forward to drinking rasam than eating with rice. Each home has its own version of rasam. Today’s recipe is the very basic rasam using Tomatoes & garlic. It is served with rice & papadams.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup toor dal/yellow split dal (pressure cook well)
11/2 large tomatoes chopped
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2tsp Rasam powder
1tsp tamarind extract (dilute in half a cup of water)
11/2 tsp salt or to taste
¼ tsp black pepper powder
3 cups water
For tadka/seasoning
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 dry red chilli broken
2 to 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
4 to 5 fresh curry leaves
1tsp ghee/oil (tastes better in ghee)
Method:
• Pressure cook the toor dal, mash the dal & keep it aside.
• Boil 3 cups of water and add chopped tomatoes & let it boil for 5 mins. Later add the tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and rasam powder, black pepper powder and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 2-3 mts. Add the mashed dal to this mixture.
• Heat ghee/oil in a separate pan, add mustards seeds, asafoetida/hing & as they splutter, add dry red chillis, curry leaves & crushed garlic and stir fry for a few seconds until the garlic becomes soft and a nice aroma comes.
• Add this tadka/seasoning to the Rasam & boil for 2 mins. Don’t over boil it.
• Turn off heat and close with a lid.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white rice and papadams.