Cookbook:Rasam (Tamarind and Tomato Soup)

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Cuisine of India

Rasam from Kerala

Rasam, also called saru, is a popular dish in South India. It can be described as a thin soup, served on top of rice.

Variation I

Ingredients

Rasam Powder

• 2 tsp oil or ghee
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3–4 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 small pinch asafoetida

Dhal

• 14 g (½ oz) toovar dhal (also called red gram dhal)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 3 tomatoes
• 1–2 tsp of tamarind paste
• Salt
• 1 tsp sugar (jaggery or palm sugar is good too)
• Water - the amount depends on the amount of Rasam required. It is meant to be very watery.

Mustard Seed seasoning

• 1 tbsp ghee (or butter and oil)
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dhal or cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 4 curry leaves
• 1 handful of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Procedure

Rasam powder

1. Fry the all the ingredients together, adding asafoetida last, in a pan with oil or ghee. Toast until the spices start to brown slightly
2. Grind everything to a powder. Note that coriander seed is very difficult to powder.

Dhal

1. Wash the toovar dhal thoroughly until the water runs clear.
2. Cover with double the quantity of water, turmeric powder and teaspoon of oil. Cook in a microwave for half an hour, a pressure cooker, or slowly on a stove, covered. The dhal should develop a mushy consistency.
3. Cut the tomatoes into four pieces, put them in a saucepan full of water and bring to the boil.
4. Add tamarind, salt and teaspoon of sugar. The tamarind is usually very bitter, so add only a little at a time. Tamarind can be added later to adjust the flavour.
5. When the tomatoes are half cooked add the cooked dal.
6. Add enough rasam powder to give the desired taste, usually 4 or 5 teaspoons. It should be reasonably spicy, and neither the tamarind or sugar should dominate. Stir and keep simmering.
7. In a small pan, heat the ghee for the mustard seed seasoning and add the mustard seeds, urud dhal, chillies and curry leaves. The urud dhal should start to go brown and the mustard seeds will start spitting. Don't burn any of the spices—it's easy to do. Once cooked, pour the seasoning into the rest of the rasam straight away and stir it through.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot and soft plain boiled rice.

Variation II – Karnataka Style

Ingredients

• ¼ cup toovar dhal (toovar/toor/togari dal)
• 4 large (16 oz can) tomatoes OR 2 tbsp tamarind (concentrate extract) paste
• ¼ tsp salt or less to taste
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp asafoetida (hing) powder
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 3 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seed
• ½ tsp cumin seed (jerra/jeerige, optional)
• 4 sprigs curry leaves, washed
• 1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped

Procedure

1. Pressure cook the dhal with sufficient water.
2. If using tomatoes, parboil first to remove skin and chop roughly.
3. To the cooked dhal, add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and tomatoes or tamarind extract.
4. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add the asafoetida, grated coconut, and ground coriander.
6. Add any other spice as required.
7. Simmer for a few minutes to cook the coconut properly.
8. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
9. Add the mustard seed and cumin seed.
10. When the mustard seeds pop, remove from the heat and add to the soup along with the curry leaves.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves.