Simple Everyday Rasam

Rasam is a staple food in every South Indian house almost everyday. It is the second course meal in a three course spread meal. In my house generally rasam is made as an appetizer. If I decide to make only rasam, I cook rice and dal, make it mashy, add ghee and rasam and make a ready-made mix of rasam rice. Trust me this is absolutely heavenly especially when you have a cold or sore throat.

Traditionally Rasam is made in a vessel called “eeyam sombu”. Though Eeyam means lead, this vessel is an alloy of Tin and Aluminum. It does not contain any lead in it. This vessel melts if it is kept on high flame so has to always be done on sim flame. Rasam tastes awesome if made in this vessel.

Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 Quartered tomatoes

• 4 Slit green chillies

• 1 tsp Hing

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

• Salt, to taste

• 1 tsp Cumin

• 1 tsp Pepper

• 1 tbsp Tur dal

• Finely chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

For tempering

• 1 tbsp Ghee

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds

Instructions

1. Puree the tomatoes

2. Cook the tur dal in a cooker and mash it well

3. In a pan take the tomato puree, 1/2 glass water, salt, jaggery, turmeric powder, hing and green chillies and boil till the raw smell of the tomatoes go away

4. Make a powder out of cumin seeds and peppercorns and add this to the rasam

5. Add the dal and 1/2 glass of water and keep the flame sim till the rsam boils and you get a frothy mixture on top

6. In a pan take ghee and temper mustard seeds and cumin seeds

7. Add this to the rasam and garnish with coriander leaves