Rasam

Ingredients

• Tomatoes

  red, raw

  2 medium whole or 246g

• Turmeric

  ground

  ⅛ tsp or 0.3g

• Salt

  table

  ⅝ tsp or 4g

• Water

  7 cup or 1.66kg

• Lemon juice

  1 tsp or 5g

• Granulated sugar

  white

  2 tbsp or 25g

• Mustard seed

  ground

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Cumin seed

  ½ tsp, ground or 2g

• Garlic

  raw

  4 cloves, minced or 12g

• Fenugreek seed

  ¼ tsp or 0.9g

• Cumin seed

  5 ½ tsp, ground or 17g

• Red chili pepper

  raw

  1 pepper or 45g

• Black peppercorns

  whole

  1 tsp or 2g

• Curry powder

  1 tbsp or 6g

• Olive oil

  1 tbsp or 14g

Directions

1. Add 1/4 teaspoon methi seeds and 1 dried red chilli to a small pan and begin to dry roast them on a low to medium heat.
2. When the seeds turn light golden, then add 11/2 teaspoon cumin seeds & 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper corn. Roast them briefly until the seeds begin to smell good. Turn off the heat.
3. Cool & add this to a grinder or spice jar or mortar pestle. Grind them to a fine powder.
4. Tempering
5. Heat oil or ghee in a pot. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds & red chili.
6. When they begin to splutter, add 3 to 4 crushed garlic, 1 sprig curry leaves and a pinch of hing.
7. Saute well for a minute till the leaves turn crisp.
8. How to make rasam
9. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Saute until the tomatoes breakdown, become mushy & soft.
10. Then add the ground spice powder. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. The spice powder must begin to smell good.
11. Next pour water. Add tamarind and jaggery. Bring this to a boil.
12. Then simmer for 5 minutes after it comes to a boil. Soon It thickens slightly.
13. Stir well and take little rasam in a tablespoon. Cool this and taste test. Add more salt, jaggery or tamarind to adjust the taste. I make it sweet, sour & hot.
14. Add chopped coriander leaves. Simmer for a minute. Cover and turn off the stove.
15. Serve rasam hot with rice or as a soup.
16. Recipe by: Swasthi