Rasam [Tamarind Curry]

Rasam

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Ready In: 20 min

Ingredients:

Ingredients (From top left): Tamarind soaked in water,
mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, jeera seeds,
dried red chili, fresh coriander leaves,
aesofoetida powder, garlic, squeezed tomato

• Dried tamarind - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Garlic - 5-6 
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Aesofoetida powder (perungayam podi) - 1/8 tsp
• Dried red chili - 2-3
• Coriander - for garnishing
• Rasam powder - 3 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds (venthayam) - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - 8-10
• Salt - 1/5 tsp
• Water - 4 cups
• Oil - 2 tsp

Directions:

1. Soak the tamarind in the water for 5-10 mins. Squeeze the tamarind and mix with the water. Strain the tamarind mixture so that it is just tamarind paste with water, without any insolvable pieces. You can use tamarind paste directly also, instead of the dried tamarind. Mix the rasam powder into the tamarind water.
2. Squeeze the tomato into paste. Pound the garlic lightly to loosen the outer peel. Tear the dried red chili into 2-3 pieces. Chop the coriander finely and keep aside. 
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan/large pan. It should be able to hold the 4 cups of water. After the oil has heated, add the mustard seeds. Add the jeera seeds, fenugreek seeds, aesofoetida powder, curry leaves, garlic, dried red chili, and tomato paste. After 1 minute, add the tamarind water.
4. Once the rasam starts boiling, take the sauce pan off the stove and transfer to the serving dish. Add salt to taste and garnish with coriander. Rasam is ready!

Tamarind water with rasam powder. This will be added to the mixture of tomato and spices.

Rasam - before adding the tamarind water, after adding the tamarind water and boiling (ready to be taken off the stove)

Rasam is ready!

Serving Suggestions:

• Rasam and rice is an excellent combination. Serve with potato stir fry or any other vegetable of your choice. Goes well with sambar and paruppu too (yellow dhal).
• Rasam can be served as soup.
• Rasam powder just contains dry roasted toor dhal, pepper, dry coriander seeds, jeera, and red chilies that has been powdered.