Simple Spicy Rasam

South Indian feast never completes without Rasam, the Indian soup. It is a good appetizer and variety of rasams are there.

Here is Simple Spicy Rasam using fresh spices without dal or rasam powder. I tasted this spicy rasam prepared by my mother-in- law just after my marriage and I liked it very much for its spicy taste. Now I prepare this spicy rasam very often. My neighbours easily come to know that I’m preparing this rasam from the aroma of garlic and other spices when I do the seasoning.

Ingredients

• Tomato – 4 no
• Tamarind –  marble size (adjust as per your need)
• Turmeric powder – pinch
• Coriander leaves – few strings
• Salt – as per taste
• To grind
  • Red chilli – 2 no
  • Green chilli – 2 no
  • Coriander seeds – 1 table spoon
  • Black pepper – 1 tea spoon
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tea spoon
  • Garlic – 6 cloves
  • Curry leaves – few
• For seasoning
  • Mustard – ½ tea spoon
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
  • Fenugreek seeds – few
  • Red chilli – 2 no
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Asafetida – generous pinch

Method

• Soak tamarind for 10 minutes, extract juice and keep.
• In a blender add red chilli, pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and grind partially.

• Then add green chilli, garlic, curry leaves and run the mixer once or twice to grind partially.

• Mash tomatoes and mix with salt and turmeric powder; add the ground spices, tamarind juice, 3 cups of water; mix and adjust the taste now.

• Do the seasoning in a pan, add the already prepared spices-tomato-water mix; let it get hot and remove the rasam just before boiling (this can be easily identified by the light yellow foam and air bubbles on the surface); add coriander leaves and mix well.

• Serve hot with rice or serve as soup or appetizer.