Rasam is a common soup-like dish from South India made with tamarind, spices, herbs, and fruits or vegetables. Most likely, the term “rasam” comes from “ras” or “rasa,” which signify juice, extract, or essence.
Rasam recipe is a straightforward, South Indian rasam that goes well with rice or as a drink. It can be made without using Rasam Powder or the time-consuming process of cooking lentils.The quantity of tomatoes is the primary distinction between a tomato rasam and a traditional rasam.
Of course, there are more tomatoes added to a tomato rasam. However, for a simple rasam, one tomato would suffice, or you can omit it altogether.Due to the substitution of tamarind for tomatoes, traditional South Indian rasam is primarily sour.
You can still make rasam all year long, despite the fact that it soothes a cold or cough. Cumin, mustard seeds, garlic, curry leaves, coriander leaves, and tamarind are the spices and herbs that is used to prepare rasam recipe since they aid in digestion as well as in the treatment of colds.When you have a cough or cold or during the chilly winters, you should consume it.
Rasam can be taken as a soup. Along with steamed rice, a side vegetable dish, and sambar, it can also be served. You can eat idli or vada with rasam.You can also prepare vada rasam and idli rasam as well. This tangy and spicy rasam pairs exceptionally well with vada (fried urad lentil fritters).
A perfect rasam requires:
- The fundamental guideline for making great rasam is to avoid overboiling. Just bring to a boil and turn off the heat when it begins to foam, especially after adding rasam powder.
- The flavour of rasam powder is finest when it isn’t overcooked.
- For excellent flavour, garnish with heaps of fresh coriander leaves.
Ingredients to prepare rasam recipe
- Tamarind — small gooseberry size
- Tomato — 1
- Rasam powder — 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder — ¼ tsp
- Salt — as per taste
- Finely chopped coriander leaves — 2 tbsp
For tempering
- Oil / ghee — 1 tbsp
- Mustard — ½ tsp
- Red chilli — 1
- Cumin — ¼ tsp
- Crushed garlic — 2 cloves
- Curry leaves — 1 sprig
Method to prepare rasam recipe
- Extract the juice from the tamarind after 30 minutes of hot water soaking, then set it aside.
- Roughly chop 1 tomato.
- Heat a saucepan add 1 cup water,the tamarind juice as it boils add the roughly chopped tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and let it boil fior few minutes.
- Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp rasam powder and stir well.
- Bring the rasam to boil.
- Add finely chopped 2 tbsp coriander leaves and stir well.
- Add salt if required.
- For tempering — heat a tempering pasn as it heats add 1 tbsp oil/ghee as it heats add ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp cumin seeds as the seeds begin to splutter add 1 broken red chilli, 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Fry well and pour the tempering to the rasam.
- Enjoy hot rasam with steamed rice, fried papad, and plain yoghurt.
Tips to prepare rasam recipe
- Rasam doesn’t need to boil for a long time because the flavour would suffer. Simply bringing it to a boil makes it foamy.
- You can add cooked toor dal or 2–3 tablespoons of toor dal and reduce the water. Additionally, that alters the flavour of rasam.
- Still, you are allowed to include 1 to 2 teaspoons of lime or lemon juice. When the rasam has completed simmering, add the lime or lemon juice. Depending on the level of sourness you like, you can adjust the amount.
- It can be made using either pre-made Rasam Powder or freshly ground garlic, black pepper, and cumin seed masala.
- Although you are able to prepare this recipe without garlic, I strongly suggest adding it because it adds a lot of flavour and taste.
