Tomato Rasam Recipe

A simple hot tomato clear soup for the soul... this is probably the simplest recipe made almost everyday in any south-indian household and it is said that a little rasam a day keeps the doctor away... yea its the apple of our lives in india :)...but of course there are many variations to the same! The tomato rasam is the most common one and then there is the dal rasam which is just a small variation of the same, mostly made on occasions in lazy households like mine.. otherwise the most healthy rasam of all types.. then there is the jeera-pepper rasam for the sick people (which i been havin for the last 10 days!) which i will store for another post!

Tomato Rasam Recipe

Ingredients
Tamarind - one lemon sized ball
Tomatoes - 2 to 3
Rasam powder - 1 spoon
Toor dal - one handful
Asatifida - 1/2 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - one handful
Salt to taste
Ghee to garnish

For the rasam powder
Coriander seeds (dhania) - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds(jeera) - 1 tsp
Toor dal - 1 tbp
Channa dal - 1 tbp
Red chillies - 1 or 2
Peppercorns - 1 tsp




















Method
Dry roast all the rasam powder ingredients and grind them to make a powder.
Make a paste out of the tamarind and boil along with cut tomatoes in a thick bottom vessel.
You may strain the tomatoes after they are cooked well, if u dont like it in the rasam.
Add some rasam powder, salt and bring to a boil.
Pressure cook the toor dal and mash well with lotsa water. (optional)
Add more of the dal water to the rasam than the dal per se.
Bring to boil, add asatofida and bring to boil again.
Heat a little ghee separately, splutter the mustard seeds and garnish on the Rasam!

You may as well use store-bought rasam powder or make rasam powder and keep it in store in an air-tight box for regular use!