Rasam

Method

1. 1

   Soak tamarind: Take a small marble-sized ball of tamarind. Soak in half cup warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze well with your fingers to extract all the pulp. Strain out seeds and fibre. Set tamarind water aside.

2. 2

   Prepare dal water: Wash 2 tbsp toor dal and pressure cook with half cup water for 4 whistles. Once cooled, mash until completely smooth and dilute with another half cup water.

3. 3

   Crush tomato: Take 1 ripe tomato and lightly crush it with your hands or chop very finely. The tomato adds body and slight sweetness to the rasam.

4. 4

   Combine base: In a vessel, combine the tamarind water, mashed dal water, crushed tomato, half tsp turmeric and salt. Mix well.

5. 5

   Dry roast rasam powder: In a dry pan, roast 1 tsp black pepper, half tsp cumin seeds, 2 dried red chillies and 1 sprig curry leaves for 2 minutes. Grind coarsely. This is your fresh rasam powder.

6. 6

   Add rasam powder: Add the freshly ground rasam powder to the tamarind-dal mixture. Stir well.

7. 7

   Heat and bring to boil: Place the vessel on medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. You will see froth forming at the surface — this is normal.

8. 8

   Simmer: Reduce heat and let the rasam simmer for 8-10 minutes. It will become thinner and more transparent as it cooks. Do not overcook or it loses its freshness.

9. 9

   Prepare tempering: In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait until they pop. Add a pinch of asafoetida, 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 dried red chilli. Fry for 30 seconds and pour over the rasam.

10. 10

    Taste and serve: Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and adjust salt. The rasam should be thin, tangy and peppery. Serve piping hot as a soup, or pour over steamed rice with a tsp of ghee.