Poondu (Garlic) Rasam
Garlic rasam, a bold South Indian soup, brings comfort and flavor. Enjoyed with rice or just in a bowl. The simple recipe boasts health benefits and promises a satisfying culinary adventure, perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Cooked Toor Dal mash it well
- 1/2 tsp Tamarind Paste or take 1/2 small lime size raw tamarind, soak in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 mins and squeeze out the tamarind juice.
- 2 Tomatoes cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup Coriander (Cilantro) leaves finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
To Grind
- 1/2 tbsp Black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Jeera (Cumin) Seeds
- 1 tsp Dhania (Coriander) Seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chili
- 1/4 tsp Hing (Asafoetida/)
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- Grind the above ingredients coarsely without adding water and keep it aside.
Seasoning
- 2 tsp Ghee
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Jeera (Cumin) seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chilli
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
Now, lets cook!
- Heat pan, add 2 tsp of ghee. Add Mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add the rest of the ingredients under seasoning.
- Then add the coarse ground spicy rasam mixture and saute on low heat for a minute till the raw flavor of garlic and other ingredients go away.
- Next add cut tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
- Add the tamarind water and let it boil for about 5 minutes.
- Then add the cooked toor dhal, 3 cups of water, check salt and add more if needed.
- Once it starts boiling, it will become foamy and give a nice aroma. Turn the heat off.
- Garnish with a handful of chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy with hot steamed rice or drink it like a soup.
Tips
- Ghee is the best option for making rasam. But you can also use any kind of oil.
- You can use 1 slit green chilli to season.
- You can add a bit more black pepper while grinding if you want the rasam to be spicy.