GOOD RASAM

I really don’t know how this rasam got its name but it had been very popular in our household since our grand parents’ times! This rasam is basically tamarind soup with a tadka which has a tsp of tuvar dal. Personally I have never felt that it has any nutrition. But this was a daily preparation in addition to koottaan and thoran every day when my parents were in their late seventies - I think they relished it for its lightness and tanginess.

It tastes very good with rice and any ‘mezhukkuvaratti’ / 'thoran' / pappadam / appalam / karuvadam (fryums).

Ingredients –

Tamarind – 1 lemon-sized ball – soaked in water

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Sambar / rasam powder – 1 tsp

Tuvar dal – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp

Whole red chilli – 2 pieces

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 8

Ghee – 1 tsp

Method –

Extract the tamarind pulp and 1 cup of water to it.

Pour it in a vessel and boil it with turmeric powder and salt.

In a small pan, add 1 tsp of ghee and add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and tuvar dal and red chilli pieces. When they crackle, turn off the gas and add asafetida and curry leaves and add it to the tamarind water.

Continue to boil for 10 minutes.

Add 2 – 3 cups of water and boil well. Check for the sourness.

Eat it hot with rice and thoran.

It tastes good as soup too.

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

JEERA RASAM

This is excellent when you are down with cold and sore throat or even fever. Again a very light soup, it is soothing to drink hot. It also tastes very good with rice and any ‘mezhukkuvaratti’ / 'thoran' / pappadam / appalam / karuvadam (fryums).

Ingredients –

Tamarind – 1 lemon-sized ball – soaked in water

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Black pepper powder – 1-1 ½ tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – 7

Ghee – 1 ½ tsp

Method –

Extract the pulp from the tamarind. Add 1 cup of water.

Boil well for 10-12 minutes with turmeric powder, pepper and red chilli powders and salt.

In a small pan, add 1 ½ tsps ghee and add 1 tsp mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add a dash of asafetida and curry leaves and add it to the rasam.

Add more water and check the taste.

Boil well.

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

TOMATO RASAM

Rasam is very light – a sort of soup. It is a part of every feast - it is had with rice as the second course. Otherwise it is usually prepared on the days which have ‘koottaans’ without tamarind. Sometimes on the day after a heavy feast, ‘rasam’ and rice with some ‘thoran’/'mezhukkuvaratti’ tastes light and divine. You can prepare rasam with a little more dal if you feel the meal is too light.

Pappadam / appalam / karuvadam (fryums) or any of the side-dishes taste good with 'rasam & rice'.

Ingredients -

Tamarind – 1 lemon-sized ball (soaked in water and pulp extracted)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Sambar / rasam powder – 2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery / sugar– 1 tsp

Tomatoes – 2-3 – chopped

Tuvar dal (sambar dal) – 3 tbsp (pressure-cooked)

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves -6

Ghee – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – chopped - 1 tbsp

Method -

Soak the tamarind in water for at least 30 minutes and extract the pulp. Add a cup of water.

Add turmeric and rasam powders, sugar, salt and asafetida and boil for 5-7 minutes on low heat.

Add the chopped tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes.

Pressure-cook the dal (for 2-3 whistles). Allow to cool.

Mash the dal well. Add water and mix well and add it to the boiled tamarind.

Add more water till it has a thin consistency (soup-like).

Boil well.

For ‘tadka’ - heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, turn off the heat and add the curry leaves. Transfer it to the rasam.

After 10 minutes add the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Tips –

The asafetida can be added at the end along with mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves for better flavor.

Always garnish with coriander leaves after 10 minutes or more to retain the green color of the coriander leaves.

Always tear curry leaves into half and add it to the hot oil (with spluttering mustard seeds etc) before pouring into the curry.

If the rasam is not sour enough, add a dash of lemon.

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

LEMON RASAM

This is a variation of 'Tomato rasam'. We use lemon instead of tamarind for this rasam. Pappadam / appalam / karuvadam (fryums) or any of the side-dishes taste good with 'rasam & rice'.

Ingredients -

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Sambar / rasam powder – 2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery / sugar– 1 tsp

Tomatoes – 2-3 – chopped

Tuvar dal (sambar dal) – 2- 3 tbsp (pressure-cooked)

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 6

Ghee – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – chopped - 1 tbsp

Method

Heat a cup of water.

Add turmeric and rasam powders, sugar, salt and asafetida and boil for 5-7 minutes on low heat.

Add the chopped tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes.

Pressure-cook the dal (for 2-3 whistles). Allow to cool.

Mash the dal well. Add water and mix well and add it to the boiled mixture.

Add more water till it has a thin consistency (soup-like).

Boil well.

For ‘tadka’ - heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, turn off the heat and add the curry leaves and add it to the rasam. Add the juice of one lemon.

After 10 minutes add the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Tips

Moong dal (yellow) can be used instead of tuvar dal.

The asafetida can be added at the end along with mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves for better flavor.

Always garnish with coriander leaves after 10 minutes or more to retain the green color of the coriander leaves.

Always tear curry leaves into half and add it to the hot oil (with spluttering mustard seeds etc) before pouring into the dish.
 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.