Simple Cooking #7: Rasam, my way

Before I set foot on South Indian soil which was in my twenties, the dosa and chutney and sambhar as made in North India, was all I knew about south Indian food. Now that I have been living in Karnataka for long, I have slowly come to understand that there is such a varied wealth in the food traditions of various regions and communities in the south. I have also come to know that the taste of sambhar made in Karnataka or Kerala or Tamil Nadu would be different. And so it is with Rasam. There are ways and ways of making rasam, and so this is about Rasam, my way.

Ingredients

A. To be ground together coarsely:

• Tomato - 2 medium

• Tamarind seedless, the size of a small lemon

• Jeera or cumin - 3 tsp

• Pepper - 1 tsp

• Coriander leaves, a good handful

• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

• Garlic cloves - 10

• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

• Rasam powder (store bought) - 1 heaped tsp

B. Other Ingredients

• Hing or asafoetida

• Mustard seeds

• Curry leaves

• Salt to taste

• Jaggery - 1 tsp

Method

Blend all the ingredients mentioned at A above to a coarse paste, with the help of some water. Now, heat a tbsp of oil in a big pan. Saute the mustard seeds, a little hing and curry leaves. Add the ground mixture to the pan. Add water to make a total of 1 litre. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 mins. Add salt and a tsp of jaggery to balance the taste. The wholesome and tastiest rasam is ready.

This can be had with rice or just as an appetiser. I have it even with my dosa and idli. In case you are thinking of drinking it, straining it before serving would be a good idea.

Note:

You can just boil all the ingredients (roughly chopped) together without grinding or tempering, and strain and serve. Many rasam recipes call for adding boiled toor / arhar dal. Some add lemon juice instead of tamarind. Those who do not eat garlic can skip it. You can mix and match the recipe to suit your requirement and taste. Go ahead and make it!