Rasam

September it is, monsoons are still here, its been raining all day. It's super cold. 

After this, come the cold winter days...

Rains + Cold + Spicy piping hot Soup = Winning Combo!!!

Rasam is perfect for all these cold rainy wintery nights.

Rasam or Tili Saaru or Tomato Saaru is a South Indian Soup that is a burst of flavor. It is spicy, it is tart, it is hot, it is hearty, it is cozy- everything you want in a soup. Generally, rasam is eaten as an accompaniment with rice across South India. But you can have it just like soup and you won't complain.

Rasam forms an essential part of tradition here in Karnataka. It is served at weddings and religious celebrations across Karnataka. In fact, a lot of times, a caterer is classified as good or bad based on the taste of the rasam he/she makes.

Rasam is made by boiling chopped tomatoes along with tamarind juice, then adding Rasam Powder and cooked lentils. Add a tempering of spluttered mustard seeds and crispy curry leaves. Garnish with chopped coriander, occasionally grated coconut is also added. And you have the hot spicy cozy Rasam. Rasam tastes awesome with rice with a side of crispy fried Papad.

Rasam is a regular when any of us has stuffed sinuses... it instantly clears them up. Also, when we are sick and food seems tasteless, we have to have rasam to wake up our taste buds.

But you don't need cold wintery nights or to be sick to have Rasam. Rasam and Rice is a part of daily meal for many of us here in South India. Try it out, and you will certainly love it.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Corn Tomato Bharta - Indian curry made with grilled or roasted tomatoes and sweet corn
• Dal Fry - Dal or Pigeon Pea Lentils cooked in restaurant style.
• Tomato Soup - Spiced tomato soup.
• Lauki Soup - Soup made with bottle gourd and moong dal. Very nutritious and filling.

Rasam | Tili Saaru

Spicy tart South Indian lentil soup made with tomato and tamarind.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              3-4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 cup Toor dal(boiled)
1 large Tomato
1 lemon sized ball Tamarind
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves(Chopped)
0.25 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
2 Tbsp Rasam powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
3 cups Water
Salt

Method:

Soak the tamarind in half cup of water for 10 mins.
Squeeze the tamarind so that the half cup of water is now tamarind juice.
Add this tamarind juice to a pan on the stove.
Add the chopped tomato and another ½ cup of water and cover and cook until the tomato is very soft and mushy.
Add the rasam powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
Add the toor dal and the remaining water.
Add hing and salt and boil until the desired consistency is achieved.
Generally rasam is of very thin consistency.
In another small pan, heat the oil.
Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the cumin seeds. Let them brown slightly, then add the curry leaves and immediately pour this oil into the rasam.
Rasam can be enjoyed as a spicy soup on cold days or as a curry with rice.