Tomato and paruppu rasam

Rasam is an integral  part of  the south Indian cuisine. No lunch is complete without the flavorful rasam. There are various types of rasam, and each has a unique flavor and taste of it's own.

I give below the recipe for a typical Tam Brahm Rasam. We Iyengars call it Sattamudhu.

Ingredients:
1 cup of tamarind water squeezed out of a marble sized ball.
1 tsp rock salt.
(I steep  the tamarind and salt  in water and microwave it  for 2 minutes so that  I get the full extract. The salt also helps.)
1/2 cup Toor dal, cooked and mashed nicely.
1 medium sized tomato, washed and diced to small pieces
3 tsps of Rasam powder.
1/2 inch ginger, skin scraped and grated.
1 pinch hing
A handful of fresh kadi patha (kauveppilai)

For Garnishing
 2 tsp ghee
1/2tsp mustard seeds(kadugu)
A sprinkle of hing powder.
A sprig of kadi patha
A handful of fresh coriander leaves, cut into small pieces.


1) In a vessel add the tamarind extract, tomato pieces (keep aside 1/4th of the pieces),ginger,  hing, rasam powder and kadi patha and let it boil till the tomatoes are soft and can be mashed.
2) Once the raw smell of the tamarind goes, add the mashed toor dal, and the balance tomato pieces.
3) At this stage, the Rasam should not boil too much. Swith off as soon as it starts to foam.
4) Heat the ghee, add the mustard, as soon as it starts spluttering , switch off, add the hing powder and kadi patha.
5) Add this to the rasam. Garnish with the fresh coriander and serve with hot rice and ghee.