Toor dal rasam| Parupu rasam

I love rasam i think all south(and north) indians love it.Its just a healthy tasty side dish to go with your steamed rice and any spicy stir fried veg dish or non veg dish would compliment it like magic.

Usually I have always mad rasam with pepper, garlic and cumin seeds thats the basic mix for rasam but this time I wanted to add some dal and it turned out so good...i was taken back to those childhood days when i loved the thaali meals my dad used to pick from woodlands hotel in karama on days my mom wouldn't be able to cook.

Pepper Rasam

This is what should be called comfort food :) I can have this all day everyday!Its a soup prepared with a tamarind base.There are many versions of rasams prepared but this pepper rasam should be the most prevalent.In most south indian meals, course would follow a sambar, rasam and curd rice pattern accompanied with vegetarian side dishes.

To make this rasam,do the following preliminary steps:

You would need to coarsely grind the following:
*{Pepper corns 1/2 tspn
   Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
   Garlic 5 pods (i do no peel)
   Coriander/dhaniya seeds 1 tsp(optional)
   Dried red chillies 1(optional) }*

Puree one large tomato and soak one lime sized ball of tamarind in 1/2 a cup of water.

To temper
 Oil 1 tablespoon
 Mustard seeds 1tsp
 Curry leaves few
 Dried red chillies 2
 Asoefetida a pinch

Coriander/cilantro leaves to garnish

- Once you've done the preliminary steps.Take a saucepan/kadai, add the oil, once its hot add the tempering.Once the mustard and curry leaves splutter, add the dry pepper and garlic powder(*), fry for a minute (be careful it will burn soon).Add the asoefetida now.
- Now add the ground tomato paste and fry it until the raw tomato paste goes away.Add the tamarind water and let it boil.

- Add salt to taste and add enough water to make it like a soup(maybe a cup or more).Let this broth boil.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves :) Serve hot with rice :) or try the way I love it...have rasam rice with fried fish or chicken : yum yum :)

Pepper Rasam

This is what should be called comfort food :) I can have this all day everyday!Its a soup prepared with a tamarind base.There are many versions of rasams prepared but this pepper rasam should be the most prevalent.In most south indian meals, course would follow a sambar, rasam and curd rice pattern accompanied with vegetarian side dishes.

To make this rasam,do the following preliminary steps:

You would need to coarsely grind the following:
*{Pepper corns 1/2 tspn
   Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
   Garlic 5 pods (i do no peel)
   Coriander/dhaniya seeds 1 tsp(optional)
   Dried red chillies 1(optional) }*

Puree one large tomato and soak one lime sized ball of tamarind in 1/2 a cup of water.

To temper
 Oil 1 tablespoon
 Mustard seeds 1tsp
 Curry leaves few
 Dried red chillies 2
 Asoefetida a pinch

Coriander/cilantro leaves to garnish

- Once you've done the preliminary steps.Take a saucepan/kadai, add the oil, once its hot add the tempering.Once the mustard and curry leaves splutter, add the dry pepper and garlic powder(*), fry for a minute (be careful it will burn soon).Add the asoefetida now.
- Now add the ground tomato paste and fry it until the raw tomato paste goes away.Add the tamarind water and let it boil.

- Add salt to taste and add enough water to make it like a soup(maybe a cup or more).Let this broth boil.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves :) Serve hot with rice :) or try the way I love it...have rasam rice with fried fish or chicken : yum yum :)