Mysore Rasam

The other day while updating the Recipe Index on my blog, I realized that I have posted only one rasam recipe so far. It is not that I don’t prepare rasam frequently; rather it is one of the items that is prepared very often in my house. As I have mentioned in my other rasam post, I just knew of a couple of rasams prior to marriage namely the tomato rasam and Jeera rasam. But after marriage, I have learnt quite a few types of rasams from my MIL, which I keep preparing very regularly.

Now, you must be wondering why then have I not posted any of these? Though I have always thought of posting the rasam varieties, but when it came to taking pictures of it, I was at a loss. The pictures were never satisfactory. At one point I just gave up the thought of clicking Rasam.

Couple of days back, I decided to give it a try again, and I kind of got a few decent clicks. So here I am with the post.

Serves – 3 to 4

What you’ll need

1. Tomatoes – 2
2. Thin Tamarind Extract – ¾ cup
3. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
4. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Water – 2 cup
7. Cooked and mashed Toor Dal – 1 tbsp
8. Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp
9. Curry Leaves – few
10. Coriander Leaves – chopped 1 tbsp

To Roast and Grind

1. Toor Dal – 1 tbsp
2. Coriander Seeds – 1 Tbsp
3. Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
4. Dried Red chilly – 1 or 2
5. Black Peppercorns – 8 to 10
6. Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp
7. Scraped Coconut – 1 tbsp

For tempering

1. Ghee – ½ tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp

Method

1. Grind the tomatoes and pour it into the vessel in which you are going to boil the rasam.
2. Add the tamarind extract to it.
3. Add turmeric powder, asafetida and salt to taste. Mix well. Add about 1.5 cups of water and start heating on low to medium flame.
4. In the meanwhile, roast all the items mentioned under “roast and grind” till a nice aroma arises and the toor dal and slightly changed color. Grind everything into a smooth paste using a little water.
5. Add this ground paste also to the simmering rasam. Mix well. Also add a tsp of jaggery.
6. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes. Make sure you cook on low to medium flame if your keep it on high the rasam will boil very quickly and will boil over. You can add a ladle in the vessel while it is simmering to prevent the rasam from boiling over.
7. Add the remaining half cup of water to the cooked and mashed dal mix well and add it to the simmering rasam. Add chopped coriander and curry leaves. Remove from heat when rasam starts frothing. Do not boil.
8. Heat a small frying pan with ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Pour this over the rasam close with lid and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot with rice and some spicy potato curry.