Tomato rasam

Rasam is something south Indians like to eat with their rice or may be as a digestion soup. Rasam is known in different names in different parts of south India as ‘charu’ in Telegu,  ‘Saaru’ in Kannada and ‘Rasam’ in Tamil. At the beginning when I had it, I didn’t like it much but my husband is an Anglo Indian so they call it pepper water and when his cousin sister made it for me once, it was heaven. And ever since I have loved it.

Even during my pregnancy, I craved for rasam very much. I was amazed to see the varieties of rasam recipes. I'm not a lover of dhal so I don’t like it in the rasam either.  today I have made a simple rasam that everyone likes to eat in our house. I have Very fussy eaters in my house and that includes my daughter as well. But this is one dish that never fails me specially when there is meat around.

And the best person to judge this rasam is my mother 😊 she's a great cook and does not like much of Indian food. Like I said fussy eaters, yet when I made this rasam she drooled over it. And she eats rasam only when I make it. And by the way she doesn’t like Indian food is because we are Sri Lankan and I'm married to an Indian. 

You will need

·        2 tbsp oil

·        1 tsp jeera / cumin

·        4 cloves of garlic crushed

·        2 dried red chilies

·        Small piece of ginger

·        2 tsp pepper powder

·        3 ripe tomatoes chopped

·        Pinch of hing/asafetida

·        ¾ cup tamarind extract

·        3 cups water ( or as desired )

·        Handful of coriander chopped

·        ½ onion chopped

·        1 tsp pepper corn crushed

      1.    In a blender take jeera, garlic, ginger and pepper corn and blend to a coarse paste.

      2.    In a kadai heat the oil and add the crushed spices and fry well. Add the dried red chili, pepper powder, hing and mix well.

     3.    Now add the chopped and tomatoes and cook till its mushy. Once its cooked well add the tamarind extract and mix well.

     4.    Then add the water, season with salt and bring it to a boil.

     5.    When the water starts boiling add coriander and mix well.

Your Rasam is ready to eat with hot rice.