TOMATO RASAM RECIPE

Enjoy the South Indian soup also known as rassam or chaaru or saaru made from tomatoes, tamarind and jaggery.

Ingredients:

2 Tomatoes
2 Red chillies
4 cups Water of boiled dal (stock)
1 stalk Curry leaves
1 stalk Mint leaves
1 stalk Coriander leaves
1- 2 cloves Garlic grated
2-3 pinches Clove-cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp Sambhar masala
8-10 Peppercorns
2 pinch Hing (Asafoetida)
1 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 marble sized ball of jaggery or 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small strip Tamarind
1 tbsp Ghee or oil
Salt to taste

How to make tomato rasam:

Put whole tomatoes in boiling water, simmer for 3 minutes, keep it aside to cool.

Heat 1/4 tsp. oil in a small pan, add pepper corns and 1 tsp. cumin seeds and roast till aromatic, pound it in a mortar till powdered. Keep aside.

Peel away the broken skin of boiled tomatoes and mash them into a pulp

To the thick tomato pulp, add roasted whole chillies, all leaves, all masalas, salt, tamarind, jaggery and blend it with the blender.

In a deep pan, add the stock.

Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard and remaining cumin seeds, asafoetida and allow to splutter.

Add garlic to it and stir.

Season the rasam with the prepared tadka.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Keep aside covered for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve hot as a soup or with steaming hot plain rice and papads

2)
Easy/Quick South Indian Rasam (avasara rasam)
Prep time - under 5 mins
Cook time - under 10 mins
Serves -2
Ingredients needed
Ripe tomatoes -2-3
Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
For the seasoning
Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds -1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
For garnishing
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Preparation
Dry grind pepper and jeera coarsely and keep it aside.This is the rasam powder for this recipe.
Method
Boil tomatoes in water for 3-4 minutes (just enough water to cover the tomatoes). Switch off the flame and keep it closed for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the skin and mash the tomatoes well.
Add the ground rasam powder, few curry leaves, salt needed and let it boil for about 5 minutes.

Then add 1 1/2 cups of water and switch off the flame once froth starts forming at the top.(see pic)
Heat a tsp of ghee, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves and pour it over the rasam.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Note
You can powder equal quantities of black pepper and jeera/cumin seeds in advance and store it in an airtight container. Use 1 tbsp (flat) of that powder
to prepare this rasam.
You can add 2-3 crushed garlic for more flavor along with the rasam powder if preferred.
Tips for preparing a good rasam (for beginners)
Always boil rasam in low flame.
Switch off, once rasam becomes frothy at the top.Do not boil after that as it will not taste good.
Adding curry leaves and coriander leaves makes it more flavorful.
Do not avoid seasoning.

3)

Simple Rasam

Serves 4
Preperation Time 30 Minutes
Contents
Green Vegetables
Ingredients
250 gms tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 green chillies, chopped
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
1 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1 red chilli, broken into two
1 tsp coriander seeds roasted & powdered
1 tsp cuminseeds roasted & powdered
2 tsps peppercorns roasted & powdered
tbsps oil
Recipe
1.Extract the pulp of tamarind by soaking it in a cup of hot water.

2. Boil the tomatoes, chillies and garlic in 4 cups of water.

3. Add the ground spices, jaggery and tamarind pulp and simmer for 15
minutes.
4. Heat the oil.
5. Splutter the mustard seeds.
6. Add the curry leaves, red chilli, asafoetida powder and onion and fry for a
minute.
7. Pour it over the tomatoes.
8. Serve hot.