The blend of the tangy and peppery flavours in a bowl of hot rasam is simply magical. While you can always order a treat of rasam and rice from a restaurant, cooking it for yourself is a different feeling.
If you want to try your hand at cooking a spicy rasam recipe or want to taste the flavours of a homely rasam while being away from home, here’s a guide to making the classic dish. If the unavailability of ingredients stops you from entering the kitchen, search for ‘mart near me’ on your smartphone and place an order for doorstep delivery.
What is Rasam?
Rasam is a traditional South Indian dish made from tamarind pulp, tomato puree, authentic spices and occasionally lentils. It is typically served hot with steamed rice or sipped like a soup.
While the traditional rasam recipe is an essence of tamarind and tomatoes, the dish now has multiple variants, including pepper rasam, lemon rasam, garlic rasam and dal rasam.
Each of these variants has its unique flavours but retains the basic qualities of tangy, mildly spicy and aromatic.
Why is Rasam a Must-Try?
- Rasam is made using spices like black pepper, cumin, garlic and tamarind, which aid in digestion.
- Rasam is often served hot. The warm and soupy nature of the dish makes it perfect for leveraging comfort in harsh weather conditions.
- Rasam is a quick and easy recipe to try.
- Rasam can be made with some of the staple ingredients available in Indian kitchens and can also be purchased from any store that appears in the ‘mart near me’ search list.
A Beginner’s Guide to Making Rasam
Ingredients List
- Tamarind Pulp: 1 tbsp
- Chopped tomatoes: 2
- Cooked toor dal: ½ cup
- Garlic: 3 to 4 cloves
- Black pepper: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Rasam powder: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Curry leaves
- Asafoetida
- Salt
- Ghee: tsp
Instructions
- Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes. Extract the pulp and discard the seeds and fibre.
- Coarsely crush the black pepper and cumin seeds with a mortar and pestle.
- In a deep pan, add tamarind juice, chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic cloves, salt and rasam powder. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add cooked and mashed toor dal to the rasam base and add water to adjust the consistency. Let it simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes.
- In a tadka pan, add ghee and heat it over medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Let it splutter.
- Pour the tempering into the rasam and garnish it with coriander leaves.
Conclusion
Rasam is a simple yet soulful dish that takes you on a culinary journey, offering a taste of authentic South Indian flavours. Whether you want to enjoy it hot with steamed rice or sip it down like a soup, it is nourishing and comforting. With just a few simple ingredients and an easy recipe, you can create a filling and delicious delicacy to relish.So, the next time you crave a simple and home-cooked meal, search ‘mart near me’ and get all the ingredients required for cooking a healthy meal.