← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1½ tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 300 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 750 ml Water
• 1 tsp tamarind paste (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar
• ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
• 120 g cooked toor dal, mashed (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil (or ghee if not vegan)
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chilli, broken in half
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing) (optional)
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Method

1. Toast the peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Crush them coarsely in a mortar with the garlic.
2. Put the tomatoes, water, tamarind, turmeric, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 8–10 min until the tomatoes collapse. Mash them well with a spoon.
3. Stir in the crushed spice mix (and the dal, if using). Heat gently for 2–3 minutes until a froth rises to the top, then turn off the heat before it boils hard, which makes rasam bitter.
4. For the tempering, heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds; when they crackle, add the chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida and sizzle for 30 seconds.
5. Pour the sizzling tempering over the rasam, add the coriander and cover for a couple of minutes so the flavours mingle. Serve hot in cups or over rice.

Tips

• Most asafoetida is cut with wheat flour; buy a gluten-free brand if that matters, or leave it out.
• Rasam is meant to be thin and brothy. Add the dal for a fuller, more filling version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Swasthi's Recipes Hebbar's Kitchen