Rasam
Tamarind and Tomato Pepper Broth
Rasam is a thin, sour, peppery South Indian broth, soured with tamarind and flavoured with tomato, garlic and spices and a tempering of mustard seeds. It is drunk from a cup or poured over rice.
Rasam is a classic soup of Tamil Nadu and the south.
One recipe cooks shallots, garlic, ginger and spice powders with minced tomato, adds tamarind water and about 500 ml of water and seasons with asafoetida and curry leaves. The other crushes tomato, garlic and a tablespoon of ground pepper, adds tamarind pulp and dal water, and finishes with a ghee tempering.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind (about 30 g)
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 dried red chillies
- 5 shallots, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, pounded
- 4 cm piece of ginger, pounded
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tomatoes, minced
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
- Fine sea salt
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 500 ml water
Method
- Soak the tamarind Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the pulp and strain, keeping the liquid.
- Fry the aromatics Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds until they splutter, then the dried chillies and shallots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
- Add spices and tomato Lower the heat, add all the spice powders and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for 1 minute, then add 100 ml of the water, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften.
- Add the tamarind Pour in the tamarind liquid and the remaining 400 ml of water, add the curry leaves and asafoetida and bring to the boil. Adjust the seasoning and garnish with coriander. Serve hot.
Do not boil hard once the tamarind is in; the flavour turns flat.
Serve with rice.