| Status Approved |
| Name |  Rasam (Lentil soup with pepper and cumin seed) |
| Category | Soups & Stews |
| Serves/Yields | 4 |
| Source | Adapted from Bhanu Jayaraman |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Prep. Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | About 1 hour |
| Introduction |
| Rasam normally forms the second course in a traditional South Indian menu. There are various ways of preparing it. It is normally mixed with plain cooked rice and eaten with different curries for sidedish. It makes for a very good appetizer or soup also when eaten all by itself |
| Ingredients |
| 2 grape-size pieces of tamarind (comes deseeded and pressed into a block)
7 cups water
1/2 cup toor dal (yellow lentils)
8 whole black_peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cumin_seeds
1 tablespoon sesame_oil
1/8 teaspoon mustard_seeds
1/8 teaspoon asafetida
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 ripe tomatoes , chopped
8 curry leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Salt , to taste
1/2 teaspoon butter |
| Directions |
| Step: 1 | In a bowl, combine the tamarind and 1 cup of the water. Let it sit for 15 minutes. When the tamarind is soft, use your hand to squeeze out the pulp. Add 1 more cup water and continue squeezing until all the pulp is separated and you have 2 cups of juice. |
| Step: 2 | In a saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils and let the water return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the lentils for 45 minutes or until they are soft and almost paste-like. Stir them vigorously with a wooden spoon until they form a puree. |
| Step: 3 | In a blender, grind the peppercorns and cumin seeds until they are coarse. Set aside. |
| Step: 4 | In a saucepan, heat the oil and when it is hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the asafetida, turmeric powder, and peppercorn mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 seconds. |
| Step: 5 | Add the tomatoes and curry leaves and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add the tamarind extract and remaining 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. |
| Step: 6 | Add the lentils and salt. Return the soup to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes or until the mixture is hot. |
| Step: 7 | Sprinkle with coriander, stir in the butter, and serve at once. |
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