Rasam (Indian soup) reposted

It is a tough job for a woman to decide the day's menu.Browsing for the recipes with the available vegetable sometime helps.But when it comes to making rasam which is a regular practice in south Indian houses,it is interesting to have a variety in making this recipe.I thought of making the rasam which I posted in my blog 2 years back.All of us enjoyed having it as a soup than having with rice. I am reposting it here with pictures(if the pictures are too good ,I cannot take the credit,since I owe it to my family member for the clicks).
This particular rasam will be like a clear soup with the tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and garlic cloves. I prepared this many times and am sure it will be liked by all.You can straight away start doing it without prior preparation if you have the ingredients.This requires two full garlic pods.One will be used while making powder and the other for tempering. So first peel garlic and keep.Last but not the least Patience is required to strain the liquid which is a must for making this as a soup.Thanks to the Tv channel for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato	1 No
Tamarind paste	1 tsp
Garlic	1 (whole pod)
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Jagree	Little
Salt	To taste

Grind to coarse powder:                                                                                                                     

Pepper	1 tsp
Cumin/Jeera	1 tsp
Red chilli	4 No
Coriander seeds/jeera	1 tblsp

Temper in hot ghee with:

Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Cumin	1 tsp
Curry leaves	Little
Garlic	1 (whole pod)

METHOD

Coarsely pound coriander seeds,pepper,cummin seeds and red chillies. Peel and crush garlic.
In a  saucepan/vessel take the powder made, crushed garlic, tamarind paste,(1/2 cup of extract of tamarind can be used)  tomato pieces and add 2 glassful water and bring to boil adding salt and turmeric powder.
Strain the water and reserve.Mash the pulp and dilute adding water and take the extract duly filtering again.
Mix both the reserved water and the extract in a vessel. Add salt and jagree and heat again till it is foamy. Remove and temper in hot ghee with mustard seeds,curry leaves and cumin seeds and the peeled garlic cloves. Wait till garlic turns brown and then add to rasam.
Enjoy the hot rasam as an appetizer before your meal.Here is a glassful of it.

TANZANIA RASAM (AKA PERIMA RASAM)

Rasam in South Indian kitchen is like soup for westerners. One can drink it as it serves the purpose of an appetizer. But it takes 3rd place in order of eating in South Indian daily menu. The reason most probably being that it helps in digestion as it contains both pepper and cumin as its main ingredients.

There are many different ways of making rasam which helps to overcome the boredom or monotony that i sometimes feel. There are people who feel their lunch or dinner is incomplete if they don't take rasam as a part of their meal. Rasam-rice alone is accepted as light dinner in the absence of sambar. Even when someone is running a cold or down with high temperature rasam-saadam is preferred.

There is a custom followed in South Indian Brahmin families to make rasam without using tamarind on DWADASI DAY (twelfth lunar day of both waning and waxing fortnight). They use lime instead of tamarind on that day. One such recipe for rasam came into use called PORITHA RASAM. It tastes yummy and has the strong aroma of pepper. Some use tomatoes while making rasam and also add lime juice before serving. I tasted this rasam while at Dar-es-salaam prepared by my sister, Rama, in the most authentic Iyengar way. When every step of preparation is followed as given in this recipe which I took from her, this yummy rasam is sure to satisfy your taste buds. I would suggest to have curd pachadi and some fried curry as accompaniments in the menu the day you prepare this rasam.

PORITHA RASAM

TOOR DAL 1/4 CUP (A FISTFUL AND ANOTHER 1/2 FIST)

TURMERIC POWDER 1/2 TSP

LG

SALT TO TASTE

FRY AND POWDER:

(EXCEPT CUMIN SEEDS)

UDITH DAL 3/4 TSP

CHENA DAL 1/2 TSP

PEPPER 3 TSP

RED CHILLIES 3

CUMIN SEEDS 1 1/2 TSP

FOR TEMPERING IN GHEE:

MUSTARD SEEDS 1/2 TSP

CURRY LEAVES LITTLE

LG A PINCH

PREPARATION:

PRESSURE COOK TOOR DAL. FRY THE INGREDIENTS GIVEN UNDER "FRY AND POWDER" IN LITTLE OIL. COOL AND POWDER ADDING CUMIN SEEDS.

METHOD:

TAKE A VESSEL WHICH HAS A CAPACITY TO FILL 4 GLASSES OFLIQUID.USUALLY

WE USE "EEYA KINNAM" IN OUR HOUSES WHICH HAS THE CAPACITY TO MAKE RASAM

FOR A FAMILY OF 4 TO 5 MEMBERS. IT CAN HOLD 4 TO 5 GLASSES OF RASAM (LIQUID).

DILUTE THE COOKED DAL AND POUR IN THE VESSEL TO THE LEVEL OF 3/4 MEASURE.

ADD SALT, TURMERIC POWDER, CURRY LEAVES AND LG AND BRING TO BOIL ON LOW FIRE.

MIX THE POWDER (WHICH IS KEPT READY) IN A LITTLE WATER AND ADD TO BOILING DAL WATER.

WHEN THE RASAM IS FOAMY SLOW DOWN THE HEAT. REPEAT THIS TWO TO THREE TIMES NOT ALLOWING THE RASAM TO BOIL MUCH. ADD THE TEMPERING AND COVER THE RASAM VESSEL WITH A LID TO RETAIN ITS AROMA. SERVE WITH HOT RICE.