Rasam - Fix-m-Fast

Rasam means juice, but it is a soupe that is normally had with rice, and it is also good to have to protect oneself from cold/sour throat.

There are variety of rasams with spices like mustard, cumin and pepper like:

1) Tomato Rasam 2) lemon Rasam 3) Tamrind Rasam 4) Dal Rasam 5) Garlic Rasam

(1 CUP = 250 ML) Ingredients Main ingredients 1 lemon sized tamarind - approx 1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind (imli) ½ cup warm or hot water, for soaking tamarind 1 medium tomato, chopped 2 cups water 10 to 12 curry leaves 2 pinch asafoetida (hing) ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 to 3 dry red chilies, broken and deseeded 2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) 2 tablespoon oil salt as required to be powdered to a semi coarse consistency 3 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoon whole black pepper 6 to 7 garlic, roughly chopped

Instructions preparation Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 to 30 mins. Squeeze the pulp from the soaked tamarind. Strain and keep aside. In a dry grinder or coffee grinder, powder the cumin seeds, whole black pepper and garlic to a semi fine consistency. making rasam Heat oil in a pan. Crackle the mustard seeds first. Add the curry leaves, red chilies & asafoetida and fry for some seconds till the red chilies deepen their color. Temper on a low flame so that the spices don't burn. Than add the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes soften. Then add the semi coarsely powdered cumin, black pepper and garlic along with turmeric powder. Stir and then add the tamarind pulp. Add water and stir well. Season with salt. Just let the whole rasam come to a gentle boil uncovered. Then switch off the fire and add chopped coriander leaves. Serve rasam hot, plain or with steamed rice.

Paruppu Rasam

(1 CUP = 250 ML) Ingredients main ingredients ½ or ⅔ cup pigeon pea lentils (tuvar dal or arhar dal) 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds ½ teaspoon split and skinned black gram (urad dal) - optional 1 or 2 dry red chilies 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 to 2 cups water or add as required 1 tablespoon seedless tamarind soaked in ½ cup water 10 to 12 curry leaves 2 tablespoon oil salt as required for dry roasting and then grinding to semi coarse or fine powder 2 to 3 dry red chilies 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds ½ teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoon coriander seeds

preparation First take all the whole spices meant to make the rasam powder. Dry roast in a medium hot frying pan till the spices are browned and become fragrant. Once they are cooled, in a dry grinder or coffee grinder, grind these spices to a semi coarse or fine powder. Keep aside. Soak 1 tablespoon seedless tamarind in ½ cup of water for 40 minutes. Later squeeze the tamarind pulp and keep aside. In a pressure cooker cook the arhar dal till they are completely cooked and soft. With a spoon or wired whisk, mash the dal lightly. making paruppu rasam In another pan, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal. Fry till the mustard seeds start crackling and the urad dal becomes golden. Lower the flame and add the curry leaves & dry red chilies and fry for few seconds. Now add the turmeric powder and asafoetida. Stir and add the roasted ground rasam powder. Stir quickly and add the above tempered mixture to the dal or add the dal to this mixture. stir. Add the tamarind pulp. Stir well. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or till you see a frothy layer on top on a low or medium flame. The raw aroma of the tamarind also has to go away. Garnish the paruppu rasam with coriander leaves and serve hot, plain or with some steamed rice.

Lemon Rasam
1. rinse ¼ cup tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils with water and then add them in a pressure cooker along with a pinch of turmeric powder. add ¾ to 1 cup water and pressure cook for 8 to 9 whistles or till the dal has softened and cooked really well. About 10 to 12 minutes on a medium to high flame.

2. When the pressure settles down on its own, check the dal and mash with a spoon or wired whisk. Keep the dal aside.

3. in a small grinder or chutney grinder, take ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves, 2 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 or 2 green chilies (chopped), ½ inch ginger (roughly chopped) and 4 to 5 garlic cloves (roughly chopped).

4. Without adding water grind to a coarse paste. Keep aside.

5 squeeze the juice from the lemon and keep aside. I used 1 medium-sized lemon. You can also use limes.

Making Lemon Rasam
6. In a pan or pot, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil or any oil and add ½ tsp mustard seeds. Saute till the mustard seeds start crackling.

7. Then add 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 to 2 dry red chilies. Saute till the red chilies change their color and darken a bit. Don’t burn them.

8. Now add the ground coarse paste along with a pinch of asafoetida/hing and ¼ tsp turmeric powder. Stir very well.

9. Add the cooked dal.

10. Add 1 to 1.5 cups water. Stir well.

11. Season with salt.

12. On a low to medium flame simmer the rasam for 5 to 6 minutes.

13. Switch off the flame. Wait for 1 minute and then add 2.5 to 3 tbsp lemon juice. You can add more or less as required and as per your taste. Instead of lemon, you can also add lime juice. Stir very well.

14. Garnish with some coriander leaves & Serve coriander lemon rasam with steamed rice and a capsicum fry or poriyal or vegetable roast.


Tomato Rasam without Tamrind

for the spice-herb mixture
⅓ cup coriander stems with or without leaves
7 to 8 medium sized garlic cloves
1 inch ginger , roughly chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon black pepper
for tomato puree
3 large ripe, red and juicy tomatoes - 275 grams or 1.5 to 1.75 cups chopped tomatoes
for making tomato rasam
1 tablespoon oil - gingelly oil (sesame oil made from raw sesame seeds), sunflower oil or peanut oil can be used
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon urad dal (husked & split or whole black gram)
1 or 2 dry red chillies broken and seeds removed
1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 sprig of curry leaves or 10 to 12 curry leaves
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
salt as per taste
1.5 cups water or add as required
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
Instructions
making ground rasam mixture
Take roughly chopped coriander stems with or without leaves (about a handful of coriander stems) in a blender or mixer jar. Also add garlic cloves and roughly chopped ginger.
Add cumin seeds and black pepper.
Grind to a coarse paste. Remove in a separate bowl or plate.
making tomato puree
In the same jar add the tomatoes (rinsed and chopped).
Grind or blend to a smooth puree. If you want, you can blanch tomatoes and then puree them – for a bright red color in the rasam.
making tomato rasam
In a heavy pan or pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Keep the flame to its lowest.
Add ½ teaspoon mustard seed and let them begin to crackle.
When the mustard seeds start to crackle, then add ½ teaspoon urad dal.
Stirring often fry urad dal till they turn golden.
Now add 1 to 2 dry red chilies (halved and seeds removed) and 1 pinch asafoetida. In case the pan becomes hot, then switch off the flame.
Stir and fry for a few seconds till red chilies change color.
Add the coarsely ground coriander stems+ginger+garlic mixture and curry leaves. If the pan becomes too hot, then you can switch off the flame.
Sauté for a minute on lowest flame taking care the mixture does not burn. You will get a nice aroma while sautéing this mixture.
Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
Mix turmeric powder with the rest of the mixture.
Now add the tomato puree. mix very well. Take care as the mixture splutters.
Sauté for a minute. season with salt as per taste.
Then add 1.5 cups water. If you like a little thin tomato rasam, then you could add some more water. But do not add too much water as then the flavors get diluted.
Mix well and simmer thakkali rasam on medium-low flame till the rasam comes to a boil.
Overall simmer for 9 to 10 minutes.
Finally switch off the flame and add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Check the taste of tomato rasam and add more salt if required.
Serve tomato rasam hot with rice and some pappadums.
Garlic Rasam | Poondu Rasam

Garlic rasam is a spiced, sour rasam variety seasoned with garlic and spices.

Ingredients:

for coarsely ground rasam spice mixture
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 to 3 garlic cloves
2 dry red chilies - broken and deseeded
for tamarind pulp
½ cup water
1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind
for tempering and other ingredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram)
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 to 2 dry red chilies
8 to 10 garlic crushed lightly, with or without peels
1 small to medium tomato, chopped or crushed
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1.5 to 2 cups water
salt as required
1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Method:
preparing tamarind pulp
Heat 1/2 cup water and soak 1 tbsp tightly packed seedless tamarind in it. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, squeeze the softened tamarind very well in the water. Keep this tamaraind pulp aside.
preparing ground rasam spice mix and prepping
When the tamarind is soaking, make the ground rasam spice mix. Add 1 tsp black pepper, tsp cumin seeds, 2 to 3 garlic cloves and 2 dry red chilies, broken and deseeded in a small dry grinder or spice grinder.
Grind to a coarse mixture. Keep aside.
Crush lightly 8 to 10 garlic with or without peels in a mortar-pestle. Chop or crush the tomato.
seasoning and making garlic rasam
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan or pot. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp urad dal. Saute till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns to a maroonish color. Saute on a low flame.
Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chilies and the crushed garlic.
Saute till the garlic turns light brown.
Then add 1 small to medium tomato (chopped or crushed). Also add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften.
Add the ground rasam spice mix. Stir very well and saute for a minute on a low flame.
Now add the tamarind pulp and 1.5 to 2 cups water. Season with salt.
On a medium flame, simmer the rasam for 5 to 6 minutes. While adding tamarind pulp, directly strain it with a tea strainer in the pan.
When done, switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves.
Serve garlic rasam hot with some steamed rice. You can also have it as a soup.

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Mysore Rasam:

Ingredients

for mysore rasam powder

2 teaspoons ghee (clarified butter) or oil

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon whole black pepper

⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana) or about 30 fenugreek seeds

1 to 2 byadagi red chillies , can use other variety of low to medium hot dry red chilies

5 to 6 curry leaves

1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)

¼ cup fresh grated coconut - can also use desiccated coconut.

pressure cooking lentils

• ⅓ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils) or 80 grams arhar dal
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1.5 cups water for pressure cooking

for tamarind pulp

• 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind or 12 grams tamarind
• ⅓ cup hot water for soaking tamarind

other ingredients for mysore rasam

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 medium to large tomato or 90 grams tomato or ½ cup chopped or diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• salt as required

for tempering

• ½ tablespoon ghee or oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 to 2 byadagi red chillies or any dry red chili

for garnish

• 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)

pressure cooking lentils

• First rinse ⅓ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils) for a couple of times. 
• Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker. Also add a pinch of turmeric powder and 1.5 cups water.
• Pressure cook tuvar dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 11 to 12 minutes on medium flame, till the lentils are completely cooked. 
• When the pressure falls down of its own, remove the lid. Check the doneness of the dal. mash the dal with a spoon or ladle.

making tamarind pulp

• Soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
• After 20 to 30 minutes, squeeze and extract the tamarind pulp in the water. Keep aside.

roasting and grinding spices for mysore rasam powder

• Now keep all the spices ready. Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a pan. Add chana dal and on a low flame fry chana dal till light golden.
• Next add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) and whole black pepper, dry red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Mix well and roast for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame stirring continuously till you get a nice fragrant aroma from the whole spices.
• Then add grated fresh coconut. You can also use desiccated coconut instead of fresh coconut.
• Mix very well with the remaining spices and saute for 1 to 2 minutes on a low flame
• Let this rasam masala mixture cool down or become warm.
• Then add all the whole spices and coconut in a grinder jar.
• Without adding water, grind to a fine powder. 

making mysore rasam

• Take a pan and strain the tamarind pulp. You can also add tamarind pulp directly if there are less fibres in it.
• Add 2 cups water and mix.
• Keep the pan on stove top and on a low to medium flame heat the tamarind solution till its raw aroma & flavor goes away. Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Then add chopped tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
• Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are softened. Cook for about 8 to 9 minutes on a low flame.
• Once the tomatoes have softened, then add the ground mysore rasam powder and mashed dal. Mix well.
• Season with salt as per taste.
• Mix and simmer rasam on a medium-low flame for about 3 minutes. Cover the pan and keep aside.

tempering for mysore rasam

• Heat ½ tablespoon ghee in a small pan or tadka pan.
• When the ghee melts and becomes hot, then lower the flame. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
• Once the mustard seeds begin to crackle, then add 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chilies and a pinch of asafoetida. Stir and saute till the red chilies change color. then switch off the flame.
• Pour all of the tempered ingredients in the rasam.
• Cover with a lid and keep aside for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Then add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix.
• Serve mysore rasam hot with steamed rice.

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/mysore-rasam-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-144348

Instant Tomato Rasam

Ingredients needed

   Ripe tomatoes -2-3
   Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
   Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp
   Curry leaves – few

   For the seasoning

   Ghee – 1 tsp
   Mustard seeds -1 tsp
   Curry leaves – few

   For garnishing

   Coriander leaves – finely chopped

Preparation 

Dry grind pepper and jeera coarsely and keep it aside.This is the rasam powder for this recipe.

Method 

Boil tomatoes in water for 3-4 minutes (just enough water to cover the tomatoes). Switch off the flame and keep it closed for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the skin and mash the tomatoes well.

Add the ground rasam powder, few curry leaves, salt needed and let it boil for about 5 minutes.

Then add 1 1/2 cup of water and switch off the flame once froth starts forming at the top.(see pic)

Heat a tsp of ghee, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves and pour it over the rasam.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

.Tips for preparing a good rasam (for beginners)

Always boil rasam on low flame.

Switch off, once rasam becomes frothy at the top. Do not boil after that as it will not taste good.

Adding curry leaves and coriander leaves makes it more flavorful.

Do not avoid seasoning.

https://www.padhuskitchen.com/2010/10/rasam-recipes-south-indian-rasam.html

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Marunthu rasam:

Coriander seeds.... 1/2tsp

Pepper............ 1/2tsp

Cummins.......... 1/2tsp

Ginger or chunku... 1/2"

Garlic............... 2-3pods

Turmeric.......... 1/4tsp

Grind it into fine paste, add two cups water and boil for one min. Add some more water now switch off as soon as it comes to a boil. Temper with mustard, methi and Cummins. Garnish with curry leaves or karpooravalli leaves from ur garden. Drink this two or three times a day. Especially before bed time, Add half lemon after switching off, no need for pull.