Rasam

Rasam meaning juice is a famous South Indian soup. Traditional preparation of this kitchen friend involves tamarind juice and tomato as base in additon to other spices and seasonings. I remember one of Sri's friend ,who is a North Indian when invited to lunch literally drank rasam as he loved it very much. I like to cook my nanamma's version of rasam ,where she adds coriander leaf and cilantro leaf with stalks as it imports more aroma and taste to rasam.This is a plain version of rasam.

Ingredients:

• 1 small lemon sized tamarind
• 3 small tomatos
• 1 tsp rock salt
• 1 red chilly pierced into small pieces
• 1 tbsp rasam powder
• a pinch turmeric powder
• 4 garlic pods
• 2-3 corainder stalks
• 3-4 cilantro stalks
• 1 tbsp ghee for popu
• 3 cups water

 For Tadka:

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3-4 fenugreek seeds

Procedure:

1. Boil tomato,tamarind,rock salt in a vessel.When tomato is cooked remove from stove and let it cool.
2. Once cooled extract juice from the above mixture.
3. Now heat oil/ghee in a vessel(preferrably steel as aluminium vessels reacts chemically with tamarind) and add all tadka seeds.Let them splutter.
4. Add garlic and red chilly pieces.Pour the extracted juice into the poppu and add water.
5. Finally add rasam powder,stalksof curry leaves and cilantro leaves.Boil for 5 minutes until the kitchen is spread with nice aroma.

 Note:

Those who loves sweet vesrion of rasam can add 1/2 tsp jaggery/sugar.Rasam(salt version) along with curd rice also goes well.I like this combination.