Pepper rasam/Miriyala rasam

I am badly suffering from runnning nose and throat infection.I have never been accustomed of swallowing pills whenever I am sick and always prefer natural remedies handed down from our generations like turmeric laced milk,pepper rasam,tulasi kashayam etc.All these work as a good antidote for cold,cough and throat infection.Well coming to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon sized tamarind
• 2 medium sized tomatoes chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp pepper/miriyalu grinded into coarse powder
• 1 tbsp rasam powder
• 5 garlic pods
• few curry leaves
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp oil/ghee
• 2 tsp salt for taste
• 1 tsp turemeric powder
• few cilantro leaves

Procedure:

1. Boil tamarind,tomato in water until the tomato is cooked.Cool it aside.
2. Once cooled squeeze tamarind and tomato mixture and discard the pulp.
3. Now in a vessel(preferrably stain less steel) add oil,once heated add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,fenugreek seeds and as they splutter add turmeric powder,curryleaves,red chillies,garlic pods and stir fry for few seconds.
4. Add the tamarind-tomato extract to the vessel.Add few(2-3) cups of water.
5. Add salt,rasam powder,pepper powder and boil for 5 minutes.
6. Finally add cilantro and serve hot with rice.