Mysore Rasam

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Continuing my series of Cookbook recipes for Blogging Marathon, I present from the book “Samaithu Paar”  an evergreen classic – Mysore Rasam. Rasam by itself needs no introduction – it’s a comfort food, a staple in South Indian homes, and is part of any South Indian Thali worldwide. Rasam can be loosely translated as a broth, mildly spiced with just a hint of tamarind and  with or without cooked lentils (toor dal mainly).

In most Indian kitchens (and even weddings), I am told that cooked lentils are not directly added to Mysore Rasam , but rather the lentil extract (or kattu as it is called in Tamil /kannada) is added along with tamaraind / tomato making it as light as a shorba. This is directly consumed as it is on rainy / wintery evenings as a soothing comforting drink or mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee !! Yummmm..

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Prep time :  10 min. Cooking time : 15 mins. Serves : 4

Ingredients :

·         Toor Dal – ⅛ cup

·         Tomatoes – 2 large

·         Tamarind – small gooseberry sized

·         Ghee – 2 tsp

·         Rasam Powder – 1 tsp

·         Jeera  / Cumin – ¼ tsp

·         Dhania / Coriander – ½ tbsp

·         Dry Red chilly – 1 no (Kashmiri Red chilly preferred)

·         Turmeric – ½ tsp

·         Jaggery grated -½ teaspoon (Opt.)

·         Asafoetida / Hing – ¼ tsp

·         Salt to taste.

·         Tempering : Mustard seeds, curry leaves, coriander

Method:

1)      Soak Dal for 10 mins and pressure cook with a pinch of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of oil for 4 whistles  with adequate water (about 3 cups)

2)      Meanwhile , soak tamarind in warm water for 10 mins and extract juice (abut 2 TBSP)

3)      Blanch and finely chop tomatoes

4)      Dry roast cumin, dhaniya seeds and red chillies and grind in a spice grinder along with rasam powder and hing.

5)      Once dal is cooked, decant the water on top to a vessel. Mash the dal lightly separately.

6)      In a deep bottomed pan, heat ghee. Add the water from the dal (lentil), salt, jaggery, ground spice powder and let it come to a rolling boil. Add  2 tablespoon of cooked dal now. Check for salt and continue boil for 2 mins more. Transfer to a serving bowl.

7)      Prepare tempering with ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves and coriander and pour onto the rasam. Drink it as it is, or mix with hot steamed rice !!