An authentic South Indian recipe, Rasam is a flavourful dish ideally served before main course. Made with tomato, curry leaves and asafoetida powder, it is an ideal appetizer recipe. Rasam tastes the best when served with crispy papads. This spicy and tangy drink is absolutely different from other regional drinks of India, which are mostly a concoction of sweetened saffron, flavours like Lassi, Badam milk, Kesar Milk among others. This traditional drink is blend of amazing spices, which are high on flavours and helps in digestion. This quick recipe can be prepared using some easily available ingredients like tomatoes, cumin seeds, chopped coriander leaves, peppercorns, ginger, asafoetida powder and salt as per your taste. If you want your Rasam to be more spicy then, you can garnish it with some chopped chilies, coriander and sprinkle some gun powder to spice it up a bit! Curry leaves add a piquant aroma and flavour to this South Indian recipe. You can add your own innovation to this traditional dish by playing with some unique spices to give it a fusion twist for instance: You can fry the some chopped garlic and add it to the Rasam recipe, this will add on to the aroma and taste. Likewise, you can also top it with some crushed roasted spices mix like dried and roasted curry leaves, pepper powder, cumin seeds, and red chilies, grind this mix and add a pinch of it to the recipe. These were a just a few ideas will give an innovative twist to your Rasam drink. Rasam is one the most delicious appetizer drink, which is light on stomach and high on taste. You can serve it on special occasions like Onam, Pongal to name a few. You can also serve it as a soup at house parties or kitty parties. If you like the tangy flavour of tamarind, you can add a dash of dry tamarind powder.
Ingredients of Rasam
3 chopped tomato
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 piece ginger
1 handful chopped coriander leaves
2 cup water
1 pinch asafoetida
1 teaspoon peppercorns
5 curry leaves
salt as required
For Tempering
1/2 teaspoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
How to make Rasam
Step 1
Soak the tomatoes and ginger in lukewarm water with a pinch of salt and this will remove the adulterant from the tomatoes. Then, take a grinder and add tomatoes, asafoetida, cumin seeds, peppercorns, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt in it. Grind all these ingredients to a paste.
Step 2
Now, take a pan and add 2 cups of water in it. Heat the pan over medium flame. Add the ground paste and bring to a boil. Stir it for 1-2 minutes and then switch off the flame. Remove and keep it aside.
Step 3
For the tempering, heat ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add mustard seeds in the same pan and allow them to fry. Fry the mustard seeds for 20 seconds and pour into the rasam. To make it more delicious add some curry leaves and green chillies. Fry this mix until it starts crackling. Transfer the rasam in serving bowls and pair them with crispy papads and platter of chutneys.