Recipe · Curries

Tomato Rasam

Name: Tomato Rasam
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium tomatoes (ripe, pureed); 1 lime-sized tamarind (soaked in 1 cup warm water); 0.5 cup toor dal cooking water (optional but classic); 2 tsp rasam powder; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp black pepper (coarsely crushed); 1 tsp cumin seeds (coarsely crushed); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 tbsp ghee; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 sprig curry leaves; 2 dried red chillies; 1 pinch asafoetida; 0.25 cup coriander leaves (chopped); 1 salt (to taste)

தக்காளி ரசம்

25 min totalServes 4Vegetarian

A peppery, tangy broth crowned with a mustard-curry-leaf tempering — comfort in a steel tumbler.

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A copper vessel of fragrant tomato rasam with curry leaves and coriander, on a red cloth

Fig. 01 — The finished dish.

Ingredients

Servings4

3 mediumtomatoesதக்காளிripe, pureed
1 lime-sizedtamarindபுளிsoaked in 1 cup warm water
0.5 cuptoor dal cooking waterதுவரம் பருப்பு தண்ணீர்optional but classic
2 tsprasam powderரசம் பொடி
0.5 tspturmericமஞ்சள்
1 tspblack pepperமிளகுcoarsely crushed
1 tspcumin seedsசீரகம்coarsely crushed
3garlic clovesபூண்டுcrushed
2 tbspgheeநெய்
1 tspmustard seedsகடுகு
1 sprigcurry leavesகறிவேப்பிலை
2dried red chilliesவற்றல் மிளகாய்
1 pinchasafoetidaபெருங்காயம்
0.25 cupcoriander leavesகொத்தமல்லிchopped
1saltஉப்புto taste

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Method · stovetop

01
Squeeze tamarind pulp out of the soaking water. Discard solids.
02
In a vessel, combine tamarind water, tomato puree, dal water (if using), rasam powder, turmeric and salt. Add 2 cups water.
03
Crush pepper, cumin and garlic together. Add to the pot.
04
Bring just to the edge of a boil — never a full rolling boil; rasam should froth, not bubble violently. Turn off heat.
05
Temper: heat ghee, splutter mustard, add red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida. Pour over rasam.
06
Garnish with coriander. Serve with steamed rice and a puddle of ghee.

A note from Lavanya

My grandmother's rasam was never the same twice — she adjusted the pepper to whoever had a cold that week. This is the version she made when I had exams.

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