Pepper-Cumin Rasam
★★★★★
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
15 minutes
SERVES
2-4
Ingredients
1
lemon-sized ball tamarind paste (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons
black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon
cumin seeds
1 pinch
asafetida
1/2 teaspoon
rasam powder
1/2 teaspoon
grated or powdered jaggery (or brown sugar)
1
small tomato
5-7
fresh curry leaves
1 teaspoon
ghee
1 teaspoon
mustard seeds
1 tablespoon
toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
Instructions
- Obtain a thin extract of tamarind by soaking and dissolving it in 1 cup (200 ml) of water. Discard any fibrous pulp.
- Dry roast the peppercorns, cumin, and asafetida in a dry skillet, stirring and tossing frequently over medium heat, until they begin to smell fragrant. Cool and grind into a fine powder.
- Stir the powdered spices, rasam powder, jaggery, and salt into the tamarind extract.
- Roughly crush the tomatoes and curry leaves and add them to the tamarind extract. Bring this rasam mixture to the boil.
- To this mixture, add 2 cups (400 ml) of water and continue heating until the rasam begins to foam.
- Heat the ghee in a small tempering or frying pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the toor dal and fry until the dal turns golden brown and aromatic.
- Pour this tempering into the hot rasam and stir through thoroughly.
- Sprinkle over a little cold water, cover and set aside.
