Rasam is a tangy soup that can make any Indian especially
Southies palate go tangy to tango ! Well, it is a sweet , spicy , tangy , soupy and healthy in
short .It’s an indispensable part of every South Indian meal especially lunch and dinner. That’s the “must have
soup” for South Indians especially with rice.
Honey P (My hubby) is a biiiiiiig fan of Rasam. Being a Hyderabadi cum Keralite I am not at all surprised :).I love watching him gulping
and relishing the Rasam and I would say to
myself ,look that’s how one should enjoy the food .It’s like indirectly
saying I am grateful to have food on my table. Thank God and Thanks to my beautiful
wife ;) Ahem ahem !! :P.
Myself , I love them especially when it is like the Anu Malik’s
Song ,”Dekho baarish ho Rahi hai, it’s raining, it’s raining it’s raaaaaaining”
. Yeah I enjoy them when it is raining cats & dogs and this spicy tangy soup just makes it
more enticing. And also when I am down with cold, cough, fever, aaaaaachoooooo
aaaachiiii then because the pepper, turmeric, ginger, garlics in Rasam has got the
medicinal properties to soothe and heal . Otherwise I love having more like
a soup than with rice. Reminds me how aromatic our house used to be back at
home when amma used to make Rasam.hmmmm…
Do you know Wikipedia says that one of our hero of the nation, the great freedom
fighter,Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once said that if he had command over India
he would have declared Rasam as the National drink :). Interesting right !!:)
Anyways, there are in fact varieties of Rasam. I am gonna make
Pineapple Tomato Rasam.
Here is how I make Pineapple Tomato Rasam :
Ingredients
Pineapple shredded – ½ cup
Tomato chopped - ¼ cup
Tamarind -1 tablespoon
Cilantro leaves chopped – 2 teaspoon
Green Chili – 4 no.
Mustard seeds- ¼ teaspoon
Cumin – ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida – a pinch
Pepper- ¼ teaspoon
Ginger-garlic- 1 teaspoon
Home made/Readymade Rasam powder – 1 -2 tablespoon
Oil – 1-2 tablespoon
Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
Coconut shredded – ¼ teaspoon
Preparation
- Boil
chopped tomato, shredded pineapple (or pureed / chopped into
small cubes and should be fresh not canned), tamarind, cilantro leaves, green
chili in a pan and later allow them to simmer for a while in low flame.
- In another pan, splutter some mustard seeds , cumin seeds, asafoetida, pepper and
add ginger garlic to them.
- Once the raw smell of ginger garlic disappears, add the Rasam powder and sauté for
a minute or two.
- Now strain
the boiled tomato,pineapple,tamarind,cilantro,green chili as in step 1 (if
you want a clear Rasam ) or use as it is and put it into the tempering pan
above (Step 2-3)
- Allow
them to boil together and simmer for a while so that every flavor blends
in like 2 minutes.
- Now remove Pineapple tomato Rasam from the stove , add Lime juice and stir well.
- Garnish
the Rasam with cilantro leaves and shredded coconut.
- Pineapple Tomato Rasam is ready . Serve it with rice or have it as a soup.
Note: If you want a light rasam add less Rasam powder .I like more.
Have a tangy day,