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Home » Indian Spice Mix » Homemade Rasam Powder

Homemade Rasam Powder

Published: Jun 23, 2015 Modified: Apr 5, 2020 By Sujata Shukla This blog generates income via ads. This post may contain affiliate links. PepperOnPizza may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking these links. View our disclosure policy for details

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Traditional authentic rasam powder from a Tamil brahmin kitchen. Glass jars with orange red spice powder from whole Indian spices and condiments. A jar of turmeric powder at the back and jar of chili powder to the leaft

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I had tried many varieties of store bought branded Rasam powders until I finally realised that the best Rasam is from my Mom's traditional Tamilian Iyer recipe for a Homemade Rasam Powder. I now make this about once a year, safely storing the bulk of the spice in an airtight container so that the aroma and flavour are intact. I keep a small quantity (about half a cup) in a tightly closed small jar in my regular spice shelf for ready use, since I make rasam once every week or two.

Store the powder in a dry and airtight container. You could keep a small quantity (about half a cup) in a small tightly closed jar in your regular spice shelf for ready use, and store the rest in a larger jar separately so that the powder it is not frequently exposed to the air. Always use a dry spoon to take the powder out as moisture and damp can spoil the rasam powder.

Measuring the ingredients for the Rasam Powder:

In the recipe below I have given two sets of measurements - the first set of measurements next to the ingredients yield about 4 heaped cups of the Rasam Spice Powder. The next set of measurements given in brackets, gives a much larger yield though I have not found it necessary to make such large quantities.

Ingredients for Rasam Powder set out in separate bowls. Coriander seeds, dry red chili, mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin, asafoetida, Pigeon pea lentils, black pepper split bengal gram dal
Ingredients for Rasam Powder

This is the Rasam powder referred to in my Tomato Rasam recipe, in the link below.While making the Tomato Rasam, a little freshly ground Jeera and Pepper Powder added along with this Rasam powder, enhances the taste.

Here are links to various Rasams on my site:

Recipe for Tomato Rasam

An orange bowl with brownish tomato rasam from homemade rasam powder, garnished with coriander leaves, tempered with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, in ghee. Tomatoes in the background and coriander leaves to the left

Refreshing Lemon Thyme Rasam

Lemon Thyme rasam - fresh thyme leaves give a twist to the traditional rasam of lentils, tamarind water, spices. Rich in nutrients, try this unusual recipe.

Festive Pineapple Rasam

A brass bowl with soup like Pineapple Rasam garnished with coriander leaves, tempered with mustard and cumin in ghee, resting on a red slik fabric embroidered with gold thread. Curry leaves and coriander leaves at the bottom left

It is important to source fresh high quality spices for making the rasam powder, to give the best flavours and aroma you expect from well prepared rasam.

A traditional Tamil Iyer recipe for Homemade Rasam Powder recipe for a spice powder made with dry chilies, coriander and cumin.

Homemade Rasam Powder

Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 400 gms
Author: Sujata Shukla
Easy homemade Rasam powder. Authentic recipe from a Tamil Brahmin kitchen. Coriander seeds, dry chili, cumin, pepper, thuvar dal, channa dal, curry leaves, asafoetida. Vegan, Gluten free. Make spicy tomato rasam, pineapple rasam, mango rasam, lemon rasam
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Ingredients

  • 200 gms Coriander seeds - (Dhania) (½ kg)
  • 200 gms Chillies - Red (dry) (½ kg)
  • ¾ tbsp Pigeon pea lentil - (Arahar/ toor)  (2tbsp)
  • ¾ tbsp Bengal gram lentil - (channa dhal) (2tbsp)
  • ¾ tbsp black pepper - (2 tbsp)
  • ½ tbsp Cumin seeds - (Jeera) (1 tbsp)
  • ½ tsp asafoetida - (Hing) (1 tsp)
  • 1 tablespoon curry leaves - 1 large handful
  • ½ tbsp mustard - (1 tbsp)
  • ½ tsp turmeric - powder (haldi) (1 tsp)

Instructions

  • Take whole spices and condiments (sabut), dry them as in step 2 below and then follow the process. The recipe does not call for oil, to maintain authentic taste.
  • If you have a sunny balcony or terrace, spread the ingredients separately on clean sheets of plastic or newspaper, for at least one day, letting them soak in the sun. Remove before the sun goes down and the air becomes chill. Check the ingredients for small stones, sticks etc. Remove the stalks from the red chilies.
  • Heat a suitable pan, and dry roast each type of ingredients separately for a few minutes on low to medium flame, taking each one to separate dry dish after roasting.
  • Roast the Coriander seeds for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. The Dals (lentils) should be sautéd together on a low flame till they darken slightly. Watch out while doing this as they can quickly burn and char to black.
  • The Cumin seeds should be roasted for only about 30 seconds and removed before they begin to blacken. The turmeric powder is to be sautéed dry for a few seconds, and I do this last, after all the other items have been roasted.
  • The dry red chillies will give a pungent smell so don't breathe in deeply when you are roasting them!
  • Once the roasted ingredients have cooled, you need to grind them. Coarse grinding is sufficient, except for the chilies. Grind the coriander seeds first Add the dals/ lentils and grind.
  • Add all the other ingredients except for the red chilies, and grind to a coarse powder. Remove from the mixer/ processor and keep aside.
  • Grind the red chillies as fine as you can get them. Remove from processor.
  • Mix equal quantities of the red chilli powder and the coriander-spices mixed powder. Mix well so that all the spices blend together completely.
  • Use in Rasam powder as per my recipe for Spicy Tomato Rasam https://www.pepperonpizza.com/spicy-tomato-rasam-recipe

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Hello There!

Hello from Sujata Shukla, the Author, Owner, Head Cook and Bottle washer at PepperOnPizza.com. The recipes I share with you are from fresh produce, vegetarian except for the occasional egg, usually made from scratch. Traditional Indian, specially Tamil recipes are my forte, along with a slew of Salads and Soups for a healthy lifestyle. Check out my Author Page!

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