Spicy Tomato Rasam from Homemade Rasam Powder
Refreshing Tamil South Indian accompaniment to Rice. Spicy Tomato Rasam, made from tamarind extract, homemade rasam powder spice mix, tomato and mashed lentils. Goes well with rice and vegetable side dishes.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: south indian, tamil, TamilIyer
Keyword: rasam, tomato rasam
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Sujata Shukla
For Soaking
- 2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp size of a small Indian lemon
- 1 cup Water
For Pressure Cooking
- ¼ cup Towar dal arahar dal/ towaram paruppu/ split pigeon pea lentils
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder haldi powder
- 1 cup Water For cooking the dal
For Boiling
- 2 Tomatoes red and juicy
- ½ cup Water
For Making Tomato Rasam
- 2 tablespoons Rasam powder i. or to taste ii. click rasam powder for link to recipe
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin powder Freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper powder Freshly ground
- 1 pinch Asafoetida hing
- 6 Curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves minced
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ½ cup Water if required/ optional
For tempering:
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 6 curry leaves
Preparation (Soaking of Tamarind to be done while the Dal is being Pressure cooked)
Pressure Cooking Lentils and Boiling Tomatoes
Meanwhile, wash the dal and add turmeric powder. Pressure cook till the dal is soft, in 1 cup of water. I cook it for 2 whistles and then let the cooker release pressure/ steam by itself. Either cook the whole tomatoes in the cooker along with the lentils, or else boil them separately in a small pan of water while the dal is being pressure cooked. Add tomatoes, bring the water to boil, and reduce the stove heat to medium or low to simmer for 10 minutes.Once done, remove from the stove, slice the tomatoes and add as per instructions below, along with the water in which boiled.
To Make Tomato Rasam
Start once the cooker is ready to be opened and tomatoes are boiled.
Extract the juice of the tamarind by squeezing it in the water in which it is soaked. Strain the tamarind extract into a bowl, checking that there are no pieces of tamarind pulp or seeds, pour into a pan and heat on the stove.Add another ¼ cup of water to the tamarind pulp and squeeze out any remaining juice. Add to the pan on the stove. Discard the used tamarind pulp. Tip:The used pulp is good for cleaning oily iron frying pans (kadai). To the tamarind extract on the stove, add sliced tomatoes along with water in which boiled, rasam powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, asafoetida powder, a few minced curry leaves and salt.
Bring the rasam to a boil and then reduce the heat to low flame. Let it simmer for 5 - 7 minutes on low heat so that the raw smell of the tamarind and the chili in the rasam powder disappears. If tomatoes are added raw, give it another 2-3 minutes for them to boil, before going to the next step. Mash the cooked thowar dal in its own liquid so that the grains combine, and pour into the rasam.Bring to a boil, keeping it boiling for 2 minutes. Simmer on low flame for 3 minutes. Taste for correctness of salt. If the rasam is thicker than you would like, add ¼ -½ cup of water and bring to a boil.Add the chopped coriander and remove the pan from the stove.
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3753IU | Vitamin C: 138mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg