Rasam

Rasam is a traditional South Indian vegetarian dish. There are various kinds Rasams. It can be eaten mixed with rice, or drunk like a soup. In a formal meal, it follows the sambar course and is in turn followed by curd rice. It has soup consistency. Rasam contains many spices which are considered beneficial to health

Ingredients

Rasam powder     1 tbsp
Toor Dhal     1 cup
Oil     2 Tbsp
Asaefoetida     1 Tsp
Tamarind paste     1 tbsp
Tomatoes     1 large
Cilantro     1 small bunch
black pepper     2 tsp
Curry leaves     about 10 leaves
Garlic (minced)     2 Cloves
water     2 cups
oil, urid dal, mustard seeds     to season
Salt     to taste(2 tsp)

photo by vidyapraveen

Method

1     Cook the toor dal (pressure cooker is fine)
2     Take a wide vessel pour a cup or two of water, add salt and Rasam Powder to it. Cut tomato into small pieces and half cook them all for a few minutes. Cool it and mash them well by hand
3     Add minced garlic, tamarind extract/paste. Add the cooked toor dal(mashed well) and cook for 5 more minutes
4     Pour oil in a pan, in medium heat, add the curry leavesm, mustard and urid daal and fry until the seeds pop
5     Add the sauted items to the boilng rasam in the big vessel spirnkel some ciantro and turn off the heat. After a few minutes you can serve with white rice

Make Your own rasam powder or buy it from any Indian store
For one serving of rasam: 1 tsp of the following: Ingredients : Dry red pepper(1 measure), Dhania/cilantro seeds/coriander seeds(1 measure), whole pepper(4 tsps), toor daal/chick peas(4 tsp), channa dal(2 tsp), cumin seeds(2 tsp) Make sure these are dry. Grind into a smooth powder. Add 4 tsp turmeric powder and mix well.
You can make large quantities and keep it for months. Moisture will spoil it. Keep it dry and air tight.

courtesy: india-tamil-recipe