Sunday, March 16, 2008

Rasam – Light Soup


Ideal when cold/coughs come visiting.

At least that is what my husband's parents vouched when we started making Rasam. Something both my husband and I are not very fond of. But a traditional recipe has its own charm esp when you live away from tradition. So it is that I ended up helping my MIL (henceforth to be referred as HMom for husband's mom) with a wish for some Rasam. Her recipes always have savory flavors. I am not sure how it got its name. If anyone knows, please don't hesitate to tell it here. I know it literally means 'fun' but memory defies this meaning when I try to remember the few times I tried to taste at friends' homes. There must be some other reason why it got its rather endearing name.


In The Mix


to grind:

freshly ground pepper - 1/2 tsp

garlic pods – 2 or 3 pods

ginger – ¾” piece

asafoetida (kaayam) - ¼ tsp

methi (uluva) - ½ tsp

cumin powder - ½ tsp

small onion – 1 can be substituted with ¼ to ½ of a shallot

coriander powder – 1tsp

chili powder – 1 tsp

turmeric - ¼ to ½ tsp

for the rest:

salt to taste

water – 4 cups

tomato – 1 chopped

tamarind paste – 1 ½ tsp

dry red chili – 2 or 3 torn into 2 or 3 pieces

methi - ¼ tsp

mustard - ¼ tsp

oil - ½ tbsp

coriander leaves (malli ila) - chopped


How To Do

Grind all the ingredients of 'to grind' mixed in ample water. Salt may be added at this time or later.

Break mustards in heated oil in a cooking pan and saute methi & dry red chilies. Now add the ground mix to this and saute mildly. Add 4 cups of water and let it boil. Add tamarind and tomatoes and boil. Tomato doesn't have to be fully cooked. Check for salt, boil for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Use hot with rice and papad. Add a sprinkle of chopped coriander leaves on top.

Can add one more tomato if tamarind is in short supply.

Good for a troubled tummy as well as during cough/cold. This is said to have a purifying effect on the respiratory tract as well as some taste to the tongue. Can also be had as a an energy drink:-) One can't ask more from such a quick and simple preparation I'd say!!

Note: Found this while searching for the meaning of Rasam in yahoo.

3 comments:

Reflections said...

I have my mom's recipe. We dont put both tomato & tamarind together. Its either Tomato rasam or Puli rasam. If the tomato is not sour enoff then a bit of lemon juice is added. Everything else is the same :-).
And yes it is a simple & quick preparation

Shah cooks said...

rasam does have a unique name..probably a reference to the balance of the sweet/sour and spicy taste.

lan said...

hi nancy
my husband's dad was telling us that one more tomato would have done the job instead of the tamarind and so might have meant the thakkali rasam then. but the combined rasam tasted rather well and i intend to make it again by myself...

hi mallugirl
i was thinking about your latest series of soups when i began to name good old rasam as 'light soup'. yes, it'd be interesting to know how the name came about and i like your theory as good as any:-))