As I already told rasam is one of the delicious south Indian soups. Here I have explained the preparation of rasam, and small tips to make it all the more tasty.

Ordinary Dhal Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lime size
Tomato – big one
Rasam Powder – 1 tsp ti 1 1/2 tsp ( depending upon the strength of the rasam powder)
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure
-Stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the colour of the rasam.

-Add the rasam powder, turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves add it to rasam. Finally, after the whole procedure is over add asafoetida and immediately close it at least for 10minutes so that the flavour is not lost.

Tasty yummy rasam is ready.

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Lime Rasam

Ingredients

Tomato – 2 big one
Rasam Powder – 1/2 tsp
Green Chilies – 2 Nos
Ginger – a small piece about 1″
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp
Lime – 1 in nos

Procedure

-Finely chop the tomatoes. Slit the green chilies longitudinally and chop the ginger into small pieces.

-Mix the chopped tomatoes, ginger, chillies rasam powder, turmeric powder and salt in 1 1/2 cups of water and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes.

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

-Remove the rasam form the fire and then add the juice of one lime and serve.

-Lime should be added only after removing rasam form the fire. Lime juice will turn soar when cooked.
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Pineapple Rasam

Pineapple rasam is the delicasy of SouthIndia.

The procedure is same as that of doing lime rasam.

The only difference is you have to reduce the quantity of lime juice to half and add a cup full of chopped pineapple. You can also extract the juice of the pineapple and add to it.

After rasam is done , garnish it with ripe pineapples.

Orange Rasam

The same procedure can be followed in preparing orange rasam .
Add orange juice instead of pineapple juice.

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Mysore Rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 4 (or 6, if u need a spicy rasam)Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Add 1/2 tsp of jeera and Coconut – 1 Tbl spoon, grind it to a smoot powder.

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure
Stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the colour of the rasam.

-Add turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of tamarind vanishes. Now add the powder you prepared.

-Smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Add coriander leaves, saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

Lime Mysore Rasam

Instead of adding the tamarind in the begining add the lime juice at last, as you did for the lime rasam.

Brinjal Mysore Rasam

Slit the small brinjals into four without fully cutting them.

Cook the brinjal in tamarind water and repeat the same procedure.
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Pepper – Jeera Rasam

Already in y previous post I have explained to you about the preparation of pepper – jeera rasam powder. Always keep it handy.
This can be done with or with out tomatoes.

Ingredients
Tamarind – size of small lemon if you are using tomato
size of a big lime if tomato is not used.
Rasam Powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 Tbs with its water

Procedure
Stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Instead of putting the tomato as pieces you grind the tomato and add the puree. This will enhance the color of the rasam.

-Add the rasam powder, salt and allow it to boil for about 5 to seven minutes till the raw smell of the rasam powder vanishes.

-Now smash the cooked thoor dhal and add it along with its water & allow the rasam to boil just for a minute.

-Saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

For this rasam asafoetida &
coriander are not required. Instead just crush few fresh curry leaves with a pinch of salt and garnish the rasam.
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Poricha Rasam

This rasam is done without tamarind. But it is very tasty.

Ingredients

Tomato – 1 big in size
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cooked Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp along with water

To fry and grind

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, Thoordhal – 1 tsp, ChennaDhal – 1 tsp, Red Chilies – 2 Nos, Black pepper – 1/2 tsp, Asafoetida -1/4 tsp. Roast the above in a spoon of ghee or oil. Allow it to cool and grind the ingredients with 1 Tbl spoon of fresh coconut.

For Seasoning

Cumin’s seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure

-Grind the tomato and boil it just for 2 to3 minutes by adding little water, so that its raw flavour will vanish.

-Fry the things given above and make it into a paste. Mix the paste with the boiling tomatoes.

- Let it forth. Switch of the stove. This rasam need not be boiled for a very long time like other rasams because all the ingredients are already cooked.

-Saute cumin’s seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

- Garnish the rasam with chopped coriander and finely chopped ripped tomatoes.
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Garlic Rasam

This rasam can be prepared in 2 ways

I METHOD

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lemon size
Red Chillies- 2 nos
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Dhania – 1 tsp
Thoor Dhal -1 tsp
Chenna Dhal – 1 tsp
Garlic – 6 flakes

Procedure

-Fry all the above ingredients except tamarind till they are golden brown. While frying add garlic only when the dhal is golden brown in colour colour. Since garlic has water content if you add it first itself, it will get cooked faster and the remaining things will not get fried.

-After adding garlic you should fry till nice aroma comes.

- Grind all these into a smooth paste by adding sufficient water.

-Stain the tamarind with 1 1/2 cups of water. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes after adding salt to it.

-Add the ground mixture to the boiling rasam and again allow it to boil for about 2 minutes.

-If the rasam is strong dilute it with water. Saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves and add it to rasam.

METHOD II

Prepare pepper – jeera rasam as I have explained above.

Saute mustard in ghee & add 10 flakes of garlic, roast it well and add it to rasam. Close the vessel.

As the garlic gets soaked in the rasam, it will give a rich flavour and taste.
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Gottu Rasam or Bachelor’s rasam

Ingredients

Tamarind – small lime size
Tomato – big one
Rasam Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Raw Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder -1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Fresh Curry leaves – 10-15 nos

Procedure
- Cut tomato into small pieces. You don’t need cooked thoor dhal for this rasam.

-Add tamarind, tomato pieces rasam powder, turmeric powder, raw thoor dhal and salt and allow it to boil till the thoor dhal is cooked ( Killu padam i.e you must be able to break the cooked dhal in a single pinch).

- Add water and dilute the rasam to the required quantity.

-Add coriander leaves,saute mustard seeds in ghee along with fresh curry leaves add it to rasam. Finally after the whole procedure is over add asafoetida and immediately close it atleast for 10minutes so that the flavour is not lost.

This is very simple but delicious rasam.
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Butter Milk Rasam

You can call it as emergency rasam. Can be done in two methods.

Method I

Ingredients

Butter Milk -2 cups
Red chillies – 4
Thoor Dhal – 1 tsp
ChennaDhal – 1 tsp
Dhaniya- 1 tsp
Methi seeds -1/4 tsp
Coconut -2 tsp
Trumeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 spoon

Procedure

- Fry Red chillies ,Thoor Dhal ,ChennaDhal ,Dhaniya and Methi seeds till the dhal is golden brown in colour

-Allow it to cool and make it into a fine paste by adding coconut and asafoetida.

- Mix it with the butter milk and add required amount of salt.

-Saute mustard along with curry leaves and 1 pinch of turmeric powder in 1 tsp of coconut oil (preferable) and add it to rasam. Garnish it with coriander leaves

Method II

Keep 2 cups of butter milk ready.

Add 2 tsp of coconut or cooking oil to the pan. Pre heat the oil.
Add mustard seeds and when it starts spluttering, add 2 tsp rasam powder, 1 pinch methi powder, 1 pinch turmeric powder, 1/4 asafoetida and finally curry leaves and add it to butter milk.
Garnish it with chopped coriander and 1 tsp of freshly grated coconut.
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