Poondu Rasam/ Garlic Rasam/ South-Indian Garlic lentil Soup /Low fat recipe

Spicy Garlic, Tomato Rasam is a spicy, tangy and flavorful kind of a warm soup. Commonly made in South-Indian homes on daily basis. It is eaten with rice and side vegetable curry or just as a soup.

Rasam is specifically made during winters to make you feel warm due to all the addition of spices and herbs like black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves etc.. it is also made, if someone in the family is suffering from cold and cough. It helps in relieving from cold and brings back taste to your tongue.

There are many variations in making South-Indian Rasam, tamarind and yellow lentil being the 'hero ingredients', But it can also be made without tamarind or without lentil, like a lemon Rasam which doesnt use any dal and tamarind in it. People allergic to tamarind can substitute with lemon or raw dry mango.

I m sharing my top favorite Garlic Rasam recipe here using tamarind and liquidy yellow lentil water .

South-Indian Garlic Rasam

Recipe:

Servings 4-5 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes.

Ingredients List

1. Tamarind 2-3 tbsp
2. Tomato 1 large 
3. 2 Garlic cloves
4. Split yellow lentil 1/4 cup
5. Curry leaves 5 nos.
6. Green chilles 2 nos.
7. Coriander leaves with stalk 1/4 cup
8. Salt 2 tsp.
9. Aesafoetida 1/8 tsp
10. Sambar powder 2 tsp
11. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
12. Turmeric powder  1 tsp
13. Coriander powder  1 tsp
14. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
15. Cumin seeds 1 tsp
16. Ghee 1 tsp
17. Coriander leaves for garnish 1 tsp

Method

1. Tie coriander leaves with it's stalk using a clean thread and make a bundle. 

2. Chop chillies and tomato.

3. Wash and Soak toor dal for 10 minutes. 

4. Add soaked dal to a pressure cooker, add turmeric powder and cook with extra water until nice and mushy. Take 2-3 whistles.

5. Until dal cooks, take a kadai add ghee, cumin, aesafoetida, chilli and garlic. Roast for few seconds.

6. Add chopoed tomatoes and tamarind and roast. Put sambar, chilli, and coriander powders. Mix and cook for few seconds.

7. Add salt to the cooking spices and put 3 cups warm water.

8. Drop the coriander bundle prepared earlier and boil the Rasam. Reduce the liquid until it comes to 1/4 of its quantity.

9. Once reduced you properly, you can smell the aroma from mix of spices filled in your kitchen.

10. Once cooker with dal has cooled, open the lid. Separate the watery part of the dal and put it into the Rasam.

11. Use thick part of dal to mix with rice later while eating Rasam-rice.

12. Remove and discard the coriander bundle.  Let the Rasam come to a boil and remove it from heat.

13. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Thank you