Peppery Garlic Tomato Rasam - Sept 27 2022

This is one of our all time favorite Fall-Winter Rasam recipes.
Nothing soothes like a bowl of piping hot Rasam when you are sick. Or even otherwise. At least that's what any passionate South Indian will swear by!
No Oil. Peppery Garlic Tomato Rasam.
A perfect Fall time belly warming spicy and tangy soup.
We eat this simply as is as soup or with brown rice/Quinoa for a heartier meal.

What is this Rasam madness you ask? I am glad you did!:)
Rasam is a dish that is said to have originated in Madurai, South India in the 16th century.
You cannot define or put Rasam in a box except for saying that it is a spicy and tangy thin soup-like robust dish packed with nature’s goodness.
Lemon Rasam. Jeera Pepper Rasam. Tomato Rasam. Ginger Rasam. Garlic Rasam. Coriander Rasam. Amla/Gooseberry Rasam. Dal/Parappu Rasam….the list goes on. Pick almost any health beneficial spice or herb and there might be a Rasam recipe for it.

Although Rasam is a staple in every South Indian home, no two households or even two people make the exact same recipe. Each family uses their own unique combinations and blends. There are also many secret family traditional recipes that are famously made and served only on special occasions, in temples, and at weddings.

My love for “give me a good hot Rasam any day and I’ll die happy” has me on a perennial Rasamathon exploration. When I visit India, you will most likely and eventually find me in some neighbor or aunty’s kitchen eagerly writing down secret ingredients and tips that they declare makes their Rasam one of the best and out of this world! :D Oh joy! Rasam is a very forgiving dish. Play around with the ingredients and don’t be surprised if you soon find your very own “trade secret out of this world” concoction!

The fairly small but popular town my family hails from, Udupi, has one of the oldest Krishna Temples and people come from all over the world to see Krishna and sample the Temple’s special Rasam. Over the years, I have tried to mimic their secret recipe. What I have now is not the same but it’s close enough. I hope to share that recipe with you soon as well.

This recipe has a special place in my heart, especially because of the fond memories I have of eating it growing up. My mom feeding me this is what has helped me heal through many a cold North Indian winters and its sniffles.
What is your go-to light comfort food?
Looking forward to the answer and cooking this with you in class!

MAKING PEPPERY GARLIC TOMATO RASAM - Watch a short 2 min video here.

INGREDIENT LIST
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINT FRIENDLY LIST

• 1/4 cup Yellow Toor Daal (washed, soaked, and cooked till soft)

• 2-3 large fully ripe Roma Tomatoes (The type of Tomato you pick matters! Roma is the closest we find to Indian Tomatoes here)

• 1/2 Large bunch fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves

• 2-3 large cloves smashed Garlic

• 1-1/2 -2 tsps Cumin/Jeera. - crushed

• 3/4 tsp freshly cracked Black Pepper.

• 1/2 tsp - 3/4 tsp Red Chilly Powder.

• Salt

• Tamarind paste - Optional but buy and keep. If Tomatoes are not tangy enough we need to add Tamarind.

• Amla - Optional. An excellent source of Vitamin C, this is a miracle fruit. More in class. If interested, buy frozen whole Amla and brine as shown in my Insta video.

• Lemon/Lime - Optional.
  
  METHOD

• Boil Toor Daal till completely soft. Add enough water to make it watery. This can be done ahead of time.

• Add chopped Tomatoes. (They can be pureed as well. Try both and see which one you prefer! ) Cover and cook till soft.

• Crush Pepper and Cumin. (For a boost of flavour you can first dry roast them in a small pan and then crush. You can optionally use Cumin and Pepper powders as well. Make sure not to burn the spices)

• Add Coriander Leaves, and the powders including Chilli powder to the Tomato Daal mix.

• Add salt and taste. If the tomatoes are not tangy enough, you can add a little Tamarind paste if you want. Add very little (pea size) to begin with and taste as you go. It all depends on the brand you buy so one can never be sure.
  I added Brined Amla as you see in my video.
  If you want to try and add Lime/Lemon juice instead of Tamarind, only add it in the end after you turn the gas off.
  FYI- This will give the Rasam a slightly different flavor.
  Have fun experimenting as you make this a couple times.

• Add more of the spices if you prefer it to have more kick. Have fun with this!

• Boil for a few minutes. You will smell the aroma.

• Add the lightly smashed Garlic at this point. Give it a couple rolling boils.

• Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

• Optional (but highly recommended) Add a dollop of Ghee! (Or Plant butter if you are Vegan.

• Enjoy!

  
  Since we eat Rice often and this is one dish I enjoy eating with Quinoa instead. If you would like to do the same, please get a pack of Quinoa.
  Also, if you don’t have a Pressure Cooker/Insta Pot and are planning to cook to Daal in a pan, you are welcome to get a head start and get that going before we meet.
  
  Watch - How to make A2 Milk Cultured Butter and Ghee from scratch.
  Butter to Ghee process begins at 7:40

  CLASS NOTES:

• CLASS NOTES:
  Summary below. Watch LIVE class video recording for more
  

  • DAAL - Make sure to cook the daal till soft and mushy.  We use Toor Daal but Moong Daal is fine too. Moong Daal cooks faster and is more easily digestible.
    

  • TOMATO - Tomato is not a vegetable that is seen as most beneficial in Ayurveda. Especially if one consumes them o a daily basis. If you eat a lot of Tomato,  you can choose to skip it in this recipe. Use Tamarind instead or Lemon juice. Tomato seeds are not suitable for all who suffer from Kidney issues. And especially Kidney stones. You can use Tomatoes in this recipe by easily removing the seeds and using only the pulp.
    

  • Not all RED CHILLIES  are the same. The south India “Byadgi” variety of Red Chilly offers vibrant red color without any of the typical fiery burning quality of all other chilies. Kashmiri Chilli powder is a second option if you don’t find Byadgi.
    

  • CORIANDER LEAVES  - Rasa (Tastes) Astringent and Bitter. With a spice pre digestive taste and sweet post-digestive effect on the body, this herb is considered both a warming and cooling herb. Tridoshic - it pacifies all three Vata, Pitta, and Kapha Doshas.  

  • Fresh Cilantro/Coriander leaves (Coriandrum sativum) - First take a fresh and stick it under your nose! Smell the unique freshness of its flavor! Taste a leaf or a small part of the stem. It offers a distinct taste to Rasams and dishes.

  • Cilantro/Coriander water - is an excellent coolant and a detoxifying drink.
    For Coriander Leaves water - Boil a gallon of water. Add chopped 1 bunch of Coriander leaves. Switch of gas. Let it steep for 15 minutes. Have a cup or two of this water first thing in the morning on empty stomach. Optional - Add the juice of half a lemon.
    Coriander Seeds Water - To one part Seeds,  add 6 parts Water and Boil for a few minutes. Let it steep for a bit. Strain and serve.
    You can continue to consume this water throughout the day as needed. It is mild and very refreshing. It is excellent for all who have a Pitta-type acidic constitution.  Excellent to cure Urinary infections and detoxifying the Liver and Kidneys.
    

  • GARLIC  - While Ayurveda hails the medicinal benefits of Garlic and it is used in many Ayurvedic medicines, it is not recommended to be used in our daily diet. Garlic is great for Vata season that we are in now but if you eat a lot of Garlic otherwise, you are welcome to skip the Garlic in this. This dish tastes great even without it. You may also remove the garlic after its flavor is infused in the Rasam and then consume it.

  • For all who need to watch out for the spice, add Ghee to your Rasam. It balances the heat of the spices. 

  • The magic of Fenugreek seeds! Watch class video for more...

  • RASAMATHON - For my Great Grandmother’s Homemade Recipe and more Rasam recipes you can try this season, click here!
    Recipes are posted at bottom of the above linked sheet.

  • WHAT IS MY PRAKRITI? - Find the easy self-calculated Dosha and Prakriti chart on the main page. You don’t need to share the info with anyone. It is FYI only.
    

  • This is the PERFECT time to begin an intuitive SACRED CLEANSE!
    Starting (in any) NOW. More here.
    
    See you in class! Much love.