Rasam (Chaaru) is nothing but tamarind juice mixed well with spices. As it contains pepper, cumin and garlic it is a highly recommended food for cough, cold and fever.
Ingredients:
Tamarind - 1 small lemon soaked in warm water
Tomato - 1 small size
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - 6 strings
Curry leaves - 1 string
Green chillies - 2 nos
Garlic clove - 1 small
Salt - To taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Method:
1) Take Tamarind in a bowl and soak it in warm water for 15 minutes.
2) Squeeze the tamarind and extract the juice from it. Add some more water and again squeeze to extract juice out of it. .
3) Cut the tomato, mash it using your hands. Add this to the tamarind juice.
4) Add pepper, cumin seeds, 3 strings of chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and garlic together in a mixer or food processor and grind it for half a minute until the ingredients are half crushed.
5) Transfer this mixture to the bowl containing tamarind juice and mix the contents well.
6) Add salt and turmeric powder to the mixture.
7) Heat tamarind juice mixture in a medium flame.
8) When foam starts forming in the top of the mixture, sprinkle 3 strings of chopped coriander leaves and turn off the stove.
9) Take a frying pan and heat oil in it.
10) Add mustard seeds and fenugreek. Once they splutter, add curry leaves.
11) Add this seasoning to the tamarind juice mixture.
12) Tamarind Rasam is ready.
Note:
1) To get best results add salt when the rasam starts heating and stop the flame when it forms foam. Don't allow it to boil as the Rasam will lose its taste.
2) Adjust the water quantity according to the sourness of tamarind.
