As an asian fruit, Lemon is always available in my kitchen. I use it in my recipes sometimes to get a fresh feeling instead of tamarind. It gives an unique taste when you add it to the food you prepare. Pure lemon extract stored in bottle is available in supermarkets nowadays.
Whenever my mom prepares this rasam I and my sister usually drink it instead of eating with rice :-). It also goes well with hot white rice. Coming to this recipe, it is prepared without tamarind and tomato. If you wish to add tomato or tamarind, you can, but make sure to reduce the lemon juice.
Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 - 10 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:
Lemon - 1 lemon
Toor Dal - 2 tablespoon
Ginger - 1 inch length piece
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic - 1 clove
Green chilli - 2
Coriander leaves - 2 strings
Curry leaves - 1 string
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Method:
1) Boil/Cook the dal with 1.5 cup of water.
2) Squeeze the lemon and extract the juice from it.
3) Crush ginger, garlic with skin, cumin seeds, block pepper, green chilli and a string of coriander leaves using a mixer/food processor.
4) Add the crushed ingredients and curry leaves to the cooked toor dal water. (you can either use toor dal with water or only cooked water for this rasam).
5) Add lemon juice, turmeric and salt.
6) When foam forms in the surface of the pan, sprinkle asafoetida and immediately remove it from heat.
7) Now take a kadai and heat oil in it.
8) When the kadai is hot, add fenugreek seeds. Allow them to splutter. Add this seasoning to the rasam.
9) Garnish with coriander leaves.
10) Serve it hot with rice.
Note:
1) Do not boil this rasam, as it will give a bitter taste to it.
2) As soon as you add the salt to rasam, keep the rasam vessel in the heat and start the cooking process as mentioned above.
