Simple Rasam

When I started cooking, I was able to make whatever I wanted without any big disasters. Sambar, dal, kootu.. I was able to make all these simply by following the recipe. But there was one thing I was never able to make and that was Rasam. I have made it with rasam powder, sambar powder, with dal water, without dal water...you name it, I have tried it. I always follow the recipe to the T but it always turns out to be a disaster. Then I found one recipe on the Internet couple of years back. That turned out PERFECT. I have never tasted a better rasam. I recently searched the net for the recipe again. I was not able to find it. I apologize for not linking the recipe to the original.

Here is the recipe, as I remember it

Simple Rasam
Ingredients
Ripe big tomato - 1/2
tamarind - small lemon size
Garlic - 2 smashed
Pepper pwd - 1/2 tsp
Cumin pwd - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For tempering
curry leaves - 5
mustard - 1/4 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Red chili - 1

Instructions

1. Chop the tomato roughly


2. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 1/2 hour and take the extract


3. Place tomato, tamarind extract and smashed garlic in the vessel you will be making the rasam


4. Squish all the these together using your hands. By the time you are done, there should not be any meat left in the tomatoes.


5. Add the cumin and pepper powder to this and mix.


6. Add 1 cup of water to this and mix


7. Add salt and adjust the rasam to your taste.


8. Cover the vessel and place it on the the stove and keep it at the lowest setting.


9. Check every 5 mins.


10. When you see froth around the edges of the rasam, the rasam is done.


11. Switch of the stove.


12. Heat oil in a separate pan.


13. When hot, add mustard, chili, curry leaves and hing.


14. Pour the tempering over the rasam and keep it closed till ready to serve

Its very important that you don't let the rasam boil. It spoils the taste. I'm submitting this to hosted by Meena at Hooked on Heat .

Here is the result,