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South indianVeganVegetarianLow carb

Tomato Rasam

A thin, tangy tomato and tamarind soup spiced with freshly crushed black pepper, cumin and garlic, finished with a mustard seed and curry leaf tempering. Pour it over hot rice or sip it from a cup.

10
Prep min
20
Cook min
4
Serves
Easy
Level
Tomato Rasam

Photo: Hestily

Cooking steps

1
Soak tamarind: 10 min

Put the tamarind in a small bowl, pour the hot water over it and leave it for 10 minutes.

the tamarind is soft and comes apart when pressed
No block tamarind: stir about a teaspoon of tamarind paste into the hot water instead and skip the straining.
2

Squeeze and mash the tamarind well in its soaking water with your fingers, then strain the juice into a jug, pressing on the pulp. Throw away the fibres.

a thick, brown, tangy liquid with no fibres
Check for stray seeds or bits of shell; even seedless tamarind can hide a few.
3

Roughly chop the tomatoes, keeping all their juice, and peel the garlic cloves.

4

Coarsely crush the peppercorns, cumin and garlic together in a mortar and pestle.

a coarse, fragrant mix with cracked pepper, not a fine powder
No mortar: crush them on a board under a heavy pan, or pulse briefly in a small grinder. Freshly crushed pepper gives rasam its warming kick.
5

Put the mustard seeds in one small bowl, and the dried red chilli, asafoetida and the second sprig of curry leaves in another, next to the stove.

The tempering takes under a minute, so have it all measured before the oil goes on.
6

Put the tomatoes in a medium pot with the tamarind juice, turmeric, salt and one sprig of curry leaves, and squash the tomatoes a little with a masher.

7
Simmer tomatoes: 8 minMedium heat

Set the pot on medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then turn to medium and simmer, mashing the tomatoes now and then, about 8 minutes.

the tomatoes are completely soft and the raw tamarind smell has gone
The sharp raw smell of tamarind must cook off, or the rasam tastes harsh.
8
Heat to froth: 5 minMedium heat

Add the crushed pepper mix and pour in the water. Heat gently on medium, without stirring much, about 4 to 5 minutes.

a layer of froth rises and covers the surface
Don't let rasam come to a rolling boil; it turns bitter and loses the pepper aroma.
9

Turn off the heat the moment the froth rises and begins to break, then cover the pot while you make the tempering.

the froth breaks into small bubbles
10
Heat oil: 1 minMedium heat

Heat the oil in a small tempering pan or small frying pan on medium heat, about 1 minute.

the oil is hot and a mustard seed dropped in sizzles at once
11
Mustard seed: 30 secMedium heat

Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and let them pop, about 30 seconds.

the popping slows down
Keep a lid handy and your face back; mustard seeds pop out of hot oil.
12
Curry leaf: 10 secMedium heat

Add the dried red chilli, the second sprig of curry leaves and the asafoetida and fry for a few seconds.

the curry leaves are crisp and the chilli darkens a shade
Curry leaves splutter hard in hot oil; add them at arm's length.
13

Pour the tempering into the rasam and stir in the chopped coriander.

the oil floats in shiny drops on top and the rasam smells of pepper and curry leaves
Pour carefully; hot oil spits when it meets liquid.
14
Let it settle: 5 min

Cover and leave for 5 minutes so the flavours settle, then serve hot: pour it over steamed rice, or sip it from cups as a soup.

the rasam smells peppery and the spices have settled to the bottom
Stir before ladling, as the spices settle. Cool, then refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days; reheat gently until steaming hot, without boiling.
Recipes from your own pantry
Hestily suggests dinners from what you have, starting with what needs using first.

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