Rasams in South India are thin, watery drinks that are very hot, sour, and spicy. They are generally served with rice or just drunk on their own, but you can read more about them on our blog. For this particular recipe, I have thickened the drink so it can be served as a soup. Occasionally, I like to serve it with a little dollop of plain rice in the center. At other times, I serve it in small coffee cups even before my guests come to the dinner table. They just drink it from the cups.
Indian grocers sell rasam powder. Get a good South Indian brand, such as MTR.
SERVES 4–5
• 4 tablespoons plain toovar dal, well washed in several changes of water and drained
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan or gram flour)
• ¾ teaspoon tamarind concentrate (sold in bottles)
• 1 tablespoon rasam powder
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons olive or peanut oil
• Generous pinch of ground asafetida
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal
• ½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
• 1 dried hot red chili
• 6–8 fresh curry leaves, lightly crushed in your hand
1. Put the dal and 3½ cups water in a good-sized pan and bring to a boil. Skim off the froth, then stir in the turmeric. Cover partially, lower the heat, and cook for 30–40 minutes or until the dal is soft.
2. Meanwhile, put the chickpea flour, tamarind concentrate, and rasam powder into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix to a smooth paste. Add another tablespoon of water and mix again. Add the tomato puree, salt, and 1½ cups water and mix well.
3. When the dal is done, add the tomato puree mixture to the pan. Mix and bring to a boil. Cover partially, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Let the soup cool a bit, then blend until smooth. Return it to the pan.
4. Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the asafetida and let it sizzle for a few seconds. Add the urad dal. As soon as it starts to pick up color, add the mustard seeds and chili. When the mustard seeds pop and the chili darkens, a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves (take care, as these will splutter). Stir once and pour the contents of the frying pan into the soup. Stir and cover.
5. Reheat the soup, removing the chili and curry leaves before serving.
