Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Avasara Rasam

I've been down with a bad cold for the past few days and my Mom suggested this really quick and soothing rasam that I called "avasara rasam", meaning, "a really quick rasam to make when you are rushed". It didn't take more then 15 minutes to make this rasam. It has garlic and black pepper powder in it which treat cold well.

Ingredients (about 2 servings):

Tamarind soaked in water - 1/4 inch ball
Tomato - 1/2 medium sized cut into small cubes
(If you are using tamarind paste, about 1/4 teaspoon of it)
Cooking oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garlic - 3 cloves crushed
Dried red chillies - 2
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cilantro for garnish - a few strands
Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Extract about 2 cups (using a measuring cup) of the juice of tamarind soaked in water or dilute the tamarind paste with about 2 cups of water and set aside.
2. Heat cooking oil in a small pan, pop some mustard seeds, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried red chillies, turmeric powder, garlic cloves and tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes get cooked.
3. Add the tamarind water from step 1, salt and black pepper powder and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn off the stove once it starts boiling.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot as a soup or with cooked rice.

I didn't have all the energy to stand beside the stove, but this was so easy, tasty and soothing as it could get.

9 comments:

Sanghi said...

hi anu, how are you.? Rasam looks lovely and easy..!!

Anupama said...

@ Sanghi: Hi da, I'm doing OK now... thanks dear... this is the easiest rasam I've made so far :-)

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

thats a different way of making rasam. will this method.

Anupama said...

@ Mahi: Yes Mahi, the heat for this rasam comes from the red chillies and the black pepper powder. No rasam powder involved here :-). It tasted really good.

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Hi Anupama, my first viist here, very nice space... Lovely dishes here, shall come back for more...

Anupama said...

@ Ramya: Thanks Ramya :-)

KParthasarathi said...

Came thro mahima's blog.Will ask my daughter to make without garlic.
But there is one Tennangur rasam the recipe for which I heard when I went to visit the temple.It is also a quickly made rasam and tastes superb.Would you want to know how to make it?
How far is Dover from Nashua where my daughter lives.

Anupama said...

@ KParthasarathi: Thanks for stopping by! I've been to Tennangur too, but never heard about that rasam :-). Would love to try it? Please do send the recipe whenever possible.

Dover is about an hour (by road) from Nashua :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow! Love the name you've given to it :) I too make one type of "avasara rasam" :) Will post it soon on CCN.