Rasam is a south Indian Soup, prepared with tomato, dal and various aromatic spices. To me, they are the comforting food next to idly. They are mildly tangy, watery in consistency and a medley of fresh aroma and flavors. South Indian meals are incomplete without rasam. Many family in south India makes rasam everyday. They are the soul food to many homes. Coming to the recipe, everyone makes rasam in a different way and this is my version of tomato rasam recipe, without tamarind, here I added toor dal in additional to tomatoes, to get a nice taste and also for protein. The one thing I like most in rasam is the lovely flavor and fresh aroma which comes from coriander leaves, asafoetida and garlic. Making of rasam is easy and can be made fast, they are good for digestion as it has lot of spices in it.  Also it is a good food for people with fever and cough. Tomato rasam can be served with potato fry or vegetable fry.  I had it with butterbeans poriyal.


    Ingredients

          4 Tomatoes
          3 Tbsp of Toor Dal
          Salt to taste
          Water as needed

    To Make a Rasam Powder

         
          1 Tsp of Whole Black Pepper
          2 Tsp of Whole Cumin
          2 Tsp of Coriander Powder
          3 Garlic Cloves, Big  
          
    To Temper

           2 Tsp of Oil
           1 Big Dried Red Chilly
           1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
           1 Tsp of Urad Dal
           1/8 Tsp of Fenugreek Seeds
           Pinch of Asafoetida
           Few Curry Leaves
           1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder

     To Garnish

            Handful of Coriander leaves, Finely Chopped

    Method

• Soak the dal in water for 15-20 minutes, drain the water and wash it. Pressure cook the dal by adding enough water and cook for 3 -5 whistles. Mash it and keep this aside.
• Place all the ingredients listed under ” To make rasam powder list” in a mortar and pestle or mixie, grind it to a fine powder.
• In a bowl, squeeze the tomatoes with your hand or else grind it to a puree in mixie, now to the tomato puree, add rasam powder, salt and enough water about 1-1.5 cups of water. Check the salt by tasting it with a spoon.
• Heat a pan with oil, add red chilly(break it), fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal, hing and curry leaves, after mustard seeds pops up, simmer it, add turmeric powder and tomato mixture , followed by mashed dal with water. Mix well.
• Allow it to boil for 3 mins, when you find froths starts forming on the top, immediately turn off the flame. Do not overcook the rasam.
• Finally add the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve with hot rice and potato fry. I had it with butterbeans poriyal.

    Tips

• Adjust the number of red chilly according to your taste. If you use long red chilly(Neeta Milagai), you can use 2. Big red chilly(kundu milagai) is spicier than longer one, so I used one.
• Some tomatoes are more tangy and others are less tangy, so use it accordingly.
• If you find your rasam is less tangy, add 2 tsp of lemon juice at the end. After you turn off the heat.
• Here I used big garlic cloves, if you have smaller ones, then add 5 or 6 cloves while making powder.
• If you don’t want dal in your rasam, just skip it.

        
    Health Benefits of Rasam

• Rich in vitamin A which comes from tomato.
• Dal added to this rasam which gives protein.
• Hing added to it, is for easy digestion.
• Combination of pepper and turmeric, increases anti-carcinogenic properties.
• Coriander Seeds : Protects against salmonella bacteria, aids in digestion, lowers blood glucose and cholesterol.
• Red Chillies :  They not only add heat to the meal, high in vit A, boost immunity, weight loss, prevents cancer.
• Turmeric : Prevents cancer, natural pain killer, antimicrobial properties, treatment for depression, prevents Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis, help in weight loss  
• Black Pepper : prevents cancer, weight loss, powerful antioxidants, dental health, antidepressant.
• Cumin : aids in digestion and respiration, good for lactating mothers, boost the immunity, prevents cancers.
• Fenugreek : good for diabetes, aids in digestion, good for skin disorders and lactating mothers, cancer prevention, rich in fibers
• Toor Dal : Excellent source of carbohydrates, fibers and protein.
• Mustard Seeds :  high in anti-inflammatory, antioxidants and anti fungal properties,  rich in selenium, reduces migraine problems.

         Black pepper is a spice that has the potential to make the food more beneficial when used in many recipes and as a table spice. It has lot of health benefits with lot of vitamins and anti-oxidants. But when combined with turmeric, its anti-cancer properties increases. Coming to the recipe, this milagu  kulambu is without onion and garlic and very easy to make dish. This kuzhambu is also good for cough and cold. Try this pepper kuzhambu( Pepper in a tamarind sauce) with hot steamed rice and ghee, kootu and appalam as a side dish.

  Serving : 4 People 

  Ingredients

  To Make a Powder
         
          1 Tbsp of Whole Black Pepper
          1 Tsp of Whole Cumin
          1 Tbsp of Toor Dal
          1 Tbsp of Urad Dal
          1/4 Tsp of Fenugreek

   To Temper

            1 Tbsp of Gingelly Oil (Indian Sesame Oil)
            1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
            1 Tsp of Urad Dal
            Pinch of Asafoetida(Hing)
            Few Curry Leaves          

    Other Ingredients

            1/2 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
            Big Gooseberry Size Tamarind
            Salt to Taste

   
    Method           

• Dry roast all the ingredients listed under ” To make powder list” for 2-3 mins until it turns golden brown color and aroma rises. Let it cool down and powder it to a fine powder using spice grinder or mixie.
• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 mins, extract the juice from the tamarind and keep this aside.
• Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida and curry leaves, after mustard seeds splutters, add the tamarind juice, bring it to a boil, add turmeric powder and ground pepper mix, mix fast to avoid lumps, add salt, bring it to a boil, simmer it and wait until it gets thick. Once it done, switch off the stove.
• Milagu kulambu is ready to eat with hot steamed rice, kootu and appalam.

   Tips         

• If you want to make this kuzhambu for 2 people, then use 1.5 Tbsp of ground pepper mix.
• If you want more spicy, then add red chillies while tempering.
• You can also add onion and garlic, if you wish.

    Health Benefits of Milagu / Black Pepper 

• Good for cold and cough .
• Improves digestion.
• Heals the cuts and stops the bleeding.
• Helps you to lose weight.
• Relieves Gas.
• Helps to people with anorexia.
• Natural anti-depressant.
• Prevents cancer.