Thanjavoor Rasam

How to Prepare

1. Soak tamarind in 2 cups of warm water for 15 minutes, then extract the juice and set aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle, coarsely crush 2 tbsp cumin seeds
3. 1 tbsp black peppercorns, and 4 dried red chilies to make the rasam powder.
4. In a large pot, add the tamarind extract
5. 10 cups of water
6. 2 tsp turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.
7. Add 4 chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of cooked toor dal to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
8. Stir in the crushed rasam powder and let it boil for another 5 minutes on low heat.
9. In a small frying pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Add 2 tsp mustard seeds
10. 2 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, and a few curry leaves. Fry until mustard seeds splutter.
11. Pour the tempering into the rasam pot and mix well. Turn off the heat.
12. Garnish with 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or as a soup.