Mysore Rasam | Rasam Recipes

Making a meal was not an easy task for our mums and grandmothers. For a simple South-Indian meal it starts with making a Sambar or kulambu, Rasam and a vegetable stir-fry (poriyal). Getting the rice ready and making sure the yogurt (curd) is set is a routine task in making lunch. Yes we make our yogurts at home. Among the fast-paced life now we rarely get time to sit-down for a proper lunch. Things are grab-and-go these days and some good old recipes are forgotten. It has been a long time since I had even heard the name of this rasam recipe but I distinctly remember the taste and aroma it has. I set out to make this rasam for a simple weekday lunch.

Ingredients:
Toor dhal - 1/3 cup
Tamarind - size of a small lime
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - for garnish
Salt - to taste
Tempering:
Ghee - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Spice paste:
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Grated coconut - 2 tsp

Method:
Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice to make about 2 cups. Wash and soak the dhal for 15 minutes. Pressure cook the dhal with turmeric powder, a pinch of salt and 2 cups of water until done. Drain the water from dhal and reserve. Mash the dhal well. You could use an immersion blender like I did. In a large stockpot/kadai add the tamarind juice, dhal water and chopped tomato. Boil until the tomato is cooked. Add the ground paste and more water as needed to make a thin rasam. Allow it to boil once. Add the mashed dhal and salt (if needed) and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat. In a small pan, heat ghee and add the items for tempering. Pour over the rasam with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

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Murungakeerai Rasam / Drumstick Leaves Soup | Rasam Recipes

I never fail to pick up the fresh bunch of greens whenever I spot them. Apart from the big bag of spinach from Costco in my fridge, my freezer always would have a packet of frozen methi leaves. In my last week's trip to the farmer's market I picked up this super fresh bunch of drumstick leaves / Murunga keerai, planning to make Murungakeerai Adai, DH's favorite. With the other half of the bunch I made these super fragrant Murunga keerai Rasam.

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves / Murungakeerai - 2 cups

Toor dhal - a fistful

Tomato - 1 small

Tamarind - size of half a lime

Rasam powder - 1 tsp or as needed

Coconut milk - 2 tbsp (optional)

Salt - to taste

Tempering:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Red chilli - 1

Method:

Soak tamarind in water and extract juice. Wash and pressure cook toor dhal with 1 cup of water for 3 whistles. Meanwhile in a large saucepan, cook the drumstick leaves with 1 cup of water until it is soft. Add the tamarind juice with 1 cup of water and allow to boil for 3 minutes. Add rasam powder, salt and the mashed dhal with the water. Allow to heat up for a couple of minutes. Check for salt and add coconut milk. Remove from heat and transfer rasam to the serving bowl. Heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds and red chilli. Pour over the rasam and serve hot with steamed rice or just bowl it for a warm soup.

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