Veggie Foodie

Rasam

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked toor dal
• 5 cups water
• 4-5 medium-size tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp rasam powder
• 3 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp hing (asafetida)
• 2 tbsp lime / lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. In a big pot, add cooked toor dal, water, chopped tomatoes and boil for 10 minutes
2. Roast cumin seeds and peppercorns for a couple of minutes until an aroma is released. Grind / pound to fine powder
3. Add rasam powder, cumin-peppercorn powder and salt to the boiling pot
4. In a small vessel, heat ghee or oil, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds
5. When mustard seeds pop, add hing and curry leaves and add this spice infused oil to the boiling pot
6. Add lime / lemon juice, garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with curd rice or masala dosai (or both!)

Serves: 4

Inspiration source:

Soul Food Recipes by Hema Alur-Kundarg, published in India Currents, Dec ’07 issue