South Indian Recipes (2) Spicy Rasam

No South Indian meal is cmplete without a serving of "Rasam". In fact, Rasam is arguably one of the best finds of Southie cooking. So here's one variation of this tasty concoction. This is for people who have no acess to Rasam Powder.

Ingredients:

tamarind - lime sized,
sambar powder - 1 tsp,
salt - 1 tsp,
cumin seeds - 2 tsp,
coriander seeds - 2 tsp,
whole black pepper - 1 tsp,
ghee 2 tsp,
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp,
curry leaves - a bunch

Method:

Soak cumin seeds, coriander seeds and whole peppers in water for 15 minutes and grind well.To the tamarind juice, add sambar powder and salt and heat for 10 minutes.until the raw smell of tamarind disappears. Add the ground paste and add sufficient water to make 8 cups of rasam.When it boils, remove from the stove and add curry leaves. Splatter mustard seeds in ghee and add it to the rasam. Add two spoons of grated dry coconut while grinding along with pepper, jeera, and daniya. .People having cholesterol or diet concious can add two spoons of soya flour or soya bytes while grinding.In both methods a slight thickness can be achieved and the Rasam will taste nice.