Soup - Rasam

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - Thakkali - 2 nos.Tamarind - Puli - small quantity
Garlic - Poondu - 3 nos.
Red gram dal - Thuvaram Parupu - 1/2 cup
Rasam Powder - Rasam podi - 2 table spoons
Turmeric Powder - Manjal Podi - 1/2 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Coriander leaves - Kothamali - small quantity
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 3 nos.
Mustard - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Chop tomatoes and keep it aside.
2. Boil toor dal with one and half cups of water. It should be liquid in consistency.
3. Soak tamarind in hot water and keep for 10 minutes, filter all the dust particles using filter and make paste out of it.
4. Peel off the skin from garlic or crush it as it is according to your choice and keep other ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, add asafoetida, tomatoes and fry well. Now add turmeric powder, tamarind paste, little salt, garlic, rasam powder and mix them well. Now add boiled and smashed tuvar dal. Add 2 cups of water to it. Allow it to boil for 10 mintues. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.

Hot rasam is tasty and delicious to be served. It can be served with white rice or can be had like soup. It can be served for 3 people. It requires 20 minutes to cook.

Note: Rasam is good for digestion. Tamarind will contain dust particles which must be filtered. Rasam powder can be prepared at home which I have mentioned in Podi varieties or can be bought readymade from shops.

Optional: Ingredients can be added or removed for taste.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatoe
A vegetarian is a person who won't eat anything that can have children.
David Brenner