South Indian Tomato Rasam Recipe
South Indian Tomato Rasam Recipe is a delicious, easy, and healthy soup made with tomatoes, lentils, tamarind, and aromatic spices.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups tomatoes (see notes)
- 6 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 20 curry leaves (see notes)
- 2 tablespoon lentils (Pigeon Peas/Toor Dal) (see notes)
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 10 stalks cilantro
- 2 tablespoon ghee (see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoon white cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ cup tamarind water (see notes)
Instructions
- Chop the tops off the tomatoes and quarter them.
- Place them in a pot with the salt, red chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper.
- Add in the water and the curry leaves turn the stove on and bring the soup to a boil.
- Wash and rinse the lentils and add them to the pot, cover, and let the mixture simmer.
- Use a small wet grinder or blender to make a green-colored paste of the garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
- Heat the Ghee and saute the cumin and mustard seeds, in that order, for 30 seconds each.
- Add the prepared green paste and saute everything for 1 minute before adding all the ingredients to the tomato mixture.
- Cook for 10 minutes, uncover the pot, and use a masher to blend all the ngredients slightly.
- Add in the tamarind and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Let the soup rest covered for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Tomatoes - I like Roma tomatoes for their juicy and plump texture. About eight medium-sized tomatoes are 2 cups worth.
Curry Leaves - Curry leaves are available at South Asian stores and add delicious taste and aroma to the soup. But if you can't source them, make the soup without them.
Ghee - You can swap the Ghee for any other cooking oil you choose, but I highly recommend sticking to it. It gives a delicious nutty taste to the soup and is very easy to source, available at most supermarkets nowadays.
Lentils - I like to add the lentils for a little texture, but these aren't essential. Many people make the soup without them, while others add more than two tablespoons to make it thick and hearty. While I like to use Toor Dal (Pigeon Peas), some people use Chana Dal (split chickpeas), masoor dal (red lentils), or moong dal (yellow lentils) instead. So you can experiment a little here, depending on your availability and preference. Soaking the lentils is optional.
Tamarind Water - I'm in the habit of taking a block of tamarind and making tamarind water for various recipes. If you don't have any, use one tablespoon of store-bought tamarind paste instead. Since the paste is highly concentrated, one tablespoon is enough!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 913mgPotassium: 333mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1215IUVitamin C: 116mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
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