Tomato Rasam Recipe
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Thakkali Rasam - An Overview
One of the most famous and flavourful South Indian dishes for lunch is the Tomato Rasam. Because of its taste and medicinal properties, it has made its way into most South Indian lunch menus. I grew up eating some delectable types of rasam in my life and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that rasam making is an art. Though it is extremely simple to make, South Indian Rasam warms your body, invigorates your mind, and soothes your soul.
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Health Benefits of Tomato Rasam
The different flavours of tomato or thakkali rasam come from the way you cook rasam and the way you use the rasam ingredients. And one of the best combos is rice and rasam, especially mushy rice since it melds with the desi ghee and rasam extremely well.
Tomato garlic rasam is great for when you are sick because of its medicinal properties. The perfect amalgamation of cumin, coriander, and asafoetida is a very good aid for mild digestive issues. It is also great for colds and flu because of its warm, soup-like texture as well as healing spices such as turmeric.
Since this variation is a tomato rasam without dal, it is also good for weight loss due to its low calorific value. Not only this, but some variations of Thakkali Rasam also contain tamarind, which is rich in antioxidants.
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In This Case, Soul Food = Super Food!
Native to South India, Thakkali Rasam has it all - Tantalizing taste, good nutritional value, and its ability to warm the body and soul. The added taste for any main dish is the side dish. And the side dish for rasam lacks no variety. Rasam tastes amazing with a variety of side dishes like Appalam or papad, fryums, or any simple vegetable preparation. On the flip side, Rasam also acts as a great side dish while eating Thayir Sadham, Mosranna, Dahi Chawal, or Curd Rice. In essence, one sip of this delicious soup is sure to transport you to the spice-laden kitchens of South India.
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Authentic Tomato Rasam Recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 pieces - Medium-Sized Ripe Tomatoes
1 tbsp - Ghee (clarified butter) or Oil
1 tbsp - Mustard Seeds
1 tsp - Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp - Asafoetida
3-4 Sprigs - Fresh Curry Leaves
3-4 Big Cloves - Garlic, Finely Minced or Grated
1 tsp - Chilli Powder
2 tsp - Rasam Powder
3.5 Cups - Water
Salt to taste
1/2 Sprig - Chopped Coriander Leaves For Garnish
PREPARATION
To Blanch the Tomatoes -
Lightly slit the tomatoes on the surface in the shape of an “X” or a “+”.
Fill a pot with water, enough to completely submerge all the tomatoes, and boil until the tomato skin starts to peel off.
Once the tomato skin starts to detach from the tomatoes, turn off the stove, drain the water, remove the tomatoes, and set aside.
Once the tomatoes have cooled down, remove the tomato peel and discard them.
Pour water in with the blanched tomatoes and mash them to a nice pulp.
Preparing the Aromatics -
Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and cumin seeds together until the cumin seeds start to split and the garlic is mashed.
To Make Tomato Rasam -
Heat the ghee or oil in a pot. Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds, mashed garlic + cumin seeds mixture, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Once it crackles, reduce the heat and add the mashed-up tomato purée into the pot.
Slightly increase the heat. Once it starts to boil, add the salt, chili powder, and rasam powder.
Boil the rasam well until the raw smell of the spices has disappeared and the curry leaves get soft.
Garnish with finely chopped, fresh coriander leaves.
Serve hot with mushy rice or simply enjoy as a soup!
Good to Note
There are many variations of this rasam.
The first variation is Tomato Rasam without the garlic, and adding 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
The second variation is Tamarind Rasam - You get this by reducing the amount of tomatoes by half and replacing the other half with tamarind.
The third variation is Milagu Rasam - You get this by adding just 1 tsp chili powder and half tsp of pepper for when you have a bad cold.
The bottom line is, that no matter how you make your rasam, it is consistently just as soothing and warming as the original Thakkali Rasam!
