Comfort Rasam

A light and flavourful classic tomato rasam, the way many Tamil households make it.

Serves: 3–4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients
For the Rasam:

• 4 medium ripe tomatoes (about 400–450 g), roughly chopped

• 1 marble-sized ball of tamarind (or 1 tsp thick tamarind paste)

• 1–1.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1.5–2 tbsp jaggery

• 3–4 cups water

To roast & grind:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

• 1–1.5 tsp whole black peppercorns (adjust to your spice level)

• 4–6 dry red chillies (Byadgi for colour, Guntur for heat)

• 8–10 curry leaves

• 1 tsp ghee or oil

For tempering:

• 2 tsp ghee (preferred) or oil

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)

• 2 dry red chillies

• 10–12 curry leaves

• 3–4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed (optional but adds depth)

To finish:

• Handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method

• Soak tamarind (if using ball) in ½ cup warm water, extract juice, discard fibre.

• Roast the spices: Heat 1 tsp ghee, add coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, red chillies, and curry leaves. Roast on low until fragrant. Cool and grind to a slightly coarse powder.

• In a pot, add tomatoes, turmeric, tamarind extract, salt, and 3 cups of water. Boil and simmer for 8–10 mins, until the tomatoes are soft. Mash well.

• Add the ground spice powder and jaggery. Simmer 4–5 minutes until it foams up nicely.

• Add extra hot water (½–1 cup) to make it thin and soupy. Taste and adjust salt/jaggery/chilli.

• Tempering: Heat 2 tsp ghee, crackle mustard, cumin, hing, red chillies, curry leaves, and garlic (if using). Pour over rasam, cover immediately for 2 minutes.

• Garnish with fresh coriander.

This rasam tastes even better after resting for 10–15 minutes. Pour into bowls and savour every spoonful.