Garlic Rasam | Poondu Rasam
This Garlic Rasam, regionally known as Poondu Rasam is one of the rasam variations that is a spicy and tangy. It is made with sour tamarind, tangy tomato, lots of garlic, fresh herbs and robust spices.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves (- peeled)
- 2 dry red chilies (- broken and deseeded)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp tamarind (- tightly packed and seedless )
- 1 tbsp sesame oil ((gingelly oil) or preferred neutral oil)
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp urad dal ((husked and split black gram))
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies
- 8 to 10 garlic (- crushed lightly, with or without peels)
- 1 tomato (- small to medium-sized, chopped or crushed)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
- 1.5 to 2 cups water
- salt ( as required)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Heat ½ cup water and soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind in it. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
- 2
After 20 minutes, squeeze the softened tamarind very well in the water. Keep this tamaraind pulp aside.
- 3
When the tamarind is soaking, make the ground rasam spice mix. Add black pepper, cumin seeds, peeled garlic cloves and dry red chilies (broken and deseeded) in a small dry grinder or spice grinder.
- 4
Grind to a coarse mixture. Keep aside.
- 5
Crush lightly 8 to 10 garlic with or without peels in a mortar-pestle. Chop or crush the tomato.
- 6
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a pan or pot. Keep heat to a low. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
- 7
Sauté till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns to a maroonish color. Sauté on a low heat.
- 8
Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chilies and the crushed garlic.
- 9
Sauté till the garlic turns light brown on low heat.
- 10
Then add the tomato (chopped or crushed). Also add turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- 11
Stir and sauté on medium-low heat till the tomatoes soften.
- 12
Add the prepared ground rasam spice mix. Stir very well and sauté for a minute on a low heat.
- 13
Now add the prepared tamarind pulp and 1.5 to 2 cups water. Season with salt according to taste.
- 14
On a medium heat, simmer the rasam for 5 to 6 minutes. While adding tamarind pulp, directly strain it with a tea strainer in the pan.
- 15
When done, switch off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves.
- 16
Serve Garlic Rasam hot with some steamed rice. You can also drink it as a soup.