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Tomato Rasam Recipe Indian

Tomato Rasam Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 112
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), washed
  • 3 cups water, plus more to thin
  • 2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1½ tsp rasam powder
  • ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 dried red chilli, broken in half
  • 10 fresh curry leaves
  • A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method
 

  1. Simmer the toor dal with 3 cups water until very soft, about 25 minutes, then mash until mostly smooth.
  2. Dissolve the tamarind paste in ¼ cup warm water, then add it to a pot with the chopped tomatoes, rasam powder, salt, and 1 cup water. Simmer for 8 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the mixture smells deeply spiced.
  3. Add the mashed dal and 2 more cups of water to the tomato base, bring to a lively simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency and salt.
  4. Heat ghee in a small pan, pop the mustard seeds, then add cumin, dried chilli, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Pour the hot tempering over the rasam, stir, ladle into bowls, and top with fresh coriander.

Notes

If the rasam thickens as it sits, thin it with a little warm water when reheating. A five-minute rest after adding the tempering lets the flavours blend without losing too much heat.