Garlic Rasam
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This Andhra style rasam is like a big daddy of all rasams you have ever tasted – spicy to its core and loaded with flavors of garlic, tamarind and various other spices. As with all its siblings, garlic rasam is best enjoyed when served with a steamed rice, papad, poriyal and a delicious chutney. Try it during a winter and see how your body heats up from inside! This spicy South Indian fare is also known as Poondu Rasam in Tamilnadu.
| Ingredients: |
| 8-10 Garlic Cloves, crushed |
| 1/2 tablespoon Tamarind |
| 1-2 Dry Red Chillies (or to taste) |
| 1/2 teaspoon Black Peppercorns |
| 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds |
| 1/2 teaspoon Chana Dal |
| 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds |
| 3-4 Curry Leaves |
| 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon Oil |
| Salt to taste |
| For Tempering: |
| 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds |
| 5-6 Curry Leaves |
| 1 teaspoon Ghee |
Directions:
- Soak tamarind in 1-cup warm water for 5-10 minutes. Mash it with your hand and strain it through a sieve, collect the tamarind juice in small bowl and keep aside until called for use. Discard the remaining solids.
- Heat 1-teaspoon oil in a small pan over low flame. Add dry red chilies, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and chana dal. Roast them until nice aroma starts to come, approx 2 minutes.
- Allow it to cool to room temperature. Transfer to grinder jar, add cumin seeds, 3-4 curry leaves and 1-2 tablespoons water. Grind into medium coarse paste.
- Heat remaining 1-teaspoon oil in the same pan over low flame for sauteing and saute crushed garlic cloves in it until golden brown. Transfer them to a plate.
- Take tamarind juice (extracted in step-1) and 1½-cups water in another large pan, add salt to taste and bring it to boil over medium flame. When it starts to boil, reduce flame to low and cook for 7-8 minutes or until raw smell of tamarind goes away.
- Add sautéed garlic cloves (prepared in step-4), ground paste (prepared in step-3) and 1-cup water; mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes and take it away from flame/cook-top.
- Heat ghee in the small pan over low flame for tempering. Add mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle. Add 5-6 curry leaves and sauté for 10-15 seconds. Turn off flame and pour it over prepared rasam. Mix and transfer to serving bowl.
- Hot and spicy garlic rasam is now ready to tantalize your taste buds.
Tips and Variations:
- Add 1-tomato (finely chopped) in step-3 along with other ingredients in grinding jar and reduce tamarind quantity to 1/4-tablespoon (in step-1) to make tomato-garlic rasam.
- Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Make sure that spices do not turn dark brown while roasting them in step-2.
Taste: Spicy
Serving Ideas: Serve it hot with steamed rice and papad.