Rasam (without using rasam powder)

RASAM (Thili saaru):

Ingredients

Tomato – 2 medium sized,

Dal (Tuvara / arhar) – 2 tbsp,

Tamarind - 1/2 lemon sized ball,

Jaggery crushed - 1/2 tsp.,

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp,

Salt - As per taste,

Oil - 2 tbsp,

Masala (to make paste):

Coriander powder – 1tbsp,

Red chilly powder – 1tbsp,

Curry leaves – 1/2sprig.,

Asafoetida powder – ½ tsp,

Pepper seeds – 1tsp,

Cumin seeds – 1tsp,

Garlic – 4 pods,

Ginger – ¼ inch long piece,

Seasoning:

Oil - 1 tbsp,

Mustard – 1 tbsp,

Dry red chilly (cut into pieces) - 3nos.

Asafoetida powder(Ingu/Hing) – 1 pinch,

Coriander leaves chopped – 2 tbsp.

Method: 
1.Rinse the tamarind in water for 10 minutes, squeeze it nicely, extract juice and discard pulp. Keep it aside.

2. Cook the dal with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.
3. Boil water in a vessel, add tomatoes to it and allow it to boil till the skin wilts. Once its cool remove the skin and chop into pieces.

4. Fry coriander powder, red chilly powder and curry leaves without oil for one minute. Allow it to cool. Now grind all the masala ingredients mentioned above along with roasted items and little water. Don’t make it fine paste.

7. Take a big vessel add oil when hot, fry chopped tomato in it till its cooked properly.

8. Add tamarind water, salt, turmeric powder, jaggery to the above mixture and allow it to boil till the tamarind is cooked.

9.  Now add cooked dal (use only the dal stalk if you want the rasam to be very watery), masala paste along with required amount of water (approx. between 1 – 3 cups) to it and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.

10. Take a small pan, add oil for seasoning, when hot add mustard seeds, when it splutters add asafoetida, red chilly and fry.

11. Add the above seasoning to the curry, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.