A thin, peppery tamarind broth with cumin and tomato; the South Indian restorative, clearing and warming, that satvik kitchens serve as soup or over rice.
Dinner · 10 min prep · 15 min cook · serves 3 Newly added
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tamarind , pulp, or 1 tsp concentrate
- 3 cups water
- 1 tomato , chopped
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 6 curry leaves
- ½ tsp black pepper , coarsely ground
- ½ tsp cumin powder , dry-roasted and ground
- ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp jaggery
- to taste rock salt
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves , chopped
Preparation
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Soak the tamarind in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes and squeeze out the juice; discard the solids.
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Simmer the tamarind water with the tomato, turmeric, jaggery and salt for 8–10 minutes until the raw smell mellows.
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Stir in the freshly ground pepper and roasted cumin.
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Heat the ghee, pop the mustard seeds, then add cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves; pour into the pot.
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Add the remaining hot water, bring just to a frothy simmer (do not boil hard), and finish with coriander. Serve as a soup or poured over rice.
In the tradition
Rasam is what South Indian homes pour when someone is coming down with something: pepper and cumin to kindle agni, tamarind to gentle it, all in a broth thin enough for the weakest appetite. The satvik version simply leaves out the garlic most restaurant rasams carry, and loses nothing of the warmth. The frothy, never-boiled finish keeps the pepper’s edge bright.
Sources & further reading
- Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya , Vāgbhaṭa (Sūtrasthāna 5, pippali/marica (pepper) and jīraka (cumin) as digestive kindlers)
- Ayurvedic Healing Cuisine , David Frawley
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.