Ingredients:
- cumin seeds
- black pepper
- coriander stems
- ginger
- garlic
- juicy red tomatoes
- Indian spices
- cloves
Method:
Tomato Rasam is a delicious soup-like dish that can be enjoyed over rice or on its own as a hearty soup. Here I share step-by-step instructions with photos for preparing this recipe two different ways, as a traditional classic tomato rasam (thakkali rasam) or try a spicier Andhra-style version of tomato charu.
How to make Tomato Rasam
- To a blender or food processor add ⅓ cup (about a handful) of roughly chopped coriander stems, with or without leaves. Add 7 to 8 medium sized garlic cloves, peeled, and 1 inch of peeled ginger, roughly chopped
2. Add 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon of whole black peppercorns. Feel free to use less or more pepper to taste.
3. Grind to a coarse paste, but do not puree. Transfer the paste to a bowl or plate and set aside.
Making Tomato Puree
4. To the same blender jar add 3 large ripe and red tomatoes, rinsed and chopped. You will need 275 grams tomatoes, or roughly 1.5 to 1.75 cups of chopped tomatoes.
5. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. For a beautiful bright red rasam, you can first blanch the tomatoes and then puree them.
6. In a heavy pan or pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil on low heat. Once the oil is hot add ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds.
7. Fry the mustard seeds until they begin to crackle.
8. Next add ½ teaspoon of urad dal (lentils). I have used whole urad dal, but you can even use split and husked lentils.
9. Continue to stir often as you fry the urad dal to a golden brown.
10. Add 1 to 2 dry red chilies (halved and seeds removed), and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Turn the heat off if the pot gets too hot and nearly smokes.
11. Stir and fry the chilies for few seconds, until they start to lose their red color and become reddish brown.
12. Add the coarsely ground coriander, ginger, cumin, black pepper and garlic paste to the pan. Again, if the pan is so hot that anything begins to burn, promptly turn the heat off and/or remove the pan from the stove.
13. Now add 10 to 12 curry leaves, whole or chopped.
14. Sauté for a minute on low, being careful to not burn the spices.
Making Tomato Rasam
17. Carefully add the tomato puree.
18. Mix well. The tomato rasam will almost immediately smell amazing.
19. Continue to stir and simmer for a minute to heat the mixture through.
20. Season with salt to taste.
21. Next add 1.5 cups of water, and stir. If you want a thinner soup you can add a splash more water. But I don’t recommend adding too much more, or you risk diluting the delicious flavors of the thakkali rasam.
22. Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. Taste, and add more salt if needed.
Serving Tomato Rasam
Serve tomato rasam or thakkali rasam hot, either like a curry over steamed white rice or enjoy as a bowl of hearty soup. Both ways are great with a side of pappadums or simple toasted bread.