Rasam with rice and papad
A thin, peppery broth of tamarind, tomato and rasam powder with garlic, tempered with ghee, mustard seeds and curry leaves: eaten with rice almost every day in Tamil and Kannada homes, often after sambar, with crisp papad on the side. Brahmin and Jain homes make it without garlic.
- 30 minTime
- 21 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 10 gprotein per portion
- 420kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 15 gTamarind
- ≈ 250 mlWater, hot
- 2Tomatoes, chopped
- 4 clovesGarlic, crushed
- 2 tspRasam powder
- 1 mlTurmeric
- 2 sprigsCurry leaves
- to tasteSalt
- ≈ 500 mlWater
- 1 tbspGhee
- 3 mlMustard seeds
- 3 mlCumin, seeds
- 1Dried red chilli
- 1 mlHing (asafoetida)
- 2 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped
On the side
- 350 gRice, sona masoori or ponni
- ≈ 800 mlWater, for the rice
- 4Papads
Method
- Soak the tamarind in the hot water for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash the rice two or three times, put it in a pan with the water and bring to the boil.
- Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Keep it covered until you serve.
- Chop the tomatoes and crush the garlic.
- Squeeze the tamarind in the water and strain the tamarind water into a pan, throwing away the pulp. Add the tomatoes, garlic, rasam powder, turmeric, half the curry leaves and salt.
- Boil for 8–10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the raw smell of the tamarind has gone.
- Meanwhile, roast the papads one at a time over a low flame, turning them with tongs, until they puff up and turn crisp.
- Pour in the rest of the water and heat until the rasam rises and turns frothy on top. Turn off the heat just before it boils.
- For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cumin seeds, dried red chilli, hing and the rest of the curry leaves, and pour it all over the rasam. Add the coriander leaves and cover.
- Serve the rasam poured over the rice, or in small katoris alongside, with the papads.
