Garlic Rasam / Poondu Rasam Recipe

I suck at making rasam. I know that's a strange thing to say just before sharing a rasam recipe but I had to say it. My rasams usually suck. I have tried watching the MIL closely and writing down measurement of ingredients as and when she uses it. I have tried rasam recipes from different sites all over the blogosphere.

Then my rasam became okay.

That was before I devised this recipe. I stripped down all rasam recipes and came up with this uber simple recipe that really cannot go wrong. (TH actually makes better rasam but he has to add tomatoes to it). And Dal? What dal? I never add dal to rasam unless I am making this version which I call parippu rasam.

So in a nutshell, this rasam recipe goes against most Brahmin rules of making rasam:

- no toor dal / tuvaram paruppu (gasp)
- addition of garlic / poondu (double gasp)
- use of readymade rasam powder

Maybe I should rename the recipe mulagutawney like those fancy restaurants. Anyway.. If you don't want to add dal to your rasam, make it without dal. Go ahead, dare yourself ;)

Garlic Rasam / Poondu Rasam Recipe
Preparation time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

What I Used:

A small lime-sized ball tamarind
8 pods garlic, chopped (use as much or as little as you want)
1 ripe tomato
1 tbsp rasam powder (mine has chilly powder so if yours doesn't, add chilly powder to taste)
A generoud pinch of hing / asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jaggery or sugar
Salt to taste

For tempering:

2 tsp ghee / clarified butter (or oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves

How I Made It:

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 mins. Extract juice and discard pulp. Add another cup of water to the tamarind juice.

2. Chop the tomato and mash it well with your finger tips.

3. Place the tamarind juice, tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt, hing, rasam powder and the garlic pods in a pan and bring to boil. Once it boils, lower fire and let it simmmer, keeping the pan open.

4. Once the mixture has simmered for about 15 mins, add sugar and adjust salt. Remove from fire.

5. Heat the ghee and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to pop, add to the boiled tamarind mixture. Mix well.

Serve piping hot with steamed white rice and paruppu usili or drink straight from a glass.