Ingredients
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1/2 tspn Black pepper powder
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1/2 tspn Cumin seeds powder
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1 cup Tamarind water extract
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1/4 tspn turmeric powder
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1/4 tspn asafoetida
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1/4 tspn Mustard seeds
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Few curry leaves
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1 large Tomato
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8 - 10 garlic
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As per taste salt
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Few coriander leaves
Directions
Mulligatawny – If anyone can remember, it used to be one of the soup flavors that was marketed by the Knorr soup company. In the past recent years they have stopped manufacturing this soup. Mulligawtany is nothing but Milagu Thanni as pronounced by the Britishers. It was during that British era in South India when this milagu rasam got its popularity.
During the cold days, they would prefer having this soup made of crushed peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander leaves, turmeric powder and garlic as the main ingredients. This dish was eventually served by one of the servants to the Britishers who were ruling that period in our Tamil Nadu.
Rasam is a very popular dish that travels throughout South India and holds a variety of flavors. The main ones are pepper cumin rasam, tomato rasam, lemon coriander rasam, lentil water rasam, sprouts water rasam, etc. It is nothing but a curry or a stew that is poured on top of the rice and relished with satisfaction. It has a lot of antibacterial properties and serves as the best remedy for a cold, cough or flu.
- Rasam needs that tangy flavor and spicy flavor always, without which it would not feel like you’ve had rasam. Take a gooseberry-sized tamarind pulp and soak it in water. Squeeze it and strain the water; set it aside.
- Roughly press the garlic with a big knife; no need to remove the skin. Garlic crushed along with the skin gives a different aroma to this dish.
- Put oil in a chatty (a clay pot suits best for rasam), mustard seeds and curry leaves, crushed garlic and just two shallots finely chopped.
- Sauté for a while on low flame. Once garlic is tender, add dried whole red chili, coarsely crushed peppercorn powder, and add asafoetida onto the oil.
- Add tomatoes crushed with your hand and pour the tamarind water immediately.
- Add crushed cumin seed powder, turmeric powder and salt at this stage.
- Before setting it to boil, we need to add coriander leaves with their stems cut into rough pieces.
- Bring it to one good rolling boil, cover it immediately and turn off the flame.
- The more you allow it to boil, the more bitter the taste will start developing.
One other option to prepare this rasam is that you can keep rasam powder stored for a month’s use. Storing more than that would lose the aroma.
At times I prepare rasam on the spot, while at times I use my already prepared rasam powder. Either way it tastes good.
For making homemade rasam powder you need black pepper, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and asafoetida – grind it coarsely in a blender and store it in the refrigerator.
