Rasam vada is basically piping hot and crispy vadas soaked in spicy rasam. Rasam is a light lentil soup that gets its flavor from tamarind broth, diced tomatoes, traditional spices, and curry leaves. The rasam gives an entirely new dimension to the taste of the typical vada. Rasam is so popular in South India, that for many South Indians, the word is now synonymous with comfort food. If you want to really blow the minds of your South Indian guests, serve them this dish. They’ll never know what hit them. You can store it in a casserole and eat later, and it will still taste as delicious as freshly prepared.
Health Benefits
The primary ingredient used in the base of the soup are lentils, edible seeds that are members of the legume family. Legumes are eaten a lot in Asia, especially India, due to the high vegetarian populations. They are a great met substitute and a powerful source of protein. Lentils also contain the amino acids, methionine and cysteine. These amino acids are essential and work in tandem to improve muscle building and strengthen the body.
Ingredients
cup of soaked, skinless split black gram: 1
tsp of rasam powder: 2
tbsp of chopped coconut: 2-3
chopped green chilies: 2
inch piece of finely chopped ginger: 1/2
tbsp of oil: 1
salt
tbsp of split pigeon pea: 2
medium roughly chopped tomatoes: 2
tsp of asafoetida: 1/4
tsp of mustard seeds: 1/2
dry red chilies: 2
curry leaves: 10-15
tsp of tamarind pulp: 1
tsp of grated jaggery: 1
tbsp of chopped and fresh coriander leaves: 1
How To Make Rasam Vada
- Drain the ural dal and grind it into a thick batter. Add some coconut, ginger, green chilies and salt and mix it all with the batter that you grinded.
- Heat some oil in a kadai. Wipe your hands with a clean, wet cloth and shape the batter into balls with your fingers. Drop the balls into the oil and deep fry until they are golden. Then drain the vadas on absorbent paper.
- For the rasam, cook the toovar dal in a deep pan filled with a cup of water until it gets mashed. Then, add some tomatoes with another cup of water and salt to taste. Let it all cook until soft.
- Heat more oil in a pan, Add mustard seeds, broken red chili, asafoetida and curry leaves. Drain the tomatoes and dal and transfer them to a mixer jar where you must grind them into a smooth puree.
- Add the puree and mix it up. Add the tamarind pulp, rasam powder, salt, and jaggery and mix well. Also mix in coriander leaves and let it all simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Put the vadas in serving bowls, pour in the rasam and serve hot.
Trivia
Lentils are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been around for over 9,000 years.