Tomato Rasam/Thakkali Rasam

Tomato rasam is one of the best dishes to include in a person’s cooking repertoire. Rasam is already one of the most iconic dishes in Indian cuisine. It is typically made using tamarind juice or kokum, chili pepper, cumin, and of course, the famous rasam stock.  Tomatoes are normally used in rasam preparation as well, but normally as a supplementary ingredient, rarely the main ingredient, but you won’t’ regret trying this tomato rasam at all.

Health Benefits

You can’t go wrong including tomatoes in your diet. It is a wonderful fruit (or vegetable) that has a whole lot of health benefits that you absolutely want to have. Eating tomatoes can improve a person’s eye health, stomach health, and reduce blood pressure. Tomatoes are also valued for their ability to treat skin problems, provide diabetes relief, and treat urinary tract infections. Looking at it, there isn’t much that the wonderful tomato can’t do.

Ingredients

oil: 1 tsp

coriander seeds – roasted : 1 tsp

jeera : ½ tsp

methi seeds : 10

dried Kashmiri red chilies: 3

handful curry leaves: 1

black pepper : ¼ tsp

tomato – finely chopped: 1 medium sized

green chilies – slit lengthwise: 2

curry leaves: 1 handful

tamarind extract: 1 cup

turmeric powder : ½ tsp

jaggery: ½ tsp

Salt to taste

water: 2 cups

toor dal – cooked: 1 cup

coriander leaves – finely chopped: 2 tbsp

oil: 1 tsp

mustard seeds : 1 tsp

urad dal: ½ tsp

dried red chilies – broken: 2

curry leaves: 1 handful

asafoetida : 1 pinch

How To Make Tomato Rasam/Thakkali Rasam

1. Pour a tsp of oil, coriander seeds, jeera, methi seeds, red chili, curry leaves and pepper in a mixer.
2. Blend to a fine powder.
3. Set side.
4. Combine the tomatoes, green chili and curry leaves in a kadai.
   1. Add tamarind extract, jaggery, turmeric, and salt.
5. Cover and cook the tamarind water.
   1. Boil for 15 minutes.
   2. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil.
6. Add the cooked toor dal.
   1. Mix thoroughly.
   2. Add prepared rasam powder or udupi rasam powder.
   3. Mix well and continue boiling for 2 minutes.
7. Heat the oil to prepare the tempering.
   1. Add the mustard, curry leaves, urad dal, dried red chili, and hing.
   2. Pour the tempering over rasam.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Trivia

Tomatoes originated in what is now, modern day Peru.