South Indian Traditional Pepper Rasam / Milagu Rasam

Rasam is a traditional South Indian dish that is almost a part of every home cooked meal with high medicinal benefits.

Milagu rasam / black pepper rasam is one of the most popular variants of rasam .

It is prepared with tamarind juice as base and along with tomato, garlic, shallots and spices like pepper, cumin and turmeric, tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves and garnished with coriander leaves .

This dish has a unique taste of spiciness/pungent, peppery, tangy and suitable for all seasons, especially during winter season and flu period. It’s ideal for convalescing patients and taken when one is down with flu or fever as a healthy soup or with cooked rice.

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Small onion/shallots - 5

• Garlic pods - 5

• Pepper -1 tsp

• Jeera - 1 tsp

• Tomato - 1

• Tamarind -1 goose berry size

• Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp

• Urad dal - ½ tsp

• Red chilli - 1

• Asafoetida a pinch

• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

• Salt 1 tsp or as required

• Curry leaves - finely chopped 1 tbsp

• Coriander leaves - few

• Cooking oil - 1 tablespoon

Prep work :

soak the tamarind with hot water in a bowl and extract 1 cup of juice and keep aside .

Finely chop the tomatoes, add little warm water and smash it with mathu / churner and keep aside.

Grind the pepper, jeera, garlic, shallots, few coriander leaves with small quantity of water to a semi fine paste and keep aside.

Cooking method:

To a heated pan add 1 tbsp of oil.

Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, urad dal, broken red chilli and allow it to splutter along with curry leaves over medium flame.

Then add turmeric powder, asafoetida and ground paste. Sauté for a minute.

To this, add the smashed tomatoes and sauté until it becomes soft and mushy.

Next add the 1 cup tamarind juice along with 3 cups of hot water.

Add salt and chopped coriander leaves to this.

Switch of the flame when it is about to boil.

Transfer to a serving bowl enjoy with cooked rice or as a soup.

Cooking tips:

• Rasam should not be boiled, otherwise it will become too spicy and hot. Hence I recommend switching off the flame when it is about to boil.

• To this rasam, boiled vegetables and precooked dal/lentils can also be added while sautéing.

• To make more of a tomato rasam you have to reduce the tamarind and increase the tomato which can be added in the form of tomato purée.

Health benefits:

• Rich in vitamins like Thiamine, folic acid, Vit A, Niacin, Riboflavin and minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc.

• Has Powerful antioxidants properties.

• Addition of lentils and vegetables gives a considerable quantity of protein and nutrient value.

• Prevents cancer. The substance piperin in black pepper has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells along with curcumin in turmeric keeps the cancer at bay.

• Promotes digestion, prevents flatulance and constipation.

• Ideal dish for weight loss, children and convalescing patients.