e-Paper
JEYASHRI SURESH
Paruppu rasam or dal rasam is a flavourful South Indian soup prepared with toor dal, tomatoes and spices.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Toor dal: ¼ cup Tomatoes: 2 Tamarind extract: 11/2 cups Water: 2 cups Oil: 2 tsp Mustard seeds: ½ tsp Methi seeds: ¼ tsp Asafoetida: 2 pinches Red chilli: 2 Salt: To taste Turmeric powder: 1 tsp Coriander leaves: Few Curry leaves: Few To grind Garlic cloves: 8 Green chilli: 2 Pepper: 1 tbsp Cumin seeds: ½ tbsp Curry leaves: Few Coriander leaves: Few
Method: 1) Wash the toor dal and add two tomatoes to it. 2) Add ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1 cup water. 3) Pressure cook this till four whistles. 4) Soak a small tamarind piece in hot water and extract 11/2 cups of tamarind water. 5) Grind the garlic, pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilli into a coarse paste. You can pound them too. 6) Mash the cooked toor dal and tomatoes with a whisk. You can remove the tomato skin. 7) Take oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, red chilli and methi seeds. Once it splutters, add the coarsely-ground paste. Saute for a minute. 8) Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Let this boil for five minutes. 9) Add the cooked toor dal mixture and two cups of water. 10) Add salt. Let this froth. Switch off the flame. 11) Add a few coriander leaves and curry leaves. 12) Enjoy rasam with hot rice.
Notes:a) Add salt towards the end to get a perfect taste. b) Paruppu rasam pairs well with potato curry or any fried item, including masala vadai. Rice and rasam make a perfect combo.
Jeyashri Suresh runs the vegetarian food website www.jeyashriskitchen.com
