Keralastyle Tomato Rasam

This is an easy recipe to make the simple Kerala style tomato rasam with homemade spices. The main ingredient for this dish is something we always have at home - tomato. During my childhood, rice with rasam was a staple; it was my mother’s favorite too! Rasam is traditionally a little spicy, but you can adjust the chili and pepper quantities to your liking. The correct proportion, however, is key to preparing a good rasam. 

Rasam is also very good for digestion after a lunch meal. Try not to skip any of the ingredients and make sure to use a ripe tomato.

Ingredients

1. Tomato, 100 g (1 no)
2. Tamarind, the size of a gooseberry
3. Water, 1 ½ cups
4. Oil, 2 tbs
5. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
6. Whole chili (broken), 1 no. 
7. Shallots (finely chopped), 5 nos.
8. Ginger (finely chopped), ½ tsp
9. Garlic (finely chopped), ½ tbs
10. Curry leaves, a few
11. Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
12. Chili powder, ½ tsp
13. Pepper powder, 1tsp
14. Coriander powder, 1 ½ tsp
15. Cumin powder, ½ tsp
16. Fenugreek powder, ¼ tsp
17. Asafetida powder, ½ tsp 
18. Hot water, 1 ½ cups
19. Salt, to taste
20. Coriander leaves, a few

Preparation:

Cook the tomato and tamarind with one and half cups of water in a saucepan. When the water reduces to half a cup and tomato is well cooked, remove from heat and let it cool. Once completely cool, squeeze the tamarind tomato gravy and then strain. 
Meanwhile heat oil in another saucepan and add mustard seeds. Once it pops, add shallots, whole chili, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves and sauté until the shallots turn golden brown. 
Add the spices (ingredients 11 to 17) and sauté for a few seconds.
Add hot water, tomato extract and salt, then let it boil for two minutes for the spices to get absorbed. Remove from flame.
Add coriander leaves and leave closed. Your dish is ready!😍

Enjoy with rice. Please share and comment. Thanks :)