Tomato Saru(Rasam)

Rasam or Saaru is a South indian soup, traditionally prepared using tamarind juice as a base, with the addition of tomato, and peppers and other spices as seasonings.

Ingredients:

half cup of toor dal/Arhar dal fully boiled ,

3 teaspoon coriander seeds,

half teaspoon zeera/cumin seeds,

1 teaspoon peppercorns/kali meere

1 teaspoon of toor dal,

4-5 red chillies

2 teaspoon of tamarind paste,

1 finely chopped tomato,

2 teaspoon of jaggery powder,

coriander leaves for garnishing

1 teaspoon of cooking oil,

For seasoning:

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds,

2 slit Byadgi red chillies,

4-5 curry leaves,

a pinch of hing powder,

1 teaspoon of cooking oil,

Method :

• Heat 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in a pan ,add coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon of toordal,fry for 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, and red chillies and fry for another 2 minutes.Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Fine paste the above mixture in  a grinder by adding required amount of water or powder it dry without adding water so that you can store and use it next time.
• Take a round bottom vessel , add fully boiled toor dal, 800 ml of water(or more if you like),tamarind paste,jaggery powder,tomatoes, salt to taste and rasam paste/powder prepared in the previous step. Bring it to a boil. Close the heat.
• For seasoning: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a seasoning pan, add mustard seeds ,when they start spluttering  ,curry leaves,hing powder and red chillies.Close the heat.
• Pour the seasoning over the Rasam and garnish with few chopped coriander leaves.

Goes well with rice and pickel/lonche.