Homemade Instant Rasam Podi

Rasam is a famous South Indian accompaniment for rice. Very flavorful, aromatic and there are so many varieties. We Tamilians need rasam and sambar, as we cannot live without it!!! Sometimes with pepper, sometimes with garlic and even with lemon, pineapple, plums, orange.... so on the list goes

This was a recipe that I made when I had to leave for my mother's place (Chennai) for my delivery, because hubby dearest is all alone. All he had to do was chop some tomatoes and coriander. Boil 1 cup of water with 1 tbsp of this powder and boil everything together. Tadaa!!! Rasam is ready!!!

What you need:

1. Toor Dal (tuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup 
2. Pepper - half of quarter cup (1/8 cup) 
3. Jeera & Coriander Seeds - half of quarter cup (1/8 cup)
4. Dry red chilies - 5 - 6 nos (increase / decrease according to your preference)
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Tamarind - lemon size ball
7. Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
8. Sugar - 1/4 tsp

For the tempering:

1. Ghee/ Refined Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Curry leaves - a small bunch

How to go about it:

1. Heat a thick bottomed kadai and dry roast each ingredient from No. 1 - No. 4 separately, until they are aromatic. Let these cool completely.
2. Make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in ghee and keep it aside. 
3. Now, add tamarind, turmeric powder, asafoetida, sugar to the roasted ingredients and grind them all together to a fine powder. Spread this powder on a plate and cool completely.
4. Now, add the tempered ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Store it in an air tight container and freeze.

How to make rasam:

1. To a cup of water, add 1 tbsp of this powder. Add chopped tomatoes, coriander leaves, salt and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Your rasam is ready.

Points to remember:

1. You can increase/ decrease the quantities of pepper, jeera, red chilies and coriander according to your taste. 
2. If the powder turns out too spicy, then roast a bit of toor dal, powder it and add it to the powder.
3. Garlic powder can be added, but its flavour doesn't really show up while making the rasam. Instead you can fry some garlic in ghee and add while boiling the rasam.
4. The ground powder needs to be cooled completely and then only stored. Otherwise it might get spoilt.
5.  Freezing the powder and use it only while making the rasam. This ensures that the flavour and aroma is always remain as it is.

Njoy with your loved ones...

Luv...

Champa...