Rasam

MrsC_772

I tried Jyotirmoy's recipe - with garlic. It was yummy, but not what I remember. I suspect I boiled too much water off, as I was left with something more like a dahl - thick enough to use as a filling for dosas (made from the Gits packet mix, not fermenting my own lentil paste)!

jyotirmoy

Glad to know that it turned out yummy. Next time it will be better I am sure.

ebby

Have you tried Mulagutanny soup/ pepper water back home ? It is nothing but rasam. Mulagu = pepper , tanny = water, in tamil. So the hauntingly familiar flavour.

kalyani68

Oh, there are so many different kinds of rasam! Nick got some black pepper and cumin rasam for his cold. Garlic rasam also works great for the same purpose. There's also tomato rasam, ginger rasam, lemon rasam, lentil rasam, Mysore rasam and my personal favorite, moru rasam which is made with buttermilk.

When cooking the tamarind base for rasam, you must boil it very well so the raw flavor goes away. The lentils that go in rasam are usually cooked to the point where they disentegrate into a paste. When added to the soup, they basically disappear but act as a thickener and a source of protein.

Yes, as Nick said, Orthodox Brahmins do not put onion or garlic in their cooking.

__________________
My Travel Blog- South India Dec. 2007
www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/wildcat007

snonymous

Extra garlic adds so much to the flavour, its called 'poondu rasam' in Tamil. Pepper rasam is also a hot favourite. Both of these are sure fire [pun intended] cures for a variety of cold related ailments. Ready Rasam paste is easily available all over South India and in South Indian grocers elsewhere. Of course, nothing can match the taste of my mothers freshly prepared rasam.