Ingredients

Method

1. 1

   Begin by gathering and preparing the ingredients. On a plate, combine peeled garlic cloves, a piece of ginger, a sprig of curry leaves, and green chilies. Chop a tomato into wedges and slice the green chilies lengthwise.

2. 2

   On a separate plate, place black peppercorns, dried red chilies, coriander seeds, chopped ginger, peeled garlic, and a sprig of curry leaves.

3. 3

   In a bowl, soak two tamarind pods in about a cup of water.

4. 4

   Using a traditional stone grinder (ammi kallu), start grinding the spices. First, crush the dried red chilies. Then, add the coriander seeds and grind. Next, add the black peppercorns and grind. Follow with the chopped ginger, garlic cloves, and finally the curry leaves, grinding everything together into a coarse paste.

5. 5

   Once ground, transfer the spice paste back to the plate.

6. 6

   Squeeze the soaked tamarind with your hand to extract the juice into the water. Strain the tamarind water into a bowl, discarding the solids.

7. 7

   Place a clay pot (chatti) over a wood fire. Pour in the cooking oil and let it heat.

8. 8

   Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds to the hot oil and let them splutter.

9. 9

   Add a few pieces of crushed ginger to the pot, followed by some curry leaves.

10. 10

    Add the ground spice paste to the pot and sauté well.

11. 11

    Add the cumin seeds and continue to sauté.

12. 12

    Add the sliced green chilies and the chopped tomatoes to the pot.

13. 13

    Season with salt and add turmeric powder. Stir everything together.

14. 14

    Pour the prepared tamarind water into the pot. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

15. 15

    Cover the pot with a lid and let the rasam come to a boil and cook through.

16. 16

    After a few minutes, remove the lid and stir the boiling rasam.

17. 17

    Once cooked, carefully remove the pot from the fire.

18. 18

    Serve the hot rasam in a bowl.