easy tomato rasam recipe

ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For the rasam:

• 9-10 medium size red and juicy tomatoes
• 1 or 2 cups water
• salt

For the spice herb mixture:

• ½ cup coriander stems with or without leaves
• 1 inch ginger/adrak
• 8-9 garlic/lahsun
• 10-12 black pepper/sabut kali mirch
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds/jeera

For the tempering:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 to 3 sprig of curry leaves/kadi patta
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
• 1 tsp urad dal/husked split black gram
• 1 or 2 red chillies, broken
• ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi

how to make the recipe:

1. blanch or steam the tomatoes.
2. once they cool, chop them and blend to a smooth puree.
3. in a grinder or mortar and pestle make a coarse paste of all the ingredients mentioned in the spice herb mixture list above.
4. heat oil and fry the mustard seeds. when they start to crackle add the urad dal.
5. fry the urad dal till light brown and then add all the other tempering ingredients, except turmeric powder.
6. fry for a minute. add the coarse herb and spice paste. add turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
7. now add the tomato puree. add the water and salt.
8. bring to a thorough boil and then simmer for 10-12 minutes.
9. garnish tomato rasam with coriander leaves.
10. serve tomato rasam hot with rice.