Mint Rasam

Pudhina Rasam

------------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients

• Mint leaves – 1/2 Cup(finely chopped)
• Tomato – 1 medium sized
• Green chillies – 1
• Ginger – 1 tsp(finely chopped)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing) – 1/4 tsp
• Rasam powder – 2 tsps
• Curry leaves – 10
• Tamarind paste – 1/4 tsp
• Sugar – 1/4 tsp
• Red chillies – 1
• Ghee – 1tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds – 1tsp
• Fresh Cilantro – 2tbsp(finely chopped)
• Salt – To taste

Process

1. Pressure cook & mash the toor dal with 2cups water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
2. Grind the tomato, mint leaves, ginger & green chilly without adding water.
3. Add the above mixture to 2 cups of water & bring it to a boil.
4. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida,  curry leaves, rasam powder, salt & tamarind paste to the boiling mixture.
5. Cover the mixture lightly and let it boil on medium heat for 7 minutes. Covering it helps retain the flavour.
6. Add the cooked toor dal to this mixture and add 2&1/2 cups of water.
7. Cover it again and let it foam at the brim. Its very important that this mixture should not boil.
8. As soon as you see foam remove it from heat.

Garnish
In a sauce pan heat some ghee and add the red chilly, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds & a pinch of asafoetida.

My take on it

• Its very important to add the fenugreek seeds in the end to avoid the sour taste.  Adding asafoetida during garnish is strictly optional. I do it because I love the flavour. You can also sprinkle some finely chopped mint leaves in the end. 
• Rasam is a South Indian soup and also a popular comfort food in southern India. Any time I was down with a cold or fever my mom would make this at home and I used to find it extremely comforting. I just love rasam and it’s a personal favourite. The garnish is extremely important as it enhances the rasam’s flavour. you can also sprinkle some black pepper powder just before the garnish. Stay tuned for many varieties of rasam.
• Incidentally, rasam is the basis of mulligatawny soup, which is an Anglo-Indian version of the same.

.