Garlic Rasam (Kerala)

Cold days are Rasam days!! This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Simmy Basant. My kids love it, though I would never suggest you have it on special days like today - Valentine's day!!

You can find another version of garlic rasam in Tamil nadu.

Basic ingredients:

Garlic - 3 big pods

Shallots / small onion - 3

Tamarind - small ball soaked in lukewarm water and 4 cups of pulp extracted

Tomato - 1 1/2 + 1/2 ( garnish)

Green chilli - 1+1(garnish)

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilli - 2, broken

Salt ( missing from below photograph)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp ( again missing from below snap!)

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Pepper powder -  1 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaf for garnish

Chop the onions, garlic and 1 green chilli.

Then take half of this and pound.

Heat oil. Splutter mustard and add the red chillies.

Now add both the pounded and chopped vegetables.

Fry till garlic starts browning. Then add the spice powders other than salt.

After 1 minute add the chopped tomato.

Then the salt

Cook till tomato becomes pulpy.

Now add the tamarind pulp / juice

Stir and boil. Simmer and let boil slowly for 5 minutes.

Garnish:

Serve either as an appetizer or with rice.

Enjoy!!