Garlic Pepper Rasam

Change in the weather made all of us sick at home. Only thing I feel like eating when I have cold and sore throat is spicy rasam. My mom always use to make this rasam and pepper milk(Miryala Kashayam) when we have cold. She used to say pepper helps to clear throat. For sure it does help. Thanks to my mom for passing on these delicious recipes and health tips.



Ingredients:

4 medium sized tomatoes cut into cubes
2 or 3 green chilies(optional) (i love to eat spicy so added green chilies as well. You can omit this if you don't want too spicy)
1tsp tamarind paste/ 1 medium sized tamarind soaked in water and remove the juice.
1tsp rasam powder
1tsp black pepper powder ( you can reduce/increase as per your spice level).
pinch of turmeric
3 garlic cloves crushed
1tsp chopped corander
salt

Tampering:
1tsp oil
pinch of asafetida(hing)
1/2tsp mustard seeds
1/4tsp cumin seeds
1 red chili
curry leaves (optional)

Procedure

In a pan/sauce pan add oil, once oil is hot add tampering items. Once mustard seeds starts spluttering add garlic and tomatoes. Cover and cook till tomatoes are cooked completely. With the back of laddle mash all the tomatoes and add rasam powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder,salt and tamarind paste/juice. Cook for 2 mts and add water to make it thin consistency and let it boil. Adjust spices and remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

You can have this rasam just as soup or have it with rice. Either way it is awesome.



Note: If you want little thick you can use mixer or hand belnder to mash tomatoes.
One more way to make it thick is to add 1/2 cup of cooked toor dal lentil(mashed).