Milagu Poondu thakkali Rasam / Garlic Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe

                              There is a popular saying in Tamil that, "உணவே மருந்து". Meaning the food we eat itself is a medicine. Rasam is the dish which is apt for the above saying. I remember my grandma making rasam almost all the days for lunch. I am fond of drinking the rasam, which my kid follows too:-)

                                     The Pepper, Cumin, Garlic, Tomato, Tamarind syrup, and the coriander leaves, will make wonders in ailing your digestion. Want to treat your cold and cough without seeking doctor, then having rasam for a week along with cooked rice will help you. This helps in relieving constipation and gastric problems also. The first baby food with rice will be mashed rasam rice in my native regions.

Prep time 5 mins
Cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients

To boil
Small lemon sized Tamarind

1 number Tomato

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Asafoetida 

1- 2 glass of Water

To grind coarsely
7-8 nos Garlic Peeled 

1 tbsp Pepper
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tbsp Coriander Seeds (optional)
1-2 nos Green Chilies 

To Temper
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig  Curry leaves

For Garnishing

2 tbsp Coriander leaves Chopped

1 tbsp Lemon Juice(optional)

As per needed Salt

Procedure:

1)In a heavy bottomed vessel, add chopped tomato, tamarind(or tamarind syrup), mash it with hands.

2) Then add water, turmeric powder and powdered asafoetida.

3) In mixer grinder, take all the ingredients to grind and grind coarsely.

4) In a thick bottomed vessel, add gingelly oil, once hot add mustard seeds, once it cracks, add curry leaves and the coarsely grounded powder. Saute it till the raw smell goes off. Then add the boiled tomato and tamarind water.

5) Don't allow it to boil, let it hot for few minutes, then switch off the flame and add coriander leaves and finally salt as per needed.

                                         Hence the healthy, tasty, flavorful hot rasam is ready. Cooked rice along with some dal, fries, curries, anything, goes great. I like it with coconut thovaiyal.