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Recipe for Mysore Rasam - Karnataka Cuisine

This recipe for Mysore Rasam has been passed on from generation to generation in my family and it is one of my most favourite traditional recipes to cook and to EAT!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine south indian
Servings 6 serving

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp ghee
  • 4 tbsps coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsps chana dal (Bengal gram dal)
  • 20 black pepper corns
  • 5 dried red chillies
  • 3 tbsps desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups cooked tur dal around 1/2 cup dry dal cooked with 2 cups water
  • 1 tomato (diced)
  • coriander leaves for garnish

For tamarind puree

  • tamarind lemon sized ball
  • 1/2 cup water Hot

For tempering / tadka

  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves

Instructions
 

  • We start by preparing the spice mix for the Mysore Rasam. Roast coriander seeds, asafoetida chunk, red chillies, peppercorns, on a low flame, in a few drops of ghee, until the chillies crisp up and other spices are aromatic.
  • Toast the chana dal (lentils) on a medium flame for 5 minutes or so, until golden.
  • Roast the dessicated coconut separately until golden and keep aside.
  • In the chutney attachment of the mixer or a small blender, grind this to a fine powder. This is your freshly prepared rasam powder for the Mysore Rasam. You can blend using some water to a fine paste, but this wont stay for long on refrigerating.
  • Make a tamarind pulp by soaking lemon sized tamarind in hot water for 15 minutes and squeezing out all the extract. Alternatively use 1-1.5 tsp of tamarind paste, whisked into 3/4 cup water.
  • Boil the tamarind puree along with the diced tomato for 5-7 minutes, until tomatoes are cooked. Add ground spice powder (all of it, to serve 6 people), 2 cups cooked tur dal, and 3.5 cups water. Add the salt and let it come to a simmer on a low flame.
  • Heat the ghee in a small saucepan for tempering. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, when they splutter, add curry leaves, remove from flame and transfer over rasam. Remove rasam from heat and keep covered until ready to serve. Serve hot.

Notes

Serving suggestions:
-With steamed rice and a dry curry, along with banana chips or papads.
-Can also be had as a soup to start an Indian meal.
This post is part of the project called 'theKitchenDivas' which will have a theme going for each month, wherein we will try to do a post a week. The theme for January 2015 is Karnataka Cuisine.
You can find more Traditional Recipes from Karnataka by #TheKichenDivas.
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