Garlic Rasam

Rasam: Tomato broth with Spices . It is a very common preparation in South India and each region has various versions of it . The basic ingredients are Tomato, Tamarind and some spices . Some prefer to have it as a Soup, where it has the broth like consistency and some like it with rice.

The last week has been bad for me ..It was raining all along and I have caught a cold. Thankfully the two men in the household are up and about and a creating as much of a mess they can with no one to police them. I had a good laugh when another mom from Blu's Class said to me the other day " I would rather my husband or my kid falls sick ..cos if I fall sick the house stops running and it is just chaos".So there I sat, looking almost like Rudolph, with a very red nose (from all the sneezing) and wondering what would help me do away with the sniffles ? The first thing that came to my mind was Rasam.

Before I get to the recipe , I should tell you a little bit about the person who taught me how to make this. I am blessed to have an amazing cook as a very good friend and next-door neighbor. She is my one-stop-rescue-point for convenient Vegetarian ( Tamizh style) cooking. Rasam is an indispensable item in her diet and, me being a constant visitor at her place, I get to savor it every now-and-then. Her garlic-rasam is a little thicker in consistency than the broth and is a great accompaniment with rice.

Prep time :10 min
Cooking time : 15 min
Makes : 4 servings

Ingredients :

• 2 large tomatoes , cut into small pieces
  
• 3 large cloves of garlic , peeled and crushed
  
• 1 tsp of tamarind ( mixed with some water )
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 1 1/2 tsp of Rasam Powder
• 2 cups water
  

For the Seasoning

• 1 tbs cooking oil
  
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 pinch (1/8 tsp) of asafoetida
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
  

Procedure :

• In a medium pot cook together the tomato , garlic, salt & tamarind* with half cup of water. Keep Covered.
• Once the tomatoes are well cooked , using a heavy spoon , mash up tomatoes in the water.
• Add the rest ( 1 1/2 cups ) of water and let boil for couple of min.
  
• In a small skillet, heat oil .
• Add the mustard seeds . When the mustard seeds start popping , add the cumin seeds , asafoetida & curry leaves and remove from heat.
  
• Add to the tomato broth & mix well .
  

Lifesaver:
*Add the salt and tamarind only in small quantities at a time . Taste in between to see if they are enough. Adjust the quantity accordingly.

Related Recipes : Rasam Powder

Sweet Corn Soup with Vegatables

This is a recipe to chase away the winter-blues. One winter evening I was visiting my friend Ikki , when she enthusiastically offered me a bowl of Sweet-corn soup. That wasn’t exactly my idea of comfort-food till then, but I surprised myself, asking for more helpings! This recipe has ever-since been a winter-staple at our home and my best customer for Sweet Corn soup is Blu . You can never go wrong making this (and more importantly its healthy) ; you can take off couple of veggies from the list or add more … toss out the corn-starch and you get a clear soup,. (And if you are a non-vegetarian, add some shreds of cooked chicken and Voila! you have Sweet Corn ‘Chicken’ soup)

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Ready in: 45 min

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you want the non-vegetarian version)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup carrot (~ 1 big carrot shredded or julienned )
• ½ cup celery ( ~ 2 stalks cut into small pieces )
• ½ cup spring onion (~ 1 bulb cut into small pieces )
• ½ cup red or white onion (~ ½ a medium onion cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup sweet corn ( fresh or canned )
• ½ tsp salt ( or to taste)
• 1 tbs corn starch ( mixed in 1 oz water )
• 1 egg ( optional)
• Crushed Pepper for garnish ( optional)

You will also need:
• A medium pot

Procedure :
• In the pot combine the stock and water. Set in medium heat and bring to a boil
• Add the vegetables and salt. Let it simmer for about 10 min ( till the vegetables are cooked )
• In case you are adding egg : Beat the egg in a small bowl and with pour it in a stream into the boiling soup**
• Stir in the corn starch
• Sprinkle the crushed pepper before serving (optional)

Suggested accompaniments: Toasted Garlic Rolls

Life saver:
** To avoid blobs of cooked egg in your soup ( like what you see in my picture ; I got a little clumsy this time) pour the beaten egg in a very slow & steady stream from above the pot .To get the best threads, keep stirring while you are pouring the eggs; at least for a minute. Stir in one direction only.

Note : The nutrition information provided below is for the Vegetarian version of this recipe, sans the egg.