This Rasam is a very good option, if one has to cook no onion and no garlic meal. Usually it is an option for us during any festivity or “No mood to cook” meal. Olden days usage of onion or garlic was a taboo in our community and our grand moms used to prepare this kind of Rasam, which we call as saaru in local language. My hubby has fond memories attached to this Rasam, which he used to relish as a small child in his grand mom’s place and he usually asks for it and calls this Rasam as Doddajji saaru (grandma’s saaru) to signify. It is a plain Rasam, with ginger and hing flavour. In our region, we see this Rasam in some of the temple meals as well. If it is ginger flavoured one, no Rasam powder will be used and Rasam will be yellow in colour, due to the addition of turmeric and dhal.
Ingredients:
Toor dal – 1 cup
Tomatoes – 3 to 4
Green chillies – 4 to 6
Hing – peanut sized
Ginger – ½ inch (slivered)
Curry leaves – 2 springs
Salt
Jaggery – ½ to 1 tea spoon
Turmeric – ½ tea spoon
Tamarind – 1 tea spoon
Coriander leaves – little (optional)
Seasoning:
Coconut oil or ghee – 1 table spoon
Mustard – 1 tea spoon
Red chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Method:
-Wash and cook toor dal in a pressure cooker, mash a little and keep aside.
-Soak tamarind, chop tomatoes, green chillies and ginger.
-Take one Rasam pot (I normally use clay pot) and take 3 to 4 cups of water, tomato, green chillies, ginger, hing, curry leaves, turmeric, salt and jaggery.
-Cook this until everything cooks properly.
-Now add toor dal and mashed soaked tamarind.
-Boil this and adjust the consistency and check for salt, ginger and green chilli. If needed adjust by adding extra.
-When it is boiled, add chopped coriander leaves.
-Season with oil or ghee by spluttering mustard, red chilli and curry leaves.
-Serve with hot rice .
