rasam

Swasthi Shreekanth’s hotel-style rasam is a light South Indian tomato-and-tamarind soup. A small freshly ground spice batch gives this selected version its cumin, pepper and fenugreek aroma.

Fenugreek and optional dried red chilli are roasted before cumin and black pepper join them. After cooling, the spices are ground together for the soup.

Ghee carries a separate tempering of mustard, cumin and dried red chilli. Optional crushed garlic, curry leaves and asafoetida join it before chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric soften in the pot.

The ground spice batch cooks briefly with the tomatoes. Water, optional tamarind and selected jaggery are added, and the mixture boils and then simmers to a slightly thickened broth.

Chopped coriander leaves with their stems finish the rasam. Shreekanth serves it hot with rice or as a soup, describing a balance of sour, sweet and spicy flavours rather than the thicker consistency of her separate tomato-rasam variation.