Tomato Garlic Rasam

My favourite "Tomato Garlic Rasam" cannot be made much tastier. This is also my husband Radha's most favourite. Steamed rice topped with ghee and this rasam... is heaven..... So here goes the recipe for my tomato Poondu (garlic) rasam.

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You need :

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2 - 3 Tomatoes (medium)

Garlic - 5-6 pods

Onions 2 tsp

Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise

Coriander leaves to garnish

Rasam powder - 2 tsp

Cooked toor dhal - 2tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1tsp

Hing (Asafoetida) -1tsp

Crushed Black Pepper

Tamarind Juice - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 5-6

Ghee

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Method :

Firstly blanch the tomatoes in 3 glasses of water untill it becomes very soft. Now allow it to cool. Peel off skin and smash well into the same water. Extract only the tomato juice. Try to squeeze out as much juice as possible, mashing the pulp into a paste. Keep the juice- pulp mixture aside.

Heat 3-4 tsp of ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, crushed pepper, Hing, green chillies, curry leaves, chopped garlic and onions and fry till soft.

Now add the tomato juice, rasam powder, tamarind pulp and salt. Now add water to this if needed. Add the dhal at last and bring it to boil again.

Finally add chopped coriander and remove from flame.

(I have used an "Eeya chombu" - lead vessel to make this rasam. Rasam is normally made in this utensil to get its authentic smell and taste.But yeah this rasam is so tasty...using any kind of vessel will make it taste divine.. to try and let me know...)

Serve with hot rice and Papad.