Kollu Rasam Recipe / Horsegram Soup / Ulavalu Rasam.
Authentic Kongunad style kollu rasam recipe from Tamilnadu which is so comforting during a cold or cough. Horse gram also aids in weight loss. With step by step pictures.
If you are down with severe cold, then this Kollu Rasam is what you need to be eating. It is so warm and comforting. It clears the throat and the sinus. Its really very refreshing. Horsegram also aids in weight loss. I have already shared the recipe for kollu pappu/horsegram lentil. You can know more about the amazing lentil there. This dish is a specialty of the kongunad region of Tamilnadu. I am from Coimbatore and I learnt this recipe from my aunt.
Usually we make the rasam with the cooked water (broth) that’s left over after cooking the lentil when we make kollu pappu/dal. If you want to make this rasam alone, Boil 1/4 cup of horsegram with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
Soak half a lime size tamarind in water for 15 minutes and make a puree out of it and set aside. Tamarind water gives the rasam that tang.
Heat sesame oil in a pan and add pepper, cumin and garlic and saute till it starts to pop.
Add in one medium chopped tomato. Add in the salt. Cook the tomatoes till they start to become semi dry. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of cooked horse gram and remove off heat. Don’t add more lentils or else the rasam might become very thick.
Let this mixture cool and then grind to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and cumin. Let it pop. Add in the tamarind juice, the ground paste and the curry leaves. Let it simmer on low flame for 10 minutes.
Add in the kollu/horsegram leftover lentil water. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Add in a small piece of jaggery and coriander leaves. Remove off heat.
Serve hot with rice. If there is leftover rasam, strain it the next day in a mesh strainer and slightly heat it and serve as a nice warm broth. It tastes so yum the next day.
- water leftover from cooked horse gram
- ½ lime size tamarind, juiced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cooked horsegram
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 sprig curry leaf
- 1 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
- Boil ¼ cup of horsegram with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
- Soak half a lime size tamarind in water for 15 minutes and make a puree out of it and set aside. Tamarind water gives the rasam that tang.
- Heat sesame oil in a pan and add pepper, cumin and garlic and saute till it starts to pop.
- Add in one medium chopped tomato. Add in the salt. Cook the tomatoes till they start to become semi dry. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of cooked horsegram and remove off heat.
- Let this mixture cool and then grind to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and cumin. Let it pop. Add in the tamarind juice, the ground paste and the curry leaves. Let it simmer on low flame for 10 minutes.
- Add in the kollu/horsegram leftover lentil water. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Add in a small piece of jaggery and coriander leaves. Remove off heat.
- Serve hot with rice. If there is leftover rasam, strain it next day in a mesh strainer and slightly heat it and serve as a nice warm broth.
Pooja says
February 14, 2019 at 2:13 pmThank you for the recipe. Came our really well 🙂
Ashok says
November 30, 2018 at 2:22 pmHi Suguna,
I made this recipe today.
Super recipe for rainy & cold weather in Bay Area, CA.
Romba Nandri.
Ashok
Suguna Vinodh says
November 30, 2018 at 2:26 pmThank you Ashok! Glad you liked it!
priya says
September 5, 2018 at 5:37 pmHi mam. All of your recipes are so good. I tried many of it. Can you give some podi recipes mam. Like andhra style rasa podi, etc
tash says
July 7, 2018 at 8:14 pmhi suguna..this kollu rasam tastes divine:)thoroughly enjoyed with steamed hot rice & fish fry!thank you forthis wonderful receipe…:)
Suguna Vinodh says
July 8, 2018 at 12:16 amThank you. Really glad that you liked the recipe.
Shony says
March 4, 2018 at 6:37 amI had a bit of cold today as it is snowing here in the UK. Thought of trying kollu rasam.. where else will I go for the recipe except for your site 🙂 It came out absolutely amazing and my mallu husband who has never tried it certainly loved it.
Thanks a lot!
Suguna Vinodh says
March 4, 2018 at 10:20 pmThank you so much Shony. Really glad that you liked the recipe.
Krishna says
February 22, 2018 at 4:39 pmHi…tried kollu rasam today…delicious…loved the taste…
Suguna Vinodh says
February 22, 2018 at 7:40 pmThank you so much!
Madhu says
January 16, 2018 at 4:44 amHi Suguna,
I tried this recipe for the first time. It was delicious, last year I made thenkuzhal following your recipe and it came out perfect. Your site is the first stop for me when I think about making authentic tamil dishes. Some time soon I want to try your biryani recipes 🙂 Thanks a lot.
Suguna Vinodh says
January 16, 2018 at 4:31 pmThank you Madhu!
Lakshmi says
December 28, 2017 at 5:57 amThis recipe is a total hit in family and with friends! Excellent one….
Suguna Vinodh says
January 2, 2018 at 12:15 amThank you so much. Happy you liked it. Wish you and your family a very happy new year 2018!
Saranya Mahadevan says
July 30, 2017 at 9:03 pmIts only very recently I realised that the brown lentils were same horse gram (face palm moment)! Since then have been trying out all the kollu recipes in ur blog site… Make the thokku the other day and tried this rasam for lunch yesterday – as all the other recipes you share, this was also outstanding!!! The flavour and the combination of spices really worked well! Just a small query here, if I were to use the tamarind paste (also taken from your recipe) how much should be used for this rasam??
I wanted make extra rasam just to have it the next day 🙂
Suguna Vinodh says
July 31, 2017 at 2:27 amYou can use a teaspoon of tamarind paste for this recipe.
Lux says
March 5, 2017 at 8:08 pmSuper Suguna
My grandmother used to do this kollu rasam and totally I forgot.so the first hit your recipe today worked wonders for me.
The tip to grind the kolu was missing in my mind:☺
.
Thanks for sharing
Suguna Vinodh says
March 10, 2017 at 1:46 amThank you.
Rupa says
February 12, 2017 at 4:40 amMade it today and made poriyal using kollu. Excellent
Suguna Vinodh says
February 12, 2017 at 10:55 amThank you.
Suryaanjali says
January 15, 2017 at 5:28 amI tried this recipe and had it with Kollu Sundal, the rasam turned out truly amazing. Eating it made me feel alive and every mouthful was blissful.
Suguna Vinodh says
January 15, 2017 at 11:02 amThank you Suryaanjali.
Bhamini says
December 21, 2016 at 7:20 pmThanks for the quick and easy kollu rasam. I loved it. 🙂
Suguna Vinodh says
December 21, 2016 at 10:31 pmThank you very much!
Manju says
November 30, 2016 at 1:32 pmHI today tried your kollurasam and Vendaka porial. Came out very well thanks a lot for sharing the recipes.
Regards
Manju
Suguna Vinodh says
November 30, 2016 at 2:58 pmThank you so much.
Kokila says
August 12, 2016 at 3:30 pmThis came out really well! Thank you!
Suguna Vinodh says
August 13, 2016 at 9:37 amThanks Kokila
Prav says
July 30, 2016 at 10:29 pmNice Recipe, We call this Horsegram as Hulge in Marathi. There is one simple receipe for cough and cold which is used traditionally. Simple roast the hulge in a pan, dont add any oil or water…just raost and then grid them to powder.
Then boil water in a bowl and add some jaggery to it according to your taste, and then add the grounded horse gram powder and let it cook for sometime.
The consistency should be like Ragi malt or kheer and drink it hot. It will create head in your body and help reduce old and cough without any medicines. Drink it once in morning and night.
SK says
July 21, 2016 at 4:56 pmHey Suguna,
I am not able to find traditional rasam recipe (which we get in restaurant) on your website. Can you pls post that?? 🙂
BTW, I tried appam last sunday according to your recipe and it was awesome.
Thanks,
SK
Suguna Vinodh says
July 22, 2016 at 9:09 amThank you SK.
Vasu says
July 5, 2016 at 2:19 pmJust took details from you to prepare kollu rasam. Going to make today.
Paulin says
June 20, 2016 at 4:32 pmHi Suguna,
I just found out about your site. I love South Indian food. My dad is from South Indian and my mom is from Malaysia. At present I am residing in Sweden. I am trying to cook most of your recipies but then I cannot get all the ingredients.
Keep posting!
Suguna Vinodh says
June 20, 2016 at 4:38 pmThanks Paulin. Isnt there an Indian store there?
Anitha says
May 31, 2016 at 3:45 amI tried both the kollu rasam and the masiyal and it was super duper yumm!! A definite hit at home!! Thanks for the lovely recipes!????
Suguna Vinodh says
May 31, 2016 at 10:14 amThanks you so much Anitha.
Rajkumar says
May 20, 2016 at 12:06 amWow, its very useful to me.
Today my family members are went to function. So i Worry about my breakfast. By this recipe detail with photos used me to complete my beautiful breakfast. And my Mother and father when return to home and they taste this recipe and they all are shocked for my cooking.
Thank U..
Suguna Vinodh says
May 20, 2016 at 9:26 amThats so nice Rajkumar. Your parents must have been so happy.
Vidya says
February 7, 2016 at 10:57 amVery nice receipe. It came out very well.
Malathi says
February 5, 2016 at 4:34 amMy favourite Kollu paruppu n Kollu rasam. I love this. Posted Kollu paruppu recipe also?
Suguna Vinodh says
February 5, 2016 at 11:48 amYes Malathi.
vinodh says
March 29, 2015 at 1:00 amMy Fav!
suguna vinodh says
January 23, 2015 at 9:45 pm🙂