Recipe for South Indian, Tamilnadu, Kongunad Style Tomato Rasam. Made with home made Rasam powder from scratch, garlic, cumin and pepper. Thakkali Rasam.
Tomato Rasam has to be one of the ultimate comfort food for a South Indian. This is my Aunt’s recipe that makes a fantastic warm broth that goes so well with hot rice. My aunt gauges how good a person can cook by tasting their rasam. Rasam is the most simple thing to make, yet so complicated. Its the technique and the fresh rasam powder that makes the difference. Here is her recipe. There is some prep work involved. We will need to make a home made rasam powder from scratch. My aunt always makes rasam powder from scratch fresh everyday for rasam. Its very simple. Here is how to do Tomato Rasam Coimbatore Style!
Here is the video of the recipe
Add in all the rasam powder ingredients except turmeric and asafoetida to a heavy bottomed pan. No need to peel the garlic. Have the skin on. Dry roast all the ingredients on a low flame until all the spices and pulses are nice and golden. Remove off heat and let it cool.
Add in the dry roasted spices along with the turmeric and asafoetida to a spice grinder / mixie. Grind it to a very fine powder. Set aside.
A virtual hi-five to you! You just made your own rasam powder from scratch. Yay!
Soak a gooseberry size tamarind in 1 cup of water. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Sqeeze the tamarind to extract all the juices. Strain the liquid to get rid of the tamarind seeds and the hard flesh. Set the tamarind juice / pulp aside.
Boil some hot water and drop in the tomatoes and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove off heat and drain. Peel the skin and grind the de-skinned tomatoes to a puree. Set aside.
Now lets make rasam!
Heat sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the tamarind extract and the tomato puree. Add one cup water. Let it all come to a roaring boil.
Add in the rasam powder and salt. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in the ghee and coriander leaves.
Tomato Rasam is ready. Serve hot with rice or have it as a soup.
Kongunad Style Tomato Rasam
Recipe for South Indian, Tamilnadu, Kongunad Style Tomato Rasam. Made with home made Rasam powder from scratch, garlic, cumin and pepper. Thakkali Rasam.
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For Rasam Powder
- 4 fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon pepper corn
- 2 teaspoon toor dal
- 1 dried red chilli
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 curry leaves
Other Rasam powder Ingredients (Add while grinding)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
For Tamarind Pulp
- gooseberry size Tamarind
- 1 cup water
For Tomato Puree
- 3 medium size ripe country tomatoes
For tempering
- 1 tablespoon sesame/gingely oil
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 3–4 stalks chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Rasam Powder
- Add in all the rasam powder ingredients except turmeric and asafoetida to a heavy bottomed pan. No need to peel the garlic. Have the skin on. Dry roast it on a low flame until all the spices and pulses are nice and golden. Remove off heat and let it cool.
- Add in the dry roasted spices along with the turmeric and asafoetida to a spice grinder / mixie and grind it to a very fine powder. Set aside.
Other Prep Work
- Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Sqeeze the tamarind to extract all the juices. Strain the liquid to get rid of the tamarind seeds and the hard flesh. Set the tamarind juice / pulp aside.
- Boil some hot water and drop in the tomatoes and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove off heat and drain. Peel the skin and grind the de-skinned tomatoes to a puree. Set aside.
Tempering Rasam
- Heat sesame oil / gingely oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the tamarind extract and the tomato puree. Add one cup water. Let it all come to a roaring boil.
- Add in the rasam powder and salt. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add in the ghee and coriander leaves.
- Tomato Rasam is ready. Serve hot with rice or have it as a soup.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Rasam
- Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu
Hi, I tried this recipe twice. Result is good. But the rasam is very thick. I rechecked each and every step with your recipe. I did it right. Added whole ground rasam powder. Please let me know if I should add more water or reduce powder or any other ?
Feel free to add more water so its a consistency you like.
Hi,
Can this be made without tamarind using only tomatoes.
Hi Raji, sure you can make the rasam with tomatoes.
Thanks so much, it came out really good. Delicious rasam
was craving south indian food so much, finally decided to begin with rasam!! it came out amazing, reminded me of chennai!
Hello
I tried this rasam today n came out so yummy..i myself licking my fingers..thank u so much..now days cooking south indian food become very easy because of your recipes.. everytime i am getting perfect taste.
My search for best rasam ends here.
AKKA….I FOLLOW YOUR RECIPE WITH EXACT QUANTITY. I ALWAYS ACHIEVE RIGHT TASTE AND GOOD SMELL. THANK YOU AKKA….
Hi suguna.. can u please share the measurements for 100gm of this rasam powder …
Thank u so much for sharing receipe..i made Raman today it tastes yum
Thank you. Glad you liked the tomato rasam.
nice rasam man. I follow your rasam and sambar powder in our home. I would like to know where to get the SS sauce pan here at coimbatore or Taminadu.
Thank you. The pan is from US. I am not sure where you may get it in TN. Thank you.
Really good
Good combination of ingredients
Thank you!
How much rasam powder needs to be added?
You may add the whole thing. The recipe produces roughly about 2-3 tablespoon of powder
Thanks. It came out very well. My wife is really impressed with the rasam 🙂
Thank you Raghuraman. Glad you all liked it!
Hi Suguna
I stumbled on to your blog while searching for a rasam recipe. It was delicious and perfectly balanced. And my fussy daughter who was running a temperature slurped it all up. Thank you.
Anita
Thank you! Hope your daughter feels better soon!
Hello mam. Am a beginner in cooking.want to know the total quantity of water in ml and also the tamarind weight in grams used for this rasam.
1 cup is 240ml.
tamarind you can use around 10-15 grams
Hello mam, will this rasam podi suit for other rasams like kollu rasam, puli rasam and Paruppu rasam? If not what changes do I have to make?
Yes. You can use. But for kollu rasam, we use a slightly different powder.
All recipes are excellent.
I tried this kongunadu rasam today, I have tasted similar rasam in Lakshmi mills canteen in Coimbatore about 25-30 years back but never knew the recipe.
it turned out well and all liked it. thanks for this recipe
Thank you.
Hi Suguna mam….Rasam has always been a struggle….i will make any dish good just with recipe…but rasam never…tried so many types but no success….at times tomato taste is higher or tamarind taste goes higher….i followed same ingredients and quantity as u mentioned still i feel its not upto the mark….Can u help pls where im going wrong….how can we make sure the proportions are correct…..
I am sorry that this recipe did not work for you.
It has been tried by many of our readers and they like it.
I do not know where you are going wrong. May be try the recipe with exact measurements and follow the same procedure.?
Hi..
I have made this rasam many times now amd my family loves it. Thank u..
I wanted to know if i could make the rasam powder and store it in frezer?
Sure Prathima. I always have this powder in my freezer. It comes in handy. Really glad you liked the rasam.
Hi mam,this rasam looks very tempting & mouthwatering..really want to try this…but need to clarify some doubt abt rasam powder..I have ready-made rasam powder from store..shall I use tat?
You can but this rasam powder is what makes this rasam special.
mam, I am a novice to cooking, can I take 1 cup = 250ml
regards
bhaskar natarajan
Yes. Thats correct! You can take 250 ml. Thats standard measurements.
Hi Suguna,
Hope you are well. Just a quick question on this Tomato Rasam. Should I boil it to a roaring boil or simmer until it form bubbles on the top. I wasn’t sure. I love your Poondu Rasam, always come out well for me and I have been sticking to the method to cook rasam in low temperature.
Thanks
K
This rasam is a little different sir. You need to bring it to a roaring boil. But not for long. just couple of minutes. Thats all.
VERY NICE
Hi Mrs.suguna,
I am a bachelor living with my brother in Bangalore. One day one of my friends family had come to visit us and so we had a Very heavy lunch.self cooking. In the evng they had gone to a sort of sight seeing. Till then I had nt prepared rasam so while surfing the net I happened to come across your blog.
I prepred the Rasam.And vola!!their family was surprised by the Rasam.wen I told then the ingredients they told that even they din use such ingredients.
My first ever Rasam was amazing.
Thank you.
Muthukrishnan Bose.,
Thank you!
Wonderful rasam taste is mam i usually prepare rasam but it wont taste like rasam ..i just loved ur easy making rasam and the taste was gd and at last my hubby it is rasam thanks a lot cheerss. …
so nice Sharmi. High 5 from here!
Vanakkam. Tried rasam recipe. Needless to say it s so so soothing and tasty. Reminded of my athai paati who knows umpteen rasam recipes and believe me each recipe tastes unique. Providing variety is the key element right.I visit KC atleast three times in my regular days. You are really doing a great job deary. I repeat, your blog stands out different in various ways. Keep going. Pranaams to your aunt.
Your words mean really really a lot to me. Thank you so much. Will definitely tell about your comment to my aunt. She is so happy to know someone tried her recipe.