Pepper Rasam

Pepper Rasam 

..most comforting food when you're down with cold and cough

Ingredients:

• Tomato – 1
• Garlic – 2 pods
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Asafetida (Perungayam / hing) – 1/8 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Black peppercorns – 3 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil/ghee – 2 Tsp

Instructions:

1. Heat a pan and dry roast black peppercorns and cumin seeds till the aroma arises. Let it cool. Transfer to a mixie jar and grind it to a coarse powder. You can also use your mortar and pestle. Chop the tomato finely. Add it to, 2 cups of water, boil and mash it well with your hands.
2. Crush the garlic pods and keep aside. Heat a pan with oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add asafetida, crushed garlic, curry leaves, 1/2 tsp of the ground pepper-cumin powder and roast for 10 seconds.
3. Now add the pulpy tomato water, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well and let it come to a boil. Now add the rest of the pepper-cumin powder and let it boil for 4-5 minutes over medium flame. The rasam will get reduced slightly by this time.
4. Serve piping hot with rice.