Jeera Rasam
- 35 min
- mild
- Serves 4
Jeera rasam, a Tamil Nadu rasam of roasted cumin, pepper and garlic paste in a tamarind tomato broth. Mild and vegetarian, serves 4, about 35 minutes.
Good for: Tamil New Year, Onam, Rainy Day
Ingredients
Tamarind, For Soaking20 grams
Water, For Soaking100 ml
Cumin2½ tsp
Black Peppercorns2 grams
Garlic, Peeled12 grams
Tomato, Roughly Chopped2
Turmeric Powder1 grams
Salt1 tsp
Curry leaves2 grams
Oil1 tsp
Mustard Seeds½ tsp
Asafoetida0.5 grams
Coriander Leaves, Finely Chopped10 grams
Contains: wheat.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 52kcal | 208kcal |
| Protein | 1.4g | 5.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.9g | 32g |
| Fat | 2.1g | 8.4g |
| Fibre | 1.5g | 6g |
| Sugar | 4.3g | 17g |
Method
Soak the tamarind in 100 ml water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the garlic, roughly chop the tomatoes and finely chop the coriander leaves. Squeeze the tamarind well and strain the tamarind water into a bowl.
Dry-roast the cumin, black peppercorns and garlic in a kadai on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes, until the spices smell roasted and the garlic softens slightly. Let them cool slightly, then grind them with 60 ml water to a coarse paste.
Add the tomatoes, strained tamarind water, turmeric, salt, 700 ml water and one sprig of curry leaves to a kadai. Cook on medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the raw tamarind smell has gone.
Add the ground cumin paste. Heat on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes, only until the rasam is hot and frothy around the edges. Do not let it boil hard. Switch off the flame.
Heat the oil in a small kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for 20 to 30 seconds until the curry leaves crackle.
Pour the tempering over the rasam and add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot with rice.
Before you start
- How long does Jeera Rasam take?
- 35 minutes from start to finish. That is 10 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Jeera Rasam serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Jeera Rasam vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Jeera Rasam spicy?
- It is mild: 1 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Jeera Rasam?
- 20 grams Tamarind, 2 grams Black Peppercorns, 12 grams Garlic, 1 grams Turmeric Powder, 1 grams Curry leaves, 0.5 grams Asafoetida, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Jeera Rasam?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Jeera Rasam?
- About 52 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
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