Indian · Tamil Nadu · soup

Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth)

Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth) reads sourness 4.9, allium 4.2 and nutty 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Tamil Nadu soup, about 19 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 4.9 · Allium 4.2 · Nutty 4.2 · Salinity 3.7 · Sweetness 3.5 · Umami 3.1 · Richness 3.1 · Warm Spice 3.0 · Citrus 3.0 · Fruity 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Earthy 2.3 · Heat 1.9 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Funk & Ferment 0.8

What's in it (14)

• tamarind paste — 40 g
• tomatoes — 250 g
• toor dal — 60 g
• black peppercorns — 10 g
• cumin seeds — 10 g
• garlic — 12 g
• dried red chillies — 10 g
• salt — 7 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• sesame oil — 27 g
• brown mustard seeds — 5 g
• curry leaves — 2 g
• asafoetida — 1 g
• coriander — 11 g

Time & effort: about 19 min (18 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 150.7 kcal, 3.5 g protein, 12.3 g fat, 9.5 g carbs

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. Pound the peppercorns, cumin, garlic and dried chillies together in a mortar to a coarse, fragrant rubble. This rough grind is the whole character of the dish; a fine powder gives a dusty rasam.
2. Strain the tamarind water into a pot, add the crushed tomatoes, turmeric, salt and two thirds of the pounded spice, and boil 8 to 10 minutes until the smell shifts from sharp and raw to soft and savoury and the surface loses its cloudiness.
3. Stir in the cooked dal with its liquid and 200 ml more water and bring it just to the point where a froth rises at the edges, about 4 minutes. Never let rasam boil hard once the dal is in; it goes flat and muddy.
4. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, about 40 seconds, then add the curry leaves and the remaining pounded spice and count 10 seconds. Pull it from the heat and stir in the asafoetida.
5. Pour the tempering into the rasam, scatter over the coriander and serve very hot, either drunk from a tumbler or poured over plain rice.
6. Substitutions: ghee can stand in for the gingelly oil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Tomato Pachadi (Roasted Tomato and Lentil Relish) — Indian · Andhra
• Kara Kuzhambu (Sour Shallot and Aubergine Gravy) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew — West African
• Mchuzi wa Samaki (Swahili Fish Curry) — Swahili Coast
• Sambar (Toor Dal and Vegetables with Tamarind) — Indian · Tamil Nadu

Keep reading: what sourness, allium, nutty mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.