Jeera Rasam/Cumin (South-Indian) Soup

Weather is turning very Chilly, everybody has started coughing. Poor Kids, everyday they wait @ morning 6:30 am for the school bus, it would be still dark, Chiilllllll, and all would love a extended sleep tugged under their blankets!!!!! But, no way, cant miss the day, all we can do is just boost up their immunity by cooking up something healthy!!!!

Jeera Rasam/Cumin (South-Indian) Soup, gives you all the freshness needed when you are lazing around with a runny nose, body-ache, a very bad-cold.

Ingredients

1 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera

1/2 tbsp tuvar dal/Pigeon pea

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 green chilli

a small piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

2 sprigs curry leaves

a fistful of fresh coriander leaves

1- 1/2 tsp Rasam Powder

Salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tsp of oil/ghee

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

a pinch of hing and turmeric powder

Instant Rasam Powder

1-1/2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Pepper

3/4 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp tuvar dal
1/2 tsp gram dal

1/2 tsp moong dal

Grind all these ingredients together. I usually make a a large measurement, about a cup and store it in a air-tight container.

Method

Soak Cumin/jeera and tuvar dal/pigeon pea for 15-20 minutes. Drain grind them with tomatoes, green chilli, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and coriander leaves and 1/2 cup of water.

Heat a pan with a tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds, add hing and turmeric powder. 

Now add the grounded paste to this, add 1 cup of water, rasam powder and salt. Mix well.

Let the mixture boil, Keep the flame low, Wait for the rawness of the rasam powder to escape, approx 10-12 minutes.  

Check the consistency, if its very thick, add another 1/2 cup of water or else just put off the flame. 

Garnish with dash of Pepper powder. Enjoy with Steaming Rice and a dollop of Ghee !!! Sending this to CMT-Daal/Kaadi/Sambar/Rasam, Jagruit's Event guest hosted by me.