Andhra Style Garlic Pepper Rasam – Family Recipes

This Andhra style Garlic Pepper Rasam recipe is soul food in our house. A family recipe that has been passed down generations, it is a complete winner.

Garlic Pepper Rasam is probably the most comforting food for both the child and man at home. They crave for it when they are sick, when they are back from a holiday or when they want something to snuggle with.

Actually, not just the garlic pepper rasam but all rasams are truly loved in my house. Whether it is the famous summer mango rasam or crab rasam or a simple tomato rasam. While I drink them as soup, the man and child float their rice in it and have as a comforting meal. Add some potato fry, some papad and itis honestly the best meal ever for them. And I do understand where they are coming for. It does make for a warm hug kind of a meal. I made this yesterday after a a short trip we did to Sakleshpur.  And it was the best way to deal with holiday blues.

Coming back to this recipe, I learnt it from my mother in law. It is a family recipe that has been passed down generations. And now it rests with me and my sister in law.  The recipe is laced with garlic and pepper, uses no rasam powder at all and gets it body from a bit of boiled mashed dal. Somehow these things create a flavour explosion in your mouth. It is not as light as a tomato rasam but then I think that’s one of the reasons we all love it so much.

If you make this, share a picture with me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook? I would love to hear what you have to say about it!

Andhra Style Garlic Pepper Rasam

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine south indian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

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• 3 tbsp toor dal boiled and mashed
• 4-5 medium tomatoes
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 cups water
• 1 lemon sized tamarind ball
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1.5 tsp pepper powder decrease to 1 tsp if you don't want very spicy
• 1.5 tsp Jeera powder

For the tempering

• 1 tbsp sesame oil or ghee
• 10-12 garlic cloves increase if they are small cloves, there has to be a pronounced garlic flavour
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 4-5 dry red chillies
• pinch heeng

Instructions

 

• In a cooker boil together toor dal, curry leaves and tomatoes.
• Once the steam is released from the cooker, add turmeric, salt and tamarind pulp to the same. Bring to boil and add pepper powder and jeera powder.
• In a small tadka pan, heat oil. Add heeng, curry leaves, mustard seeds and dry red chillies. Sautee for 2 mins. Add smashed garlic and sautee till it starts turning brown.
• Add to the rasam mix along with half the coriander leaves and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes till the raw smell goes.
• If the rasam feels too thick, add some boiled water. Taste and adjust seasoning and spice to your levels. By spice I mean pepper powder and jeera.
• Finish with the rest of the corainder leaves and serve steaming hot.

Notes

If you have rasam powder at home, you can add 1 tsp of that and reduce both pepper & jeera powder a little.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!