Ingredients:

• For frying:
• Toor dhal – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper – 1 tbsp
• Jeera (cumin) – 1 tsp
• Red Chillies – 5
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves – a few
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• For rasam:
• Tamarind – 3/4 Lemon sized.

Method:

1. Heat the ghee and fry the tuvar daal, black pepper, jeera, red chillies (reserve 1 for later) in it.
2. Dry grind in a mixer with curry leaves.
3. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the tamarind extract, add salt to it and boil for a few minutes.
5. Now add the fried, ground mixture to it.
6. Add some more water to it and boil for 2 -3 minutes.
7. Splutter mustard seeds, 1 red chilli and some curry leaves in 1 tsp of ghee and pour over it.

Recipe courtesy of Subhashini Madhavan