Amla Rasam

Amla Rasam is thin, peppery, and sharply tangy — the kind of rasam that clears your head and warms you from the inside. What sets this version apart is the dried usiri (amla) in the Amla Rasam Podi, which adds a citric edge that goes deeper than tamarind alone. One teaspoon of the podi does the work of half a masala shelf.

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Serves: 2  |  Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tsp  Amla Rasam Podi
• 1 small lemon-sized ball  tamarind (chintapandu)
• 1.5 cups  hot water
• 3 tbsp  cooked toor dal (pappu), mashed
• 1 medium  tomato, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp  ghee (neyyi)
• 1/2 tsp  mustard seeds (aavalu)
• 6-8  curry leaves (karivepaku)
• 1  dried red chilli
• Salt to taste 

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in 1.5 cups of warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and strain to get a thin tamarind water. Discard the pulp.
2. Pour the tamarind water into a kadai or deep pan. Add the chopped tomato and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil on medium flame and cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomato softens and the raw tamarind smell fades.
3. Add the mashed cooked dal and the Amla Rasam Podi. Stir well and bring to a rolling boil — the rasam will turn a deep reddish-amber and the kitchen will smell sharp and peppery.
4. Taste for salt and tanginess. Let the rasam simmer on low for 2 more minutes. It should be thin and pourable, not thick — add a splash of water if needed.
5. In a small pan, heat the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Add the curry leaves and dried red chilli and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
6. Pour the tadka directly into the rasam. Stir once and serve immediately — hot, in a bowl or poured over rice.

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✓ High Protein  |  ✓ High Fibre  |  ✓ Rich in Iron  |  ✓ Rich in Calcium  |  ✓ Rich in Potassium