Nataraja Iyer Rasam

Nataraj Iyer Rasam is a very aromatic and tastier than any other rasam. It is very unique and different from other rasam. I have mentioned in my other rasam recipes that we should not allow it to boil. Whereas here we are going to boil the tamarind extract along with spices until it reduce to half. Nataraja Iyer prepared this rasam with brass vessel. It will taste better when cooked in brass vessel.

I got this recipe from my Anni. I wanted to thank her for giving me this wonderful and flavorful recipe. Here we go to the recipe.

Nataraja Iyer Rasam

Ingredients:

Toor dhal - 1 cup

Tamarind - lemon sized

Tomato - 1(optional)

Red chilli - 5

Crushed Green chilli - 3

Asafoetida- a generous pinch

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Salt - as needed

Oil / ghee - 1 tsp

To Grind:

Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

To Temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 4 pods(crushed)

Method:

Clean and pressure cook toor dal with little turmeric. Mash it well and keep aside.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract its juice. Add in dry red chilli(break it), crushed green chilli, jaggery, turmeric, asafoetida, turmeric, salt,  and curry leaves.

Add in enough water and bring it to boil. Allow this boil until it reduces to half.

Meanwhile, pound pepper and cumin with a mortar and pestle or a mixer.

At this stage, keep the flame in simmer and add mashed toor dal and coarsely ground pepper,cumin powder.

When it starts to froth at the top remove from flame.

Heat oil in a pan, add the ingredients listed under "to temper". Pour this tempering over the rasam. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.

Note:

• Do not add too much jaggery as it will become sweeter and spoil its taste.
• Adjust red chilli and green chilli to your taste.
• Ghee enhances its flavor.

Pictorial:

Clean and pressure cook toor dal with little turmeric. Mash it well and keep aside

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract its juice. Add crushed green chilli, turmeric and salt

Add red chilli(broken), asafoetida curry leaves

Jaggery

Pound black pepper and cumin with a mortar and pestle. Also crush the garlic

Bring them to boil. Allow this boil until it reduces to half

When it reduced to half, add mashed dal

Mix them well

Now add the crushed pepper, cumin

When it begins to forth, add the coriander leaves and remove from flame

Heat oil in a pan, add the ingredients listed under "to temper". Pour this tempering over the rasam

Its Ready!