Buttermilk Rasam (Moru Rasam)

I have been cooking this recipe for a little more than two years now and every single time, it causes my guests to say wow. It combines the heat of black peppercorns and red chilli peppers with cool buttermilk and the aroma of curry leaves. The recipe comes from Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan.

Cooking time: 2 hrs

Serves: 4

Ingrediants

• 4 Tbsp Red gram dal (toor dal)
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 Tomato, quartered
  
• 1 cup Buttermilk
  
• 4 teaspoons ghee
• 2 red chilies.
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon chana dal
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 red chili pepper , halved
• a few curry leaves

Method

1. Wash the red gram dal well. Place the dal in a heavy saucepan along with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the dal for 90 minutes. If the dal starts to dry up, add some water.
2. Meanwhile make the spice mix. In a heavy frypan toast the red chillies, coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, blackpepper corns till the mixture becomes fragrant. Using a spice grinder (I use a coffee grinder) grind the spices to a fine powder and set aside.
3. To the cooked dal, add the remaining 1 cup of water, quartered tomato and salt to taste. Simmer this mixture till the tomato has cooked. Add the spice mixture and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Heat the ghee in a frypan, add the asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, halved chilli and the curry leaves. As the mixture starts to pop, add it to the rasam mixture in the saucepan.
5. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the butter milk and stir it well.
6. Serve hot rasam with some Basmati Rice.