Tenga Rasam (Mulligatawny Soup)

Rasam is a South Indian soup. Hot and sour soup I may put it. There are many types of Rasam. Here is the recipe for Tenga Rasam (pronounced as ten-ga which means coconut in Tamil). Usually my mother in law will prepare this especially if anyone is sick i.e. fever or flu as it is believed that this soup will make you feel better. Well, initially I'm not used to eating this rasam but over the years have grown to enjoy it.

If you go to any Indian restaurant in Malaysia...this soup is readily available especially at the vegetarian restaurant. It can be eaten with rice or alone. I have tried eating them with some bread...hmmm quite nice too. Kalu pekena dengan ikan masin goreng with rasam....hmmm sedap tu.

Incidentally, rasam is the basis of mulligatawny soup, which is an Anglo-Indian version of the same. Here you go:-

Ingredients

2 1/12 teaspoon cumin (10 gram) (jintan halus)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (10 gram)(lada hitam)
5 garlic (bawang putih)
1 teaspoon tumeric powder (kunyit serbuk)
1 big onion (200 gram) slice thinly (bawang)
1 tomato (125 gram)
4 cups water
3 tablespoon thick coconut milk (pati santan)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed (biji sawi)
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (halba)
a sprig of curry leaves (daun kari)
tamarind juice
1 dried chili (cut into half)
salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil

Method:-

1. Sliced onion thinly and divide into two portions.
2. In a mortar, pound the cumin and black pepper till smooth.
3. Add in the garlic and smashed a little bit.
4. Put in the cut tomatoes and squeeze the tomatoes.
5. In a separate bowl, add water and the pounded ingredients and half of the sliced onions.
6. Put in the tumeric powder, coconut milk and mix well.
7. Add in the tamarind juice and salt. Adjust taste to your liking. Put more tamarind juice if you want it more sour. Leave aside.
8. In a pot, heat oil and fry the mustard seeds, dried chili, fenugreek, curry leaves until the onion becomes golden brown.
9. Pour the soup into the pot. Cover and simmer under medium flame until boil. Do not overboil.
10. Once boil, turn off the fire.

Note: to make plain rasam just omit the coconut milk.