Garlic Rasam

5 from 3 votes

A spicy, aromatic Garlic Rasam with ginger, coriander, turmeric, curry leaves, and tomatoes. It's the most potent weapon to fight off the sniffles in a south Indian kitchen.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Garlic Rasam

Servings: servings

Calories: 79kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Saucepan

Ingredients

For the crushed masala paste

2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ to 1 green chili pepper (like jalapeno or serrano, cut into rings)

For tadka

1 tablespoon oil (use any neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or grape seed oil)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
Crushed masala paste
6 cloves garlic (smashed roughly using the flat side of a chef's knife. You can also smash the garlic lightly in a mortar, but make sure the cloves remain whole)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
2 sprigs curry leaves (about 24 leaves)
2 medium tomatoes diced

Other ingredients for garlic rasam

¾ tablespoon tamarind paste
2 cups water
1 cup lentil stock* (with the reserved tablespoon or two of lentils)
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 heaping teaspoons rasam powder
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Make garlic masala paste

Crush two cloves of garlic, green chili pepper and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle until a coarse paste forms.

Make the tadka

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and, when they sputter, add the asafetida, crushed garlic masala paste, the remaining six cloves of garlic, grated ginger and curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds until the garlic just begins to color.
Add tomatoes to the pan and saute for a couple of minutes just until they begin to break down.
Add the tamarind paste and turmeric to the pan along with a cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for another five minutes. Stir in the rasam powder.
Add the lentil stock and another cup of water and bring the garlic rasam to a rolling boil. Let the rasam continue to boil for another five minutes over medium heat. Don't cover the saucepan.
Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Turn off heat and garnish the rasam with cilantro. Serve it hot.

Notes

Gluten-free guidance: Pure asafetida is gluten-free but most commercial powdered asafetida contains wheat flour as an anti-caking agent. If you are gluten-free shop for brands that are gluten-free certified, or skip this ingredient.

Lentil stock: Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid from cooked toor dal, moong dal, chana dal or masoor dal, along with 1-2 tablespoons of the cooked lentils. Thaw refrigerated or frozen stock before use as needed. Alternatively, use 1 cup water in place of the stock, for a total of 3 cups water.

Nutrition