Lemon Pepper Tomato Rasam

Spring seems elusive in my neck of the woods though it is almost mid-April. The wintry weather we've been experiencing since a couple of weeks, brought along with it the cold and cough episodes. This lemon pepper rasam or soup, seemed to soothe my itchy sore throat. The spiciness of the pepper actually helps relieve congestion in the nose and throat.

Ingredients

1 medium Tomato
Juice of half a lemon/lime
1/2 tsp Black Pepper (or more if you like it spicier)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1/4 tsp Rasam powder (I used MTR Rasam powder)
Pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp oil
Handful Tuvar Dal
Pinch of Asafoetida
Few curry leaves
Salt (to taste)
Pinch of sugar

Procedure

Pressure cook the tuvar dal. In a vessel take about 2 cups of water and add the chopped tomatoes. Add rasam powder, salt, turmeric powder and let it simmer till the tomatoes are soft and cooked. Instead of rasam powder you can also use coriander, cumin and red chilly powder. The red chilly powder and the black pepper gives different zones and levels of spiciness for the throat. Meanwhile, heat the oil and add cumin seeds and black pepper. After they brown slightly set it aside to cool. Once cooled, powder them using a mortar pestle or rolling pin.

Mash the cooked tuvar dal to a pulp and add this to the rasam along with the powdered cumin-black pepper mixture. Also mash a few of the tomatoes and add it back to the rasam. Let the rasam come to a boil and taste for salt. Add the lemon/lime juice, curry leaves and in the end just add a pinch of sugar to balance all the flavours.

The rasam can be eaten with rice or just as a soup. I am contributing this recipe to "L of Indian Vegetables" event hosted by Nupur of One Hot Stove.