Lemon Rasam is a traditional South Indian rasam variety made with fresh lemon juice, tomato and cooked lentils. A no-tamarind rasam recipe made with homemade rasam powder. Best served with steamed rice and poriyal.
South Indians have an extensive range of rasam recipes in their repertoire. Lemon Rasam is particularly helpful during allergy season. Soothes throat and clears the sinuses.
Lemon is rich in Vitamin C and immunity boosting. When lemons are cheaper, I freeze the juice in ice trays and use it to make Lemon rice or Shikanji.
You can serve rasam as soup, appetizer or main course (with rice). The recipe of Elumichai rasam that I share today is Tamil Brahmin style - No Onion No Garlic.
If you have cooked and frozen lentils (toor dal), making lemon rasam takes less than 30 mins.
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How to make Lemon Rasam Recipe
Rinse and soak the toor dal or arhar dal for 10 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with sufficient water. Mash it well and keep aside.
Prep vegetables - Chop tomatoes, slice lime, prep herbs etc.
Heat a pan, add oil, mustard seeds. Once mustard crackles, add cumin and whole dry red chilie, hing (asafoetida).
To this, add chopped tomatoes, curry leaves and turmeric powder.
With the back of your spoon or ladle, gently mash the tomatoes.
Once tomatoes appear mushy and cooked, add 4 cups of water.
Allow it to simmer, then add rasam powder, red chili powder and salt to taste.
Once it reaches a boil, add the cooked, mashed lentils (toor dal). Mix well.
Check seasoning (add extra spices, salt, if required). Let rasam simmer on low heat. Once it froths up, switch off the flame, add lime juice, jaggery, finely chopped coriander.
Serving Suggestion / Side dish for Lemon Rasam
Serve lemon rasam as soup. You can serve it with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. Below are some of the side dish options to serve with Lemon Rasam.
Poriyal (Stir-fry) - Vazhakkai Podimas, Potato Roast, Potato Podimas and Cabbage Poriyal.
Kootu - Peerkangai Kootu, Pudalangai Kootu or Murungai Keerai Kootu.
More Rasam recipes to try
Pudina Rasam (Mint Rasam)
Vepampoo Rasam (Dried Neem flower rasam)
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Lemon Rasam Recipe | Elumichai Rasam
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Toor Dal, Arhar Dal or Split Pigeon Peas
- 2 Tomatoes medium, finely chopped.
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds or Rai
- ¼ teaspoon Jeera or cumin seeds
- 1-2 Whole Red Chillies
- A pinch of hing or asafoetida skip this ingredient for gluten free recipe
- 4 cups Water + extra to cook toor dal
- 1 ½ tablespoon Rasam Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1½ tablespoon lime juice Juice of 2 limes
- Few Curry Leaves as required
- Coriander leaves finely chopped, including stems
- ½ teaspoon Jaggery optional, read notes
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the toor dal or arhar dal for 10 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with sufficient water. Mash it well and keep aside.
- Heat a pan, add oil, mustard seeds. Once mustard crackles, add cumin and whole dry red chili, hing (asafoetida).
- To this, add chopped tomatoes, curry leaves and turmeric powder.
- With the back of your spoon or ladle, gently mash the tomatoes.
- Once tomatoes appear mushy and cooked, add 4 cups of water.
- Allow it to simmer, then add rasam powder, red chili powder and salt to taste.
- Once it reaches a boil, add the cooked, mashed lentils (toor dal). Mix well.
- Check seasoning (add extra spices, salt, if required). Let rasam simmer on low heat. Once it froths up, switch off the flame, add lime juice, jaggery, finely chopped coriander.
Notes
- Always cook rasam on medium to low heat. It should never boil. Just froth.
- Do not re-heat or boil rasam after adding lemon juice. It may taste bitter.
- Jaggery is added to balance the sourness from lemon juice and tomatoes.
- You can use store bought rasam powder or use Homemade rasam powder. Adjust quantity as per preferences.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan