Lemon Rasam Recipe | Elumichai Rasam
Lemon Rasam or Elumichai rasam made with fresh lemon juice, tomato and cooked lentils. A no-tamarind rasam recipe made with homemade rasam powder. Serve with rice, Kootu and poriyal.
Servings 3 people
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
Tips
- 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.