How To Make Tomato Rasam

How To Make Tomato Rasam

Tomato Rasam Recipe. Alfred Prasad, Head chef at Michelin-starred Tamarind in London's Mayfair shows how to make his special Tomato Rasam, a stimulating thin soup of tomatoes flavoured with coriander, garlic and peppercorns. It's a hot South Indian dish that is great with another dish, as a starter, or on its own. Devour our Tomato Rasam recipe.

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Step 1:

You will need

• 4 Tomatoes
• 4 tsp split yellow lentils
• ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
• 6 Peppercorns
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• ¼ tsp Red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
• to taste Salt
• 1 bunch of Coriander
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 pinch of Asafoetida
• 4 sprigs of curry leaves
• ½ tsp tomato paste
• 800 ml cold water
• 1 sharp knife
• 2 non-stick pans
• 1 sieve
• 1 cup
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 pestle and mortar

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Step 2:

Lentils

The lentils will form a stock for the tomato soup

Put 4 teaspoons of split yellow lentils, also known as Toor Dal, into a bowl, and pour in some cold water. Swirl them around. This will wash any dust from the lentils. Repeat this a couple of times. Rinse and add to the large saucepan

Add 800ml of cold water, and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

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Step 3:

Garlic

Crush 4 cloves of garlic with the flat part of a knife.

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Step 4:

Grind

Put the garlic into a mortar. Add a sprinkle of peppercorns and a sprinkle of cumin seeds. Use the pestle and mortar to roughly grind the mix.

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Step 5:

Add ingredients

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the garlic, peppercorns, and cumin seeds to the pan and stir for 1 minute. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer.

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Step 6:

Coriander

Chop the leaves using a sharp knife, and put the stems to one side.

HANDY HINT

Wash the coriander after you've chopped it. Put the leaves into a bowl of cold water and swirl them around for about 30 seconds. The freshest leaves will float to the top. Remove these from the bowl and leave to drain.

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Step 7:

Curry leaves

Turn the heat up. Add three sprigs of curry leaves to the saucepan.

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Step 8:

coriander stems

Add the small bunch of coriander stems

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Step 9:

Tomatoes

Use a sharp knife to chop 4 tomatoes up into small chunks. Add to the pan. Stir for 30 seconds then reduce heat.

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Step 10:

Add lentil stock

Sieve the lentil stock into the pan

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Step 11:

Chilli powderand turmeric

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of red chilli powder

Then add 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder, and stir again.

Bring to the boil, then turn it down to simmer for 10 mins.

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Step 12:

Simmer

Cover the pan, and leave to simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat, until the tomatoes are soft. Check the pan occasionally, and stir to stop burning.

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Step 13:

Tempering

In a separate non-stick pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on a high flame to start to make a tempering.

Temperings are a combination of spices in oil, added to soups or sauces at the end of cooking to add a final boost of flavour.

After about a minute, when the oil is very hot, add 1/2 of a teaspoon of mustard seeds.

When they start to crackle, add one sprig of curry leaves, and a pinch of asafoetida.

Keep stirring.

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Step 14:

Strain

Strain the soup into the tempering. Press down well with a spoon to ease out all the soup. Bring to the boil over a very hot flame.

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Step 15:

Tomato Paste

Add half a teaspoon of tomato paste to add some colour

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Step 16:

Salt

Add half a teaspoon of salt

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Step 17:

Garnish

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves onto the soup.

And Serve