How To Make Tomato Rasam

Step 1: You will need

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.

Step 3: Garlic

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

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.

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.

Step 6: Coriander

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

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.

Step 7: Curry leaves

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

Step 8: coriander stems

Add the small bunch of coriander stems

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.

Step 10: Add lentil stock

Sieve the lentil stock into the pan

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.

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.

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.

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.

Step 15: Tomato Paste

Add half a teaspoon of tomato paste to add some colour

Step 16: Salt

Add half a teaspoon of salt

Step 17: Garnish

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves onto the soup.