Home made Rasam powder

Rasam is often served as a comforting soup on its own or as an accompaniment to a South Indian meal. It is known for its tangy, spicy, and aromatic flavors and is believed to have various health benefits. Rasam Podi is a versatile spice blend used in South Indian cuisine to make rasam in a jiffy. The podi is made by roasting and finely grinding a combination of ingredients such as coriander seeds, Toor dal, Red chillies, Pepper, Jeeragam and Asafoetida. Proportions and ingredients used in rasam podi can vary based on regional preferences. When prepared in bulk quantity, it lasts for about 2 – 3 months under room temperature, if properly stored. This allows you to have a ready-to-use spice blend on hand whenever you want to make rasam quickly. In addition to the traditional rasam, rasam podi can also be used in other variations of Rasam, such as paruppu rasam (rasam with dal), rasam without dal extract (commonly known as goddu Rasam in households), and in a version of Vepampoo rasam (Rasam made with neem flowers).

Ingredients:

• Coriander Seeds / Dhaniya – 1 Cup

• Toor Dal/ Thuvaram Paruppu/ Split pigeon pea. - 2/3 Cup

• Pepper/Milagu – 1/3 Cup

• Red Chillies/ Sigappu Milagai – 10

• Cumin Seeds/ Jeeragam – 1/3 Cup

• Asafoetida/Kayam/Hing – 1 Tsp.

 

Directions:

• Heat a pan on low - medium flame and add coriander seeds/Dhaniya. Dry roast them for about a minute until they release a fragrant aroma.

• Once roasted add Toor Dal/ Thuvaram Paruppu/ Split pigeon pea and keep roasting for a minute to prevent burning.

• Then add Pepper/Milagu and roast well along with the other ingredients.

• Once roasted add Red Chillies/ Sigappu Milagai and keep roasting to prevent them from burning. Roast until the chilli darken its colour and becomes crispy.

• Now add Cumin Seeds/ Jeeragam and roast well along with the other ingredients.

• Check whether all the ingredients are roasted properly. They should have a slightly browned color and a rich aroma. If needed, continue roasting for a little longer.

• Once roasted allow them to cool down completely.

• Transfer the cooled roasted ingredients to mixer grinder.

• Add Asafoetida/Kayam/Hing to the mixer grinder along with the roasted ingredients

• Grind everything together into a fine powder.

• Rasam podi is now ready. Store it in an airtight container for future use.

• To prepare rasam using rasam podi, typically one or two teaspoons of the podi are added to a mixture of tomatoes and tamarind, along with other spices and ingredients. This mixture is then boiled to create the delicious and aromatic rasam.

 Points to be noted:

• Keep roasting all the ingredients in low to medium flame to avoid burning of ingredients.

• Cooling down the roasted ingredients is crucial before grinding. Grinding them while hot can lead to clumping and uneven texture, which we definitely want to avoid. It's all about achieving that perfect powder consistency.

• You can also add a pinch of Turmeric powder while grinding. Not only does it add a vibrant color, but it also imparts a subtle earthy flavor to the Rasam powder.

• You can also adjust the proportions of the ingredients when roasting coriander seeds and toor dal. If you prefer a different flavor balance, you can use equal quantities of coriander seeds and toor dal (i.e. proportion of Coriander seeds: Toor dal: Pepper: Red Chili: Jeergam is 3 Cups:3 Cups:1 Cup:1 Cup:1 Cup instead of 3 Cups:2 Cups:1 Cup:1 Cup:1 Cup).

• Alternatively, ingredients can be properly sun dried and grinded in a local grinding mill/ flour mill. It ensures that the ingredients are thoroughly ground to perfection. 

• Let the Rasam powder cool down completely before storing it. The airtight container will help preserve its freshness and increase its shelf life.  

• You can also dry roast the ingredients separately while preparing in bulk.