Recipe credit: Darshana Muzumdar
Serves 4 as part of a traditional Indian meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toor dal
- 2 green chillies (adjust according to taste) chopped or slit vertically
- 2″ piece ginger chopped or crushed
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (use more if you like the taste)
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon (adjust according to taste)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tsps rasam powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
For the Tempering
- 1 tbsp coconut or groundnut oil
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- a pinch of asafoetida (optional)
Method
- Clean, wash and soak toor dal for 4 to 5 hours.
- Rinse the dal and put it in a heavy steel bottom pan.
- Add one cup of water, the chopped ginger and turmeric powder.
- Cook it on medium heat till it is soft and easy to mash. Alternately, cook it in a pressure cooker on low heat for 10 minutes after the first whistle. Note: Always allow the pressure to diffuse completely before opening the cooker.
- Mash the dal with the back of a ladle.
- Add chopped tomatoes and rasam powder if you are using it. Simmer this on low heat so the tomatoes get slightly soft.
- Clean, wash and chop coriander leaves and keep them aside.
- Heat oil in a tempering ladle and add the mustard seeds. Once they pop, add the slit or chopped green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the curry leaves and sauté them till they are slightly crisp and lightly browned.
- Add the asafoetida and turn off the heat.
- Add this tempering to the simmering dal.
- Add water to the dal to get a thin soup like consistency and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add lemon juice and coriander leaves.
- Serve hot in a soup bowl garnished with coriander leaves, a few curry leaves and ginger julienne. This rasam is traditionally served with rice but can be had as a soup as well.
For the Whole-Food Plant-Based version:
- Use whole toor dal with the skin on. Soak and pressure cook it for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Once the pressure cooker has let off all the steam, open and transfer the content to a pot. Heat it and add the tomato, green chillies and ginger. Bring to a simmer.
- Do not use oil in the tempering. Heat an iron tempering ladle and add the mustard seeds. Once they pop add them to the dal. Add the curry leaves and sauté till they are lightly brown. Add them to the dal. Lower the heat and saute the asafoetida. Transfer this to the dal.
- Follow the rest of the procedure.