Rasam ~ Chaaru

Rasam or Chaaru is one of my favorite Indian Soups.  Chaaru is usually served with rice and is a perfect comfort food in cold, winter weathers.  I for one, don't mind eating it anytime of the year!  I am so fond of chaaru that when growing up, whenever I visited my aunt, she would prepare it just for me!   I make 2 types of chaarus, one is tomato rasam or chaaru, with tomatoes and sometimes with V8 juice and the other is tamarind chaaru / miriyala chaaru.   The chaaru I am sharing today is little different from want I normally make.  I used rasam powder and also dal in this recipe.  I usually don't use rasam powder but do add all the ingredients that are used to make the rasam powder.  Also, I add some onion and ginger garlic paste or crushed garlic.  This recipe is adapted from Cooking at Home with Pedatha.  I used all the ingredients required for the recipe but altered the procedure a little.  The Rasam Powder is from this cook book which I shared here 3 weeks ago.

Total Cooking Time: 30 - 35 minutes
Preparation Time: 15 minutes (time to cook the dal)
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

Print Recipe

• ¼ cup Toor Dal
• 2 teaspoon Oil or Ghee (I used oil)
• ½ Mustard Seeds
• ½ Fenugreek Seeds
• ½ Cumin
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida (I used little less than ½ tsp)
• 10-12 Curry Leaves
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• 2 medium-sized Vine Tomatoes diced (can use any tomato I prefer vine ripe)
• 5 cups Water
• Salt to Taste
• ¼ teaspoon Pepper Powder (opt.)
• 1 tablespoon Rasam Powder
• 4 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
• Cilantro to garnish

• Cook toor dal in a pressure cook with ½ cup of water for 5 whistles and for 3 minutes on ow heat. Cooking time varies from cooker to cooker and cook it until the dal is cooked. Open the pressure cooker once the all the steam is gone.
• If cooking on stove top, cook the dal with 1 cup of water and it will easily take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Heat oil in a sauce pan, add mustard and fenugreek, when the fenugreek turn golden brown, add cumin, hing and curry leaves.
• When the curry leaves change color, add turmeric and mix well.
• Add water, tomatoes, salt, tamarind paste, pepper powder if using and rasam powder. Bring to a boil.
• One the chaaru starts boiling, the tomatoes are cooked, add cooked toor dal and boil for another 5 minutes or until the chaaru is done.
• Add cilantro and turn of the heat.
• Serve hot with rice and perhaps a dollop of ghee!