Pepper jeera Rasam with toor dal recipe – detailed video instructions.

Rasam/saaru is consumed as soup or with rice. For cold winter days or after having heavy meals at wedding or any functions saaru/rasam is the best thing to have for our next meal. For summer it keeps us hydrated. This particular pepper jeera rasam is prepared with jeera, and pepper along with toor dal. Very soothing, tastes good as soup, with a rich coconut flavor and can be eaten with rice too.
Prepare one of these Saaru  every day kokam saaru/Rasam, tomato saaru/Rasam, udupi saaru/Rasam, , pepper jeera Saaru/Rasam, avarekaaLu saaru/Rasam, Huruli / Horse gram saaru/Rasam, Holige saaru/Rasam, Mango saaru/Rasam ) and enjoy the taste and benefits.

Ingredients for pepper jeera rasam:

• ¼ cup toor dal
• Key lime size tamarind soaked in water
• juice of ¼ lemon
• ½ tbsp salt
• coriander leaves
• 10 to 15 curry leaves
• ½ tsp oil ( for cooking the dal)
• 3 to 4 cups of water
• 1 to 2 tsp jaggery
• 1 tsp pepper
• around 1 tbsp jeera
• ½ cup grated fresh coconut
• 2 green chillies
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

for seasoning:

• 2 tsp ghee
• pinch of asafetida
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

Method:

1. Wash and pressure cook the toor dal with 1 cup of water , turmeric powder and oil on medium heat for 3 whistles. then turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
2. Heat thick bottom pan on medium low heat. dry roast pepper and jeera until jeera sputters and turned light brown color.
3. Once it is cooled completely , grind it to a fine powder.
4. Transfer the cooked tomato onto a plate, and cooked dal to a pan
5. Mash the tomato and add it to the cooked dal.
6. Add water and squeeze the pulp few more times.
7. Now to the this add jaggery, salt, curry leaves along with slit green chillies. mix it
8. Add tamarind paste,
9. Add warm water to the coconut(if is frozen), and add this coconut milk to the rasam once it starts to boil
10. OR easy method, grind the coconut in a mixer jar along with water to fine paste and add this to the rasam
11. Once it starts to boil add pepper jeera powder
12. Add coconut milk too. mix it and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

To season the saaru:

1. Heat the ghee in ladle, once hot add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds pops add jeera and hing.Then add turmeric powder. turn off the heat . add this to the rasam.
2. Finally squeeze some lemon juice and rasam is ready to serve.