Two things I absolutely love about South Indian dishes, especially Telugu food, are how incredibly flavorful they are and how perfectly they pair with rice. After every vacation, bad day, or sick day, nothing comforts me more than a steaming bowl of rasam rice. This tomato rasam recipe holds a special place in my heart—not just because it brings back memories of home, but also because I’ve added my own tangy twist to it.
If you’ve tried the pepper rasam recipe I posted earlier, you know how it packs a punch with its sharp, spicy pepper flavor. This tomato rasam, on the other hand, has a more mellow, tangy flavor that’s just as satisfying, if not more. It also doubles up as a flavorful soup that you can enjoy on its own without rice.
I highly recommend giving this recipe a try. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Let’s dive in—here’s how you can make this tangy tomato rasam at home.
Tomato Rasam Recipe (Serves 1-2)
Ingredients:
Tomatoes – 2 large
Green chillies – 2
Garlic cloves – 10
Peppercorns – 2 tbsp
Curry leaves – 10-12 leaves
Cilantro – ½ cup, finely chopped
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies – 2-3
Cumin – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 2 tsp
Tamarind – garlic bulb-sized piece
Oil – 6-8 tbsp
Preparation:
This recipe has a few steps you can do in parallel, so I’ll break it down into sections.
Step 1: Prepare the tamarind juice
- Wash the tamarind thoroughly, soak it in water, and set it aside.
- After 10-15 minutes, squeeze the tamarind to extract the juice.
Step 2: Make the rasam masala
- In a mortar, pound together the peppercorns, 5-6 garlic cloves, 2 chopped green chillies, and a few curry leaves.
- This masala will bring the essential spice to your rasam.
Step 3: Tomatoes
- In a deep pot, add the tomatoes and enough water to submerge them.
- Boil until the skins start to peel off.
- Once cooled, peel the tomatoes and mash them with your fingers into a paste along with some coriander stems. You can also blend them in a blender.
- Remove any chunky tomato remains. This paste is the heart of your rasam.
Step 4: Cook the Tomato Rasam
- Heat some oil in a deep skillet.
- Add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp mustard seeds to the hot oil.
- Once they start to splutter, add the rasam masala and cook it for a minute or two.
- Now add the tomato paste and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes with the lid closed.
- Add the tamarind juice and 3-4 cups of water.
- Add in 1 tbsp salt (rock salt is even better) and 1 tbsp red chilli powder to taste.
- Taste and adjust the water and salt to your preferred tanginess.
- Let it all boil for a good 7-10 minutes.
Step 5: Final Tadka
- Heat oil in a small pan and add curry leaves, dry red chillies, cumin, mustard seeds, and 5-6 crushed garlic cloves.
- Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder, then turn off the heat after a minute.
- Add in the chopped cilantro and mix everything well.
- Pour this tadka over the boiled rasam, and you’re done!
This recipe might be a bit elaborate, but trust me, it’s really really worth it!
Serve your rasam with hot ghee rice, and pair it with your favorite fry or crispies. I made it last Sunday, paired it with some rice and dry jeera aloo fry, and it was the ultimate comfort meal for a cozy weekend in.
You can also serve it with kurkuri bhindi as it pairs very well with rasam rice and dal rice.
Get ready to be bowled over!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know how it turns out for you.
Happy slurping! See you soon xx
Read my other recipes here.
