Recipe
How to make lemon rasam: bright, comforting and quick
A simple South Indian-style lemon rasam with tomato, pepper, curry leaves and a fresh lemon finish.
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 15m
- Serves
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 8 curry leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cooked toor dal, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and coriander leaves, to taste
Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add mustard seeds; when they pop, add curry leaves and garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add tomato, turmeric, cumin and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomato softens.
- Add water and the optional cooked dal. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes; do not boil hard after adding lemon.
- Turn off the heat, stir in lemon juice, salt and coriander. Taste and add more lemon or pepper if you like. Serve warm with rice or as a light soup.
Keep the lemon bright
Add lemon juice after the pot comes off the heat. That keeps the flavour fresh and lively. For a fuller bowl, stir through a little cooked toor dal; for a lighter rasam, leave it out.