South Indian cuisine is extremely famous among Indians in general. Rasam is a part of some of the most classic recipes of South Indian cuisine and is made from various vegetables, spices, and other delicious ingredients. All the ingredients used in the making of Rasam are extremely healthy and help in strengthening immunity. It is also an extremely comforting food for many people and because of its warmth it can also provide great relief if you are having a bad cold. The best thing about Rasam is that it gives you the window to experiment and make it as per your liking. The consistency of Rasam is also perfect which is why it goes along with everything. If you have never tried making Rasam at home then here are six wonderful tips that can help you in making the most perfect Rasam at home.
* Use Tamarind Properly
Tamarind is a very important ingredient in the preparation of Rasam and it should be used appropriately. Make sure that you soak your tamarind in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes before using it in your Rasam. Many people also use tamarind water in the making of Rasam along with using some small pieces of tamarind. The quantity of the tamarind water and tamarind pieces used in the Rasam depends on your preference. If you want to keep your Rasam extra sour then you can always be generous with the quantity that you use. But if you like it less sour then use both tamarind water and tamarind moderately.
* Gram Dal To The Rescue
If you find that your Rasam has gone extremely sour because of tamarind or tomatoes as both of them are heavily used in the preparation of Rasam, you can always use one cup of boiled gram dal as a quick fix. Make sure that you mash the boiled dal properly in the mixture. You will see a lot of improvement in the Rasam after adding the bol Daal as it will absorb excess sourness. Adding jaggery to this mixture can elevate the test even more. This is the right way of balancing the flavours of your Rasam in case you use extra tamarind by mistake.
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* Lemon As An Alternative
Although tamarind is an important part of the preparation of Rasam as it gives a very distinct flavour to the whole recipe, it can be replaced by lemon in case of unavailability of Tamarind. Both of these two ingredients have the same kind of sourness and add unique flavours to your Rasam. One should try to find a tamarind to make their Rasam most authentically as it has a very special flavour of its own. But just in case you do not find tamarind, then it is better to use lemon as an alternative instead of skipping using any sour flavours at all.
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* Rasam Powder
Making Rasam powder is one of the most important steps in the preparation of Rasam. To make this powder, you have to take some red chilli, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, gram dal, and whole coriander. All these ingredients have to be roasted properly on a low flame with a tablespoon of ghee. You can use the spice mixture directly or you can also convert it into a powder form before adding it to the Rasam. You can also prepare the Rasam powder in a paste form by adding some water to change its consistency. Roasting these ingredients before adding them to your rasam makes the dish very aromatic.
* Storage
If you plan to store your Rasam for some time after preparing it, then do not add green coriander to it. Only add green coriander when you plan to serve it for yourself and your family. This is because the green coriander leaves will dissolve inside the Rasam and will not give any flavour or freshness to the dish. So the right way of garnishing Rasam is by using coriander leaves just before you plan to have it.
* Use Fresh Ingredients
Always use fresh ingredients for the preparation of your Rasam. Never compromise with the type of vegetables and the quality of spices that you are using to make your dish. This makes so much of a difference in the quality and the taste of the dish that you prepare at home. The whole essence of this dish is the variety of vegetables and the freshness that it has.
These are some of the important tips that you must remember while preparing Rasam at home. Just following the simple tips will make so much of a difference in the final output.