By Aditi Saraswat
January 5, 2026
Light, tangy, and extremely comforting, tomato rasam is the kind of dish that warms you from within. Prepared with basic pantry spices, it is relaxing, full of flavours, and ideal for when you want to eat light.
2 medium ripe tomatoes (chopped) 1½ cups water 1 tbsp tamarind pulp 1 tsp rasam powder ½ tsp black pepper (crushed) ½ tsp cumin seeds (crushed) ¼ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste For Tempering 1 tsp ghee or oil ½ tsp mustard seeds 1 sprig of curry leaves 2 cloves garlic (crushed) 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
Crush the chopped tomatoes a little and add to a pot with water, tamarind pulp, turmeric, and salt. Let it boil.
Let the mixture boil until the tomatoes turn soft and begin to release their juices, making a light, tangy base.
Add the rasam powder, crushed pepper, and cumin powder to this. Mix gently and boil for a minute so that the spices infuse without losing aroma.
Switch off the heat and do not overboil. Rasam should be hot and aromatic, not aggressively bubbling, to keep the flavours balanced.
In a pan, heat ghee or oil. Add some mustard seeds, curry leaves, and some crushed garlic. Let them splutter and release aroma.
Pour this tempering over the rasam and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or enjoy as a soup.