Rasam (dish)

Origin

ta in Tamil and Malayalam, kn in Kannada (Kannada script: ತಿಳಿ ಸಾರು), Thili means watery, Saaru means curry or te (చారు) in Telugu means "essence" and, by extension, "juice" or "soup". In South Indian households rasam commonly refers to a soupy dish prepared with a sweet-sour stock made from either kokum or tamarind, along with tomato and lentil, added spices and garnish.

The name rasam is derived from Sanskrit रस; transliterated: sa, meaning sap, juice, or essence. The Sanskrit word also yielded the English word rasa, in the aesthetic sense.

Ingredients

Rasam is prepared mainly with a tart base such as kokum, malabar tamarind (kudam puli), tamarind, vate huli (vate huli powder), ambula or amchur (dried green mango) stock depending on the region. A dal or lentil stock (for rasam, the typical dal used is split yellow pigeon peas or mung beans) is optional but is used in several rasam recipes. Jaggery, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, tomato, lemon, mustard seeds, chilli powder, curry leaves, garlic, shallots and coriander leaves may be used as flavoring ingredients and garnish in South India.

Types

Different kinds of rasam are listed below with their main ingredients.

• Baellae sāru – pigeon pea lentil
• Bassāru/kattu sāru – boiled vegetables/greens/lentils
• Beetroot rasam
• Black pepper sāru – black pepper (karimenasu in Kannada)
• Elumichai rasam – lemon juice
• Hesaru kālu sāru – green gram
• Huruli sāru - made from horsegram (kudu in Tulu)
• Inji rasam – ginger
• Jīraga rasam – cumin
• Kandathippili rasam – greens
• Kattu sāru – Togari bele and Byadgi chillies
• Kaḍalai rasam – black chickpeas
• Kattina sāru – jaggery
• Killu Milagai saatramudhu - dry red chilli
• Koẕi rasam – chicken
• Mudakathān rasam – balloon vine
• Māngā rasam – raw or semi-ripe mango
• Murungai pū rasam – drumstick flower
• Miḷagu rasam (mulligatawny) – black pepper
• Mysore rasam – fried lentils
• Nellikkāi rasam – Indian gooseberry
• Panasa tona charu - jackfruit (ripe)
• Puḷi rasam – kokum or tamarind extract
• Paruppu rasam/pappu sāru – pulses and tomato stock
• Pūndu rasam – garlic
• Tili sāru – sieving water from plain rice
• Thakkāḷi rasam – tomato puree
• Vēpam pū rasam – neem flower
• Venkāya rasam – eggplant

References

References

1. "Rasam - Recipes, Food & Drink - The Independent".
2. "NRN-funded startup to retail rasam, sattu in packs". The Times Of India.
3. "Mulligatawny soup, meatball curry and more: The hybrid culinary inventions of Anglo-Indians".
4. Kitchen, Hebbars. (2019-12-20). "thili saaru recipe {{!}} karnataka style instant tomato rasam {{!}} dal rasam".
5. Aruna. (2013-02-06). "Chaaru (Andhra Rasam) - 1".
6. (2007-09-24). "Tomato rasam/ Tomato Thili Saaru".
7. "Nursing Mother Foods-black-pepper rasam recipe". Udupi-recipes.
8. "Horsegram Rasam,Huruli Saaru,Kudu Saaru recipe". Udupi-recipes.
9. "Tovve,Kattu Saaru,Dal recipe". Udupi-recipes.
10. "Mysore Rasam Recipe, Mysore Soup, Mysore Charu, Yogari Bele Saaru, Mysore Sathamudhu, Mysore Dal Tamarind Curry, Mysore Saru, Mysore Chaaru, Mysore Lentil Soup". Rasam.co.in.