Rasam
Alternative names |
Saaru |
---|---|
Place of origin | India |
Region or state | South India |
Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
Main ingredients | Lentils, tomatoes, water, tamarind pulp |
Cookbook: Rasam Media: Rasam |
Rasam, chaaru, saaru or kabir is a South Indian soup,[1] traditionally prepared using tamarind juice as a base, with the addition of tomato, chili pepper, pepper, cumin and other spices as seasonings. Steamed lentils can be added along with any preferred vegetables.[2] Nowadays, all the seasonings required are combined and ground beforehand into rasam powder, which is available commercially. In addition to that, like Iced Tea and Cold Coffee, Rasam is also marketed commercially as Chilled Rasam.[3][4]
It is eaten with rice or separately as a spicy soup. In a traditional meal, it is preceded by a sambar rice course and is followed by curd rice. Rasam has a distinct taste in comparison to the sambar due to its own seasoning ingredients and is usually fluid in consistency.
History
In Tamil, rasam means "juice". It can refer to any juice, but rasam commonly refers to soup prepared with tamarind or tomato juice with added spices and garnish. Saaru in Kannada or chaaru in Telugu means "essence" and, by extension, "juice" or "soup". Rasa in Sanskrit means "taste" and "juice"
Ingredients
Rasam is prepared mainly with black pepper and tamarind or tomato, both ingredients abundant in South India.
Types
Different kinds of rasam are listed below with its main ingredients:
- Koli Saaru - chicken
- Kadale Saaru - black chickpeas
- Alasande Saaru - black eyed peas
- Venkaaya Saaru - onion
- Kattu saaru - lentils and Byadgi chillies
- Tili saaru - sieving water from plain rice
- Thakkali Rasam - tomato puree
- Poondu Rasam - garlic
- Inji Rasam - ginger
- Mudakathan Rasam - balloon vine
- Manga Rasam (Appe hulli) - Raw mango/ Semi ripe Mango Rasam
- Elumichai Rasam - lemon juice
- Nellikkai Rasam - Indian gooseberry
- Murungai Poo Rasam - drumstick flower
- Vepam Poo Rasam - neem flower
- Pineapple Rasam/Beetroot Rasam - respective fruits/beet
- Kandathippili rasam - greens
- Bassaaru/Kattu saaru - boiled vegetables/greens/lentils
- Milagu Rasam (Mulligatawny) - black pepper
- Jeera Rasam - cumin
- Puli Rasam - tamarind extract
- Hesaru Kaalu Saaru - Green gram
- Parupu Rasam / Pappu Saaru - pulses and tomato stock
- Baellae Saaru - toor dal
- Majjiga Saaru - seasoned buttermilk
- Kattina Saaru - jaggery
- Kollu Rasam, Hurali saaru or Ulava Saaru - horse gram
- Mysore Rasam - fried grams/dals[5]
See also
References
- ↑ "Rasam - Recipes, Food & Drink - The Independent". Web.archive.org. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ↑ "Metro Plus Chennai / Food : Raise a toast to Rasam". Hindu.com. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ "NRN-funded startup to retail rasam, sattu in packs". The Times Of India. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
- ↑ "Chilled Rasam". http://amazon.in/paperboat. External link in
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(help) - ↑ "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. Retrieved 18 January 2014.