Rasam

Rasam is what you want when you're tired, or coming down with something, or finished a heavy meal and need a small, hot, sour thing to round it out. It is barely a recipe — black pepper, cumin, garlic, tamarind, tomato, water, and a tempering. Everyone's grandmother has a version, and they are all correct.

Ingredients

For the rasam powder (or use 1 1/2 tbsp store-bought):

• 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried red chiles
• 1 garlic clove

For the rasam:

• 1 small lime-sized ball of tamarind (or 1 1/2 tablespoons paste)
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
• 2 cups more water
• 1/2 cup cooked toor dal (optional, for a slightly thicker rasam)
• Handful of cilantro, chopped

For the tempering:

• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chiles, broken
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Method

1. Make the rasam powder: in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast peppercorns, cumin, coriander, and dried chiles for 1 minute until fragrant. Cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder with the garlic clove.
2. Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze to extract pulp; discard the solids.
3. In a pot, combine tamarind water, tomato, turmeric, salt, and the rasam powder. Squish the tomato pieces against the side. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low. Add 2 cups more water and the cooked dal, if using.
4. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the raw tamarind smell mellows and the kitchen smells like pepper. Don't let it boil hard — that flattens the flavor.
5. Heat the ghee in a small pan. Add mustard seeds; when they pop, add cumin, red chiles, curry leaves, and hing. Sizzle 20 seconds.
6. Pour the tempering over the rasam. Stir in cilantro. Taste — adjust salt. Serve hot in small bowls, or over rice with a spoonful of ghee.

A note: Rasam should taste sour first, then peppery, then warm at the back of the throat. If yours tastes flat, it almost always needs more salt.