ORANGE RASAM

Rasam or chaaru or saaru is  a South Indian Soup traditionally prepared with tamarind  juice, with the addition of tomato, boiled lentils and spices.  Rasam varieties are endless.  This can be served as an appetizer.  Normally, it is a feeling in South Indian household that whenever you are having fever, rasam is prepared (normally served rasam rice).  

Normally the rasam is prepared with boiled lentils, but I have made it in a different way here.

But let me tell you that myself and my elder brother is quite satisfied with any kind of rasam and we love to eat the rice with rasam and chutta pappadam (roasted papad).  We do not want anything more than that.

Coming back to the Orange rasam, it is prepared with the orange juice and rind.  Today, my husband is bit unwell and the servant did not turn up for making rotis.  Hence he told me to prepare rasam  rice for him.  while preparing rasam,i happened to see one orange lying in the fridge. Hence thought of utilising the same.  It was really awesome and I could not resist myself I just drank the bowlful of piping hot rasam, really enjoyed.

Let us look at the recipe now:

Ingredients:

 1 tsp tur dal
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp chana dal
1 red chilli
3-4  black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
hing powder
turmeric powder
Juice of 1 orange
salt
1 tomato
1 small onion
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds 
1 tsp orange peel finely chopped
1 tsp lime juice (optional)
a small piece of jaggery or 1/2 tsp sugar (Optional)

Tempering:

1 tsp ghee 
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
few curry leaves 



garnishing:

chopped coriander leaves

Method:

wash and soak the tur dal, coriander seeds, chana dal, red chilli, black pepper, cumin seeds in water for 30  minutes.  cut the tomato into two pieces and chop one half, keep aside.  grind the half tomato, soaked dals, onion to a smooth paste.

Heat ghee in kadai, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves.  add the ground paste in it and saute for 5 minutes.  add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another two minutes.  add one cup of water, turmeric powder, salt, chopped orange peel  and boil the same till the raw taste goes off.

Now add the chopped tomato cook the same till soft.  add another cup of water, simmer the rasam. do not boil.  add the orange juice mix well.   temper with the ingredients mentioned under tempering and garnish with coriander leaves.   If you wish you can add the sugar or jaggery while boiling the rasam.

serve hot with rice or serve as an appetizer.

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