Pepper- Jeera rasam

This is a special rasam made in South Indian houses, which has medicinal properties too. A cup of this hot rasam is a soothing tonic for people who have cold and cough.

For 3 cups of rasam:

Tamarind pulp – 1 cup (pulp extracted from soaking a lemon sized ball of tamarind in water)
Milagu or Black pepper – 2 spoons
Jeera or cumin seeds – 1 spoon
Tur dhal - half cup
Curry leaves – half cup
Mustard – 1 tspn
Oil – 1 tspn
Salt – as required.
Chilly powder – 1\2 tspn.

1. Grind Tur dhal, milagu, jeera and curry leaves to a paste.
2..Add salt and chilly powder to the tamarind pulp and allow it to boil. Allow the fame to simmer for sometime till the raw smell of tamarind and chilly powder goes off.
3. Add a cup of water to the paste and add it to the boiling mixture.
4. Add one more cup of water and allow it to come to a boil till froth forms on the top.
5. Splutter mustards in oil and add to the rasam.
6. This can be taken hot and plain, or mixed with plain rice and eaten with appalams.