Rasam is a sour, watery soup that originated in South India and is commonly eaten with rice. It can be made with different acidic fruits and spices, lentils, and vegetables, and is known by various names in different regions. Rasam is a vegetarian dish that offers many health benefits.
Rasam is a dish that originated in South India but has since become common across India. It is usually made as a watery soup, with a taste leaning towards sourness. Traditionally, it is the second course of a South Indian meal, preceded and followed by courses of rice.
Depending on the region, the dish can have a variety of names and meanings in a variety of languages. In its original language, Tamil, rasam is translated as “juice”, while the Kannada language translates the word as “essence”. Iyengar, or the Brahmins in the Tamil region, knew the dish as “chaathamudhu”, loosely translated as “ambrosia”. The dish is also called ‘pulichaar’ by South Indian elders, a word meaning ‘tart’.
The soup was originally said to have tamarind and pepper as its primary ingredients, as they were once plentiful in South India. In the end, the variations that grew out of the original version had one thing in common: acidity. To get that tangy flavor, different acidic fruits are used, such as tomatoes, lemon, lime, and pineapple. Different spices like ginger, mustard seeds, and cumin can also be used to get that acidic effect. Some versions of the soup even use whole brown sugar, or jaggery, for a sweeter taste.
Aside from sour fruits, another main ingredient in rasam is lentils or “dal” in India. Lentils give the dish body and texture, and are sometimes used to cut some of the acidity or spiciness of the soup. Sometimes, dal is mashed to make the soup less watery. Rasam is essentially a vegetarian soup, so different green vegetables can be added, such as curry leaves, coriander and cilantro. Peas are also a companion to lentils and provide a different texture.
Other rasam ingredients that are distinctly Indian are curry, turmeric and asafetida. Coconut milk, which usually goes well with curry spices, can also be included to make the soup. A packaged rasam powder which combines that taste of all spicy ingredients is available in many grocery stores.
Rasam offers many health benefits, such as a good dose of vitamin C from acidic fruits and vitamin A from tomatoes. Leafy greens provide fiber, folate and magnesium, while tamarind is said to aid in proper digestion and reduce cholesterol. The lentils in the soup also provide protein, especially for people who don’t get enough protein from meat.
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