Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:

• Tomato ½
• Lemon juice from 1 lemon
• Whole black pepper 1 tsp
• Cumin 1 tsp
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Red chili powder
• Asafetida 1 pinch
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Urad dal 1 tsp
• Jeera 1 tsp
• Green chili 1 (slit lengthwise)
• Red chili 1
• Curry leaves 4 or so
• Cilantro

Procedure:

1. Grind black pepper, cumin, and garlic into coarse paste and mix to 4 cups water
2. Crush the tomato and add it to the mix along with turmeric and salt
3. Garnish: Add oil to a pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, and cumin. Once it starts to splutter add asafetida and curry leaves and then immediately pour the mix from step 2 into the pan
4. When the rasam starts to boil turn off the stove and add the lemon juice and cilantro

Notes:

• Once you add the lemon juice taste the rasam; if the lemon taste is less then add more lemon juice
• Do not add lemon juice to the rasam when it’s boiling. It will give the rasam a bitter taste.