Tomato Rasam

Tomato Rasam - My Comfort Food :D !!
Back home, any time anyone had a cold, a big bowl of rasam would make its way from Mom's kitchen to right under the patient's nose. Ahh! How soothing it was, perhaps the best part of having a cold :D. That itself was good enough to scare the cold off.

Mommy's recipe -

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 Small Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
• 1 Tspn Chopped Garlic
• 1 Tspn Chopped Ginger
• 1 Tspn Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tspn Cumin Seeds
• 1 Dry Red Chilly
• A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing
• 1 Tspn Freshly Ground Pepper Powder
• 2-3 Sprig Coriander Leaves
• Salt, as per taste

 METHOD

• In a pressure cooker boil the tomatoes, for 1 whistle.
• After the steam escapes, open the lid and let it cool down. 
• Blend the tomatoes to a fine paste. 
• Heat about a tbspn of oil in a container. Add the mustard seeds and as they crackle add the dry red chilly, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves. Saute.
• Add the finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Saute till they start to brown.
• Add the pureed tomato along with about a cup of water or tomato stock. Add more water as per desired consistency requirement. Bring to boil. Add salt, pepper powder and finely chopped coriander leaves. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Relish hot with rice or sip it on its own.