Rasam

[amelia88]

I had Indian last night for dinner with some friends, and I thought I would try something different on the menu for a change. I had something called Rasam which was basically a soup that tasted of tomatoes and coriander and other spices - it was really, really good! I'm not sure how authentic the one I had was, since I guess to a degree it's tailored to American tastebuds - but has anyone else here had it?

And even better - does anyone have a recipe for it? I really would love to try and recreate it at home, if possible!

 

[jnorth88]

I had a rasam in Chicago which was made from a yellow squash. It was quite good, and fairly sweet. The coriander worked well with it, and it was even better with the bread. I am not sure about any recipes. I am curious if it is just a spice mix, or based on a particular vegetable.

 

[amelia88]

That sounds really good with the squash, @jnorth88 - I am going to have a look online and see what recipes I can find. I guess I'll just go with whatever seems to be rated well - I wasn't sure if anyone here might have personal experience with making it but it may be a regional specialty only in certain parts of India, perhaps. All I know is that it was super yummy!

 

[BadBoy]

I had rasam for the first time on train... they served it in place of soup.. at first it had a sour taste but with the second sip I started enjoying it...
its even beneficial for health.

 

[Steve Dawson]

Its a beautiful dish, I also first tasted it on a train in India after my wife suggested it. I didn't know it was healthy, normally things that taste that good aren't so good for your health. Indian food is very popular back home in the UK and I usually ask if its available in restaurants but apparently most Indian restaurants in Britain don't make it as its not that well known here. My indian born wife keeps saying that'll she'll make it once she gets the recipe from a family member back in India, but for the moment I'm still waiting for it to happen.

 

[jnorth88]

The sour taste is interesting, now that you mention it. Mines was sour too, at the start. I nearly forgot it. I don't know what it came from, but I would like to know. It was not as strong as a vinegar. I wonder if there was a sour spice, or some fermented ingredient.