Ginger Lime Rasam

During winter when the weather cools , I look forward to Rasam a nourishing South Indian soup. Everyone in my family is down with cold and this Ginger Lime Rasam is my favorite remedy~ Ginger, Lime and other ingredients in the Rasam have the ability to cure cold.  There are many variations of Rasam with each ingredient imparting different flavors. I especially love the Ginger which has a subtle taste in this preparation.
Rasam with Chicken varuval was our dinner yesterday~A a perfect combination to enjoy.
FYI: Ginger is commonly used to treat various types of “stomach problems,” including motion sickness, morning sickness, colic, upset stomach, gas, diarrhea, as well as loss of appetite.
Other uses include treating upper respiratory tract infections, cough, and bronchitis.Fresh ginger is used for treating acute bacterial dysentery, baldness, malaria, poisonous snake bites, rheumatism, migraine headache, and toothaches.Dried ginger is used for chest pain, low back pain, and stomach pain.
One of the chemicals in ginger is also used as an ingredient in laxative, anti-gas, and antacid medications.


Ingredients: 

1. 4 cups paruppu thani/diluted toor dhal water ( see tips below)
2. a handful finely chopped cilantro
3. few finely chopped curry leaves
4. salt to taste
5. juice of two lime

To Season:

1.  ½ teaspoon mustard
2.  ½ teaspoon cumin
3. a pinch asafoetida

Rasam powder to grind:

1. 6 red chillies
2. 1 teaspoon pepper
3. 1 teaspoon cumin
4. 2 teaspoon dhania
5. 3 to4 fenugreek

Grind Separately:

1. 2 inch piece ginger
2.  ½ tomato in the size shown below

Procedure:

1. Dry grind the ingredients given for Rasam powder.
2. Make a smooth paste of ginger and tomato.
3. Now combine the paruppu thani//diluted dhal water, cilantro, curry leaves, tomato ginger paste and rasam powder. Gently squeeze with your hands the ingredients to combine well and to bring the flavors of the fresh ingredients.
4. Bring this rasam to a boil in in a kadai which can hold the prepared rasam. Remove from fire just when it starts to boil.
5. Heat a teaspoon of oil, season with mustard, cumin, fenugreek and asafoetida. Add the seasoning to the rasam.

Serve with rice or have it as a soup to relieve cold and congestion.
TIPS: Use less ginger if you prefer the ginger taste to be mild. Add 2 ½ teaspoon of Rasam Powder if you prefer not to grind the fresh powder. Click for recipe here:
I normally cook about a 1/2 cup of Toor dhal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder for Sambar and when cooked, I add about 4 cups of water to the dhal. The dhal settles down leaving a clear soup on top. I then use the clear soup to make Rasam. 

Seasoning at the end is optional. You can season in a kadai and then add the combined rasam and bring to a boil. Amma insists seasoning at the end.