Called Jeera Rasam (or Jeera Milagu Rasam in Tamil) and Pepper Cumin Rasam in English; this is a spicy, tangy and robust appetizer made from tamarind, black pepper and cumin. It can be enjoyed as a drink or served with a side of steamed rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ½ tablespoon cumin
  • 2 dry red chilies (- halved and deseeded)
  • 6 to 7 garlic cloves (- medium sized, peeled)
  • ½ tablespoon tamarind (- tightly packed, soaked in ½ cup hot water)
  • 1 tomato (- medium-sized, crushed or chopped)
  • ¼ cup coriander leaves (- chopped, (cilantro))
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves (- medium sized)
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (roughly 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric powder)
  • 1 to 2 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoon oil

Method

Preparation

  1. First heat ½ cup water. Soak tamarind in this hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Later squeeze the soaked tamarind to get the pulp. Strain the tamarind extract and set aside.
  3. In a grinder, take garlic, red chilies, black pepper and cumin seeds.
  4. Grind coarsely or to a semi-fine texture.

Making pepper cumin rasam

  1. Heat oil in a pan or pot. Splutter mustard seeds first.
  2. Then add curry leaves and the coarsely ground spices.
  3. Sauté for a minute on low heat. Then add turmeric powder, asafoetida and chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
  4. Next add crushed or chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute for a minute or two.
  5. Add tamarind extract and water. Season with salt.
  6. Stir and simmer rasam on a low to medium heat, without a lid, until the tomatoes soften and the raw taste of tamarind goes away. It takes about 12 to 15 minutes.
  7. Serve the Jeera Rasam as is or accompanied with rice, sambar and a side of South Indian style sautéed vegetable dish.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.