This Lemon Rasam is a spicy, tangy, delicious rasam made with lemon juice, lentils, spices and herbs. It can served over hot steamed rice or had as soup.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup pigeon pea lentils ((tur dal, tuvar dal or arhar dal))
  • 1 pinch turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ¾ to 1 cup water (- for pressure cooking lentils)
  • ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves ((cilantro))
  • 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 or 2 green chilies (- chopped)
  • ½ inch ginger (- roughly chopped)
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves (- small to medium-sized, roughly chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil ((gingelly oil) or any neutral tasting oil)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 12 to 15 curry leaves
  • 1 to 2 dry red chilies
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • 1 to 1.5 cups water (or add water as required)
  • 2.5 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or add lemon juice as per taste)
  • salt (as required)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (- for garnish)

Method

Cooking lentils

  1. Rinse and then add the tur dal or pigeon pea lentils in a pressure cooker together with a pinch of turmeric powder.
  2. Add ¾ to 1 cup water and pressure cook on medium heat for 8 to 9 whistles or till the dal has softened and cooked really well.
  3. When the pressure settles down on its own, check the dal and mash with a spoon or wired whisk. Keep the cooked lentils aside.

Making lemon rasam

  1. In a small grinder or chutney grinder, take the chopped coriander, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and roughly chopped green chilies, ginger, garlic cloves.
  2. Without adding water grind to a coarse or semi-fine paste. Keep aside.
  3. In a pan or pot, heat sesame oil or any oil and add mustard seeds on low to medium-low heat. Fry till the mustard seeds start crackling.
  4. Then add curry leaves and red chilies. Fry till the red chilies change their color and darken a bit. Don't burn them.
  5. Now add the ground coarse herbs and spices paste along with a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and turmeric powder. Stir and mix very well on low heat.
  6. Add the cooked lentils and add 1 to 1.5 cups water. Stir again to mix well.
  7. Season with salt and again stir.
  8. On a low to medium heat simmer the rasam for 5 to 6 minutes.
  9. Switch off the heat. Wait for 1 minute and then add 2.5 to 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice.
  10. You can add more or less as required and as per your taste. Instead of lemon you can also add lime juice. Stir to combine.
  11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve lemon rasam with steamed rice or drink it as a soup.

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.