Pepper Rasam, also known as Milagu Rasam, is a spicy and tangy rasam made with black pepper, tamarind, tomatoes and spices. It can be served with steamed rice or enjoyed as a light soup.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Appetizers, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon tamarind (- tightly packed)
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves (- medium-sized, peeled or with their skins)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil ((can also use sunflower or peanut oil))
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (or 10 to 12 curry leaves - kept whole or chopped)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 2 dry red chilies (- crowns and seeds removed)
  • 2 tomatoes (- small, crushed or 85 grams or ½ cup crushed or chopped tomatoes)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper - optional)
  • 2 cups water
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves ((cilantro), chopped)

Method

Preparing tamarind pulp

  1. Soak the tamarind in warm water for 25 to 30 minutes
  2. Then squeeze the soaked tamarind to get the pulp. Strain and keep aside.

To make the spice mix

  1. Whilst the tamarind is soaking, crush coarsely black peppercorns, cumin seeds and garlic cloves (peeled or with their skins) in a mortar-pestle. You can also use a small grinder to coarsely crush these spices.

Making milagu rasam

  1. Heat oil in a pan or pot. Keep heat to a low. Add mustard seeds first and let them crackle.
  2. Then add the dry red chilies and asafoetida. Stir and saute till the red chilies change color. Do not burn them.
  3. Next add crushed tomatoes and curry leaves. You can also add chopped tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
  4. Stir and sauté on low to medium-low heat till the tomatoes become pulpy and soft.
  5. Then add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
  6. Now add the coarsely crushed mix of black pepper + cumin + garlic.
  7. Stir and mix well. Next add the prepared tamarind pulp. Also 2 cups water and mix again. Season with salt according to taste.
  8. Simmer on a low to medium heat till the raw aroma of tamarind goes away. Cook for about a total of 9 to 10 minutes.
  9. Cover and allow milagu rasam to stand for 5 to 7 minutes. Then lastly add the chopped coriander leaves.
  10. Serve the Pepper Rasam plain or accompanied with rice, sambar and a side vegetable stir fry.

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.