Pachai Puli Rasam (Kongunadu No-Cook Rasam)

Ingredients

• Tamarind (A small piece, for extracting tamarind water)
• Water (As required, for soaking/extracting tamarind and adjusting the rasam)
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds (For crushing)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper (Heaped; for crushing)
• 3 Garlic (Cloves, for crushing)
• 10 Small onions (Shallots or small pearl onions)
• Rock salt (As required, to taste)
• Jaggery or sugar (A pinch)
• Curry leaves (A small handful, or as required)
• Coriander leaves (A small handful, or as required)
• 1 Green chili (For slight mashing)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the small piece of tamarind in water, extract the tamarind pulp into the water, and filter it. Keep the strained tamarind water aside.

2. 2

   Place the cumin seeds, black pepper, and garlic in a mortar or similar vessel. Crush them well into a coarse mixture.

3. 3

   Add the small onions, rock salt, a pinch of jaggery or sugar, coriander leaves, curry leaves, and green chili to the crushed spice mixture.

4. 4

   Slightly mash the added onions, herbs, and chili together with the spice mixture; do not cook the mixture.

5. 5

   Transfer the mashed mixture into the strained tamarind water and mix to make the rasam.

6. 6

   Taste and adjust the consistency and seasoning with additional water or tamarind water. Add more spice if needed; if the rasam is too sour, dilute it with water.

7. 7

   Serve the no-cook rasam with hot rice. The source also suggests eating it with roasted or hot accompaniments.

Notes

No cooking or heating is specified. The amount of water is intentionally flexible and should be adjusted according to the sourness of the tamarind and personal taste. The transcript recommends adding more pepper if the rasam is not spicy enough.

Nutrition per serving

• rasam
• no-cook
• vegetarian
• vegan
• gluten-free
• South Indian
• Kongunadu
• quick