Paruppu Rasam | Tamarind Lentil Soup

Paruppu rasam served in a pan with a spoon in the middle

Paruppu Rasam | Tamarind Lentil Soup

If you love the South Indian rasam, then give this easy Paruppu rasam recipe a try! This rasam is made with tamarind and ground lentils. Make it in 30 minutes and serve it with rice.

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Soaking time 30

Servings people

Calories 101.42kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

To make the lentil paste

¼ cup tur dal
¼ cup chana dal
1-2 tomatoes
2 dried red chillies
½ inch ginger
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
5-6 curry leaves
¼ cup water

To make the Rasam

2 tablespoon tamarind pulp
2 tablespoon rasam powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon asafoetida/hing
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 ½ cups water
Salt
2 tablespoon cilantro

To make the tadka

2 teaspoon vegan ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 dried red chillies

Instructions

To make the lentil paste

Soak chana dal and tur dal (together) for about 30 minutes. Drain the water.
Grind the lentils along with red chillies, ginger, tomatoes, cilantro, curry leaves and salt, coarsely. Add ¼ cup water while grinding.

To make the Rasam

Add 1 and a half cup of water, tamarind pulp, rasam powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, asafoetida and salt to a pot. Cook it on medium flame. Bring this to a boil.
Dilute the lentil paste by adding 1 cup of water. Mix well so that there are no lumps.
Add this to the pot. Cook it on medium. Adjust the consistency as per your preference by adding 1-2 more cups of water.
When it just starts to boil and become frothy, take it off the flame. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

To make the tadka

In a tadka pan, add vegan ghee and fry dried red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Pour this over the rasam. Mix it well. Cover and set it aside.

Notes

There are certain tips to make rasam perfect every time. The whole thing about making rasam right is in the timing. You need to know when to turn off the gas.

Overcooking the rasam takes away the taste. So you need to be alert and careful. When you see the froth on top after the first boil, that is your cue to take it off the gas.

Also, using good quality rasam powder is crucial to the recipe. We only use homemade rasam powder.

I have used vegan ghee in this recipe but if you are not following a vegan lifestyle, use regular ghee.

Nutrition