A hot & tangy soup called Rasam!

Jul 01 , 2020

Rasam is a very popular South Indian traditional soup. It is consumed on a daily basis in every South Indian home. It is also called rasam or chaaru or saaru in South Indian languages, namely, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada. In Sanskrit, rasam means “the essential products of digestion.” South Indian traditional food, which is largely non-greasy, consists of cooked rice usually served with sambar, rasam, dry and/or curried vegetables, and curd. Rasam is mostly eaten with rice and rarely separate as a spicy soup. In a traditional South Indian meal, it is preceded by a sambar rice course and is followed by curd rice. Rasam is traditionally prepared using tamarind juice as a base, with a variety of spices which are considered to be good for health and improving the digestion.

The strong blended flavor of spices used in Rasam preparation makes it unique in taste and flavor. The main spices used in Rasam preparation are coriander, curry leaves, tamarind, cumin, black pepper, mustard, turmeric, red chili, and asafoetida. Rasam is the spiciest soup and the thick orange liquid delivers layers of flavor that nourish and heal.

The traditional preparation of Rasam is made with tamarind pulp and black pepper- both abundantly and natively available in South India. A bowl of steaming hot Rasam is consumed in almost every household of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Rasam is consumed as a good antidote for common cough and cold, lack of appetite, headache and for digestive problems.

The Rasam in Tamil Nadu is different in taste, texture and flavor from the Saaru in Karnataka or the Chaaru in Andhra Pradesh. Rasam is a light broth made from tamarind and tomato pulp seasoned with traditional Tamil spices. Saaru or Chaaru has a thicker consistency which is made of lentils seasoned with Saarina Pudi or Saaru powder and other flavouring ingredients. Some of the different types of Rasam/Saaru/Chaaru are- Thakkali Rasam, Inji Rasam, Kattu Saaru, Mysore Rasam, Milagu Rasam/Saaru, Jeerige Saaru, Paruppu Rasam and others. The permutation and combination of the spices used as seasoning agents for this appetizing broth determine its name.

We understand that you may not always have these ingredients in your kitchen. That’s why iPaaka makes it easier for you to whip this tasty Belesaaru in 10 mins!

---