Rasam: South India’s Tasty, Healing Soup

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Rasam

SOUTH INDIA’S TASTY,

HEALING SOUP

PHOTOS BY WINTER CAPLANSON

Chennai Kodi Rasam is a delicious South Indian soup, flavor-packed with ginger, turmeric, tomato, chili peppers, garlic, cumin, curry leaves, mustard, coriander, asafoetida, and cilantro. Served with steamed rice or sipped as-is, Indian families rely on it as a home remedy to cure sore throats and symptoms of cold and flu.

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CHEF PRASAD CHIRNOMULA

LEARNED HOW TO COOK BY HIS MOTHER’SSIDE AS A YOUNG BOY

IN INDIA.

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Rasam is also an excellent recovery food. Patients who have had a respiratory illness will benefit from rasam’s vitamins and nutrients, including thiamin, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C and niacin - along with minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, selenium, copper and magnesium.

Chef Prasad Chirnomula, chef and owner of Chef Prasad Indian Kitchen in New Canaan, learned how to cook by his mother’s side as a young boy in India. Here he offers his recipe for a tasty, tangy and healing classic rasam:

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FAMILIES RELY ON IT

AS A HOME R

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INDIAN

CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

Chennai Kodi Rasam

INGREDIENTS

2.5 lbs whole chicken, skinless 1 cup thinly-sliced scallion 6 ripe tomatoes, quartered 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cayenne

2 inches peeled ginger root Salt

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tbs fennel seeds

4 tbs coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 tbs vegetable oil

8 garlic cloves 1 tsp mustard seeds

5 dry red chiles 5 dry red round chiles

1/2 tsp asafoetida 1 sprig fresh curry leaves 2 cups tamarind extract

1 tbs palm sugar Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

EMEDY TO CURE SORE THROATS AND SYMPTOMS OF COLD AND FLU.

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In a Dutch oven, place the chicken, ginger root, scallions, tomato, turmeric, cayenne, salt and four quarts of water; simmer until the chicken is fully cooked.

Once the chicken is cooked, add tamarind extract, remove the piece of ginger and discard, and continue to simmer on very low heat while adding the dry roasted powder (instructions below).

Heat a sauté pan; lower the flame and dry-roast the peppercorns, fenugreek, fennel, cumin and coriander seeds. Once the spices are warm, remove from pan, cool off and blend to a fine powder. Add this powder to the boiling liquid above.

Heat oil in a sauté pan; add in order the garlic, mustard seeds, dry red chilies, dry red round chilies, asafoetida and fresh curry leaves. Transfer this immediately to the boiling rasam soup. Check and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve this soup with rice, chunks of chicken and tomatoes with a sprig of cilantro on top.

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