Shallots is also known as madras onions or sambar onions. It is called as chinna vengayam in Tamil.
Shallots sambar is a very common dish.
But shallots rasam is certainly not so. I learnt this from my sister who had learnt it from her mom in law. It’s tangy, spicy and full of flavours 🙂
Ingredients
Shallots- 10-12
Tomatoes- 2 medium sized
Tamarind- plum sized
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Jaggery- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
Tuvar dal- 2 tsps
Pepper- 1 tsp
Jeera- 1 tsp
Red chillies- 3-4
Melted ghee- 1 tsp
Mustard- 1 tsp
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Hing- 1/8th tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- 1 tbsp
Method
Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water for half an hour.
Squeeze well and extract the juice.
Wash and chop tomatoes.
Boil together the tamarind extract, tomatoes, Jaggery, turmeric powder till the tomatoes become tender.
Peel and wash shallots.
Heat very little oil in pan. Add coriander seeds, red chillies, tuvar dal, pepper, jeera and shallots. Roast till the spices become crisp and shallots turn pale pink.
Cool and grind to a paste.
Add this to the boiled tamarind extract, 2 more cups of water( add more if required to get the rasam consistency) and salt to taste.
Mix well and let it just simmer.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard, jeera and hing. When the mustard stops spluttering, pour the tempering over the simmering rasam.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice drizzled with some melted ghee:)
