Mysore rasam step-by-step recipe with video and photos.
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What is Mysore rasam?
Rasam is a spicy-tangy-sweet lentil soup made with toor dal (pigeon pea or tur dal), tomatoes, tamarind, and rasam powder. This thin soup-like dish is called 'saaru' in Kannada. It is a part of daily South Indian food as well as made for festivals and celebrations.
There are several varieties of rasam - garlic rasam, Udupi rasam, and pepper rasam, to name a few. It is an integral part of any South Indian meal. While a typical South Indian rasam is watery and served mostly like a soup, delicious Mysore rasam is prepared slightly thick and is served with rice. A good amount of dal is used and the spice mix is ground with coconut into a smooth paste. This flavorful variety of rasam is called arachuvitta rasam in Tamil cuisine.
Also called tomato saaru or Mysuru rasam, it is famous not only for its deliciousness but it is also known for its health benefits and medicinal properties. A warm bowl of rasam is considered a cure for the common cold and flu-like symptoms.
The most common and traditional way of rasam preparation involves two steps - tur dal is boiled in a pressure cooker and tomatoes are cooked separately with tamarind and spices, to which the cooked dal is added. In this recipe, I am making this South Indian version of tomato soup in an Instant Pot is really simple and gets done in 30 minutes. This one-pot rasam is very easy to make and needs minimal monitoring. The texture and consistency are perfect when you follow this tried and tested video recipe.
Serve Mysore rasam with hot rice, ghee, and potato fry on winter nights for a warm and comforting meal. It has a perfect balance of spicy and tangy taste with a mild sweetness from jaggery and coconut. Read on for ingredients, full instructions with step-by-step photos, and useful tips to make authentic Mysuru rasam.
What is rasam powder?
Rasam powder is a special blend of whole spices that are roasted and ground into a fine powder, which is then used in this flavorful rasam recipe. This spice mix is called saarina pudi (or saaru pudi) in Kannada and rasam podi in Tamil/Telugu.
Making their own rasam podi is a common practice in most South Indian homes and we South Indians seldom buy it. The spices are roasted at home and these roasted spices are taken to a flour mill to be ground into a fine powder. This homemade masala is the key to any flavorful rasam recipe.
Mysore rasam powder mainly consists of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper corns, dried red chillies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, hing, and turmeric.
Ingredients
Toor dal: We add a good proportion of toor dal/pigeon pea in Mysuru rasam.
Tomatoes: Fresh and juicy tomatoes are an important ingredient.
Rasam powder: Use store-bought or homemade rasam powder. This special rasam powder is the main ingredient to add wonderful flavor.
Tamarind: Tamarind, along with tomatoes, adds tang to this dish. Soak it in water for 20 minutes and extract the water. You may replace it with store-bought tamarind pulp.
Jaggery: Jaggery does not make this dish sweet, rather balances the tangy taste of the rasam.
Coconut: I grind fresh coconut along with rasam powder. You can skip adding coconut in this recipe.
Ghee: Use ghee for the best-tasting rasam.
Tempering: Main tempering spices I use are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chili, hing, and curry leaves.
Step-by-step instructions
Take the tamarind in a small bowl and add ½ cup hot water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Extract the tamarind pulp and discard the fiber and seeds. Take rasam powder, grated coconut, and ½ cup of water in a blender jar. Grind it into a smooth paste (steps 1 and 2).
Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add one tablespoon of ghee. Once the ghee heats, temper mustard seeds and let them splutter. Next, add cumin seeds, methi seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds (step 3).
Add the tomatoes, tuvar dal, fresh ground masala paste, and salt. Add 5 cups of water and give it a good mix (steps 4 and 5). Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the Instant Pot to 8 minutes (step 6).
Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release (step 7). Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the tamarind juice and jaggery. Adjust salt and spices as needed. Also, adjust the consistency as needed (steps 8 and 9). Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell of tamarind goes (step 10).
Cancel saute mode and add one tablespoon of ghee and coriander leaves.
Useful tips
It is important to add the tamarind water after pressure cooking the dal as the tamarind may prevent the dal from fully cooking.
Adjust the amount of spice powder as per your preference. In this recipe, I have used 2 tablespoons of masala for a medium spicy level.
Don't skip the jaggery as it helps balance the spicy and tangy flavor. You can replace it with sugar.
You can store this dish in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. It also freezes well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serve it with South Indian-style stir-fries like cabbage palya or beans palya as a side dish for a complete meal.
You may also like these Instant Pot easy recipes:
FAQs
Firstly, the spices used in both masala powders are different. Rasam is thin and runny and usually made using tomatoes as the only vegetable; whereas sambar has a good proportion of dal and is made using a variety of vegetables. Rasam is also more tangy and spicy.
Aromatic rasam is usually served with plain steamed rice along with any vegetable side dish.
Bonus
This tomato rasam is:
- so flavorful and delicious,
- healthy and wholesome,
- good source of plant-based protein.
If you liked this recipe, please don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and comment below.
Recipe card
Mysore Rasam (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup toor dal
- 4-5 large tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoon rasam powder
- ¼ cup coconut fresh, grated
- 1½-2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tamarind see notes
- 1 tablespoon jaggery
- 6 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
For the tempering
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2-3 dried red chili
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida hing
Instructions
Prep:
- Take the tamarind in a small bowl and add ½ cup hot water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Extract the tamarind pulp and discard the fiber and seeds.
- Take rasam powder, coconut, and ½ cup of water in a blender jar. Grind it into a smooth paste (this is optional and can be skipped).
Making the rasam:
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add one tablespoon of ghee. Once it heats, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Next, add cumin seeds, methi seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, toor dal, rasam powder paste, and salt.
- Add 5 cups of water and give it a good mix.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the Instant Pot to 8 minutes.
- Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the tamarind extract and jaggery. Adjust salt and spices as needed. Also, adjust the consistency as needed. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Cancel saute mode and add one tablespoon of ghee and cilantro.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and side dish of your choice.
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