Lemon and lime rasam – lemon, lime and lentil soup – the simple comfort food from South

I have an incredible love for the  monsoon, it always inspires me to look around the world I live in with a new eye. The beauty of the nature, which suddenly seems to be at it’s best.  With the weather turning cold and  humid, probably one of the best temperature to experience in India.

himalayan rock salt

This climatic changes also offer the challenges to my respiratory system often. I prepare the this tangy fiery rasam, to beat the cold and sooth my tongue and throat. These rasam is a part of staple diet in most of the south Indian households especially in monsoon. I admire the traditional food wisdom, where in the local and seasonal food has been made as a part of staple diet and and making me understand what we eat and what can we eat.

Lemons have bounty of healing powers, whether it’s cold or hot or warm, lemons are found in all kind of foods and drinks . They are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work in conjunction for a serious punch against infection. They also help in balancing the body chemistry.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup green gram split / moong dal
• 4 green chillies – slit lengthwise
• 8-10 coriander leaves along with stem
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp jaggery
• 1 1/2 tbsp rock salt
• 1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
• 3 cups of water

Tempering

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 mustard seeds
• pinch of asafoetida / hing
• 3 dry red chillies
• 1 string curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ghee/vegetable oil

Method – Wash and soak the green gram split for 15-20 minutes and pressure cook the grams with 1/4 tbsp of turmeric powder.

Add 2 cups of water, coriander leaves, green chillies salt and jaggery to a kadai/wok. On a medium flame, bring it to boil. That would give away the nice aroma of green chillies and coriander. Add cooked grams, and boil it again.

Add lemon and lime juice and switch off the flame and keep it covered. At this stage, adjust the salt if requires, as per your taste.

Tempering –  In a tempering vessel/small kadai, add ghee/vegetable oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once it start spluttering and hing/asafoetida, red chillies and curry leaves. Stir for 10 seconds and take it out of the heat, and pour on the rasam. Keep it covered for 5 more minutes. This would help to absorb the tempering/seasoning flavors in rasam.

Server hot, along with rice or as a soup.

Serves 4, (makes 4 cups of rasam)