Garlic/Poondu Rasam

Today for the fifth day of the marathon , i choose Garlic/Poondu rasam. This is an absolute favorite. Amma makes it so well, i could keep having it all day long! I generally make this on weekends & since this is a long weekend, combined with marathon, i am having a field time :). 

Ingredients
1. Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
2. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
3. Turmeric powder - a pinch
4. Hing - a pinch
5. Salt - as per taste
6. Water - 4 cups


To Roast & grind
1. Toor dal - 1tbsp
2. Red Chillies - 2
3. Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp
4. Garlic pods - 3 fat ones chopped
5. Jeera - 1/2 tsp
6. Ghee - 2 tsp


To Temper
1. Ghee - 1tp
2. Mustard seeds - 1tsp


Preparation Time!!
1. In pan, take the tamarind paste. Add water, curry leaves, turmeric powder, hing, salt and allow to boil
2. Meanwhile, take a pan, add 1tsp of ghee and roast all ingredients mentioned in 'To Roast & Grind' table, except for jeera & garlic
3. Once they light brown, remove and keep aside to cool
4. In the same pan, add another tsp of ghee and add the chopped garlic pods and sauté well till they turn a light shade of brown ( the aroma is really good :))
5. Remove and add to the other roasted ingredients. Blend this in a small mixer to a semi-coarse powder
6. Once ground, lastly add jeera and whip or pulse it to small bits.Keep aside
7. As the tamarind raw smell goes of the boiling liquid, add this ground powder. Reduce flame and let it simmer for a minute or two
8. Once, a light froth is formed, remove off flame & temper with mustard seeds


Served hot with rice, ghee and curry or just drink it :).. It tastes heavenly with Potato fry ( my strong recommendation ;))


Pointers
* Use ghee to sauté the ingredients & garlic too. It really enhances the flavor!


Serving : 2 people
Duration : 30 minutes


Go ahead & see what's cooking in my fellow blogger's kitchen Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13


Sending this to Kalyani's 'Serving with Love',Gayatri's 'walk down memory lane' and Kalyani's 'Kitchen Chronicle #6 : Soup it up' hosted by Nupur