Lemon Rasam

Today, for the second day of Marathon, i choose Lemon Rasam. As a kid, i wasn't fond of Rasam.. strange right! I was okie with Paruppu Rasam but i would run if i saw rasam rice, in fact rice for that matter.. i preferred tiffins :).. Over a period of time, i have developed a taste..rather a strong taste for rice based items and i am in love with sathamudhu saadham :)..Learnt this mild tasting rasam from my periamma.. What i love about this rasam is, its tangy twist..yup! the lemon adds the zings & gives a very different distinct flavor!

Ingredients
1. Toor dal water - 2 cups
2. Water - 1 cup
2. Tomatoes - 2
3. Mint Leaves - 1 sprig
4. Cilantro - a handful
5. Ginger - 1'' inch
6. Hing - a pinch
7. Rasam powder - 1/2 -1 tsp
8. Green Chillies - 2-3
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Lemon - 1
11. Salt - to taste


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


Preparation Time!!
1a. Pressure cook 2-3 tbsp of toor dal with enough water upto 4 whistles. Once the steam cool, remove and mash the dal. Use this dal, along with the water for the rasam
2. Take this toor dal water, add another cup of plain water, add finely chopped tomatoes, mint leaves, cilantro, ginger, hing, rasam powder, green chillies and salt in a vessel
3. Boil till the tomatoes are cooked and then remove from the flame
4. To this, add the juice squeezed of a lemon ( Use 1 small lemon completely, removing the seeds)
5. In a pan, add ghee and once warm, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add this to the rasam and garnish with a little cilantro


Serve hot with rice and karamedu.. You could enjoy it plain in a cup too :)


Pointers
1. You could use Moong dal water too instead of Toor dal 
2. Remove the rasam of flame and then add the lemon juice. Don't add it & continue boiling!


Serving : 2-3 people
Duration : 20-30 minutes*


The easy way out is to collect some dal and dal water, when you keep dal for making sambhar or roz ki dal. You could even refrigerate it and use the dal next day also for making rasam!


Check out what's cooking in my fellow blogger's kitchenBlogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13