Rasam (dish)

Rasam
Alternative namesThili saaru, saatramudhu, chaaru, chaatambde
Place of originIndia
Region or stateTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientskokum, kadam, jaggery, tamarind, tomato, lentil

Rasam, (Tamil: ரசம்) Thili saaru (Kannada), chaaru (Telugu), chaatambde or saatramudhu (Tamil: சாற்றமுது) is a spicy South Indian soup-like dish. It is usually served as a side dish with rice. In a traditional South Indian meal, it is part of a course that includes sambar rice. Rasam has a distinct taste in comparison to sambar due to its own seasoning ingredients and is watery in consistency. Chilled prepared versions are marketed commercially as well as rasam paste in bottles.

An Anglo-Indian variety of rasam is the soup-like dish mulligatawny whose name is derived from the Tamil word milagu thanni.

Origin

Rasam with various garnishes

Rasam in Tamil and Malayalam, Thili sāru in Kannada (Kannada script: ತಿಳಿ ಸಾರು), Thili means watery, Saaru means curry/stew, chāru (చారు) in Telugu means "essence" and, by extension, "juice" or "soup". In South Indian households rasam commonly refers to a soupy dish prepared with a sweet-sour stock made from either kokum or tamarind, along with tomato and lentil, added spices and garnish.

The name rasam is derived from Sanskrit रस; transliterated: rása, meaning sap, juice, or essence. The Sanskrit word also yielded the English word rasa, in the aesthetic sense.

Ingredients

Rasam is prepared mainly with a tart base such as kokum, malabar tamarind (kudam puli), tamarind, vate huli (vate huli powder), ambula or amchur (dried green mango) stock depending on the region. A dal or lentil stock (for rasam, the typical dal used is split yellow pigeon peas or mung beans) is optional but is used in several rasam recipes. Jaggery, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, tomato, lemon, mustard seeds, chilli powder, curry leaves, garlic, shallots and coriander leaves may be used as flavoring ingredients and garnish in South India.

Types

Rasam

Different kinds of rasam are listed below with their main ingredients.

  • Baellae sāru – pigeon pea lentil
  • Bassāru/kattu sāru – boiled vegetables/greens/lentils
  • Beetroot rasam
  • Black pepper sāru – black pepper (karimenasu in Kannada)
  • Elumichai rasam – lemon juice
  • Hesaru kālu sāru – green gram
  • Huruli sāru - made from horsegram (kudu in Tulu)
  • Inji rasam – ginger
  • Jīraga rasam – cumin
  • Kandathippili rasam – greens
  • Kattu sāru – Togari bele and Byadgi chillies
  • Kaḍalai rasam – black chickpeas
  • Kattina sāru – jaggery
  • Killu Milagai saatramudhu - dry red chilli
  • Koẕi rasam – chicken
  • Mudakathān rasam – balloon vine
  • Māngā rasam – raw or semi-ripe mango
  • Murungai pū rasam – drumstick flower
  • Miḷagu rasam (mulligatawny) – black pepper
  • Mysore rasam – fried lentils
  • Nellikkāi rasam – Indian gooseberry
  • Panasa tona charu - jackfruit (ripe)
  • Puḷi rasam – kokum or tamarind extract
  • Paruppu rasam/pappu sāru – pulses and tomato stock
  • Pūndu rasam – garlic
  • Tili sāru – sieving water from plain rice
  • Thakkāḷi rasam – tomato puree
  • Vēpam pū rasam – neem flower
  • Venkāya rasam – eggplant

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rasam - Recipes, Food & Drink - The Independent". Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "NRN-funded startup to retail rasam, sattu in packs". The Times Of India. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Mulligatawny soup, meatball curry and more: The hybrid culinary inventions of Anglo-Indians". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Kitchen, Hebbars (20 December 2019). "thili saaru recipe | karnataka style instant tomato rasam | dal rasam". Hebbar's Kitchen. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  5. ↑ Aruna (6 February 2013). "Chaaru (Andhra Rasam) - 1". ãhãram. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  6. ↑ "Tomato rasam/ Tomato Thili Saaru". Ruchii. 24 September 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  7. ↑ "Nursing Mother Foods-black-pepper rasam recipe". Udupi-recipes. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Horsegram Rasam, Huruli Saaru, Kudu Saaru recipe". Udupi-recipes. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  9. ↑ "Tovve, Kattu Saaru, Dal recipe". Udupi-recipes. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "Mysore Rasam Recipe, Mysore Soup, Mysore Charu, Yogari Bele Saaru, Mysore Sathamudhu, Mysore Dal Tamarind Curry, Mysore Saru, Mysore Chaaru, Mysore Lentil Soup". Rasam.co.in. Retrieved 18 January 2014.