Garlic (Poondu) Rasam: Medicinal South Indian Side Dish

In South India medicine is considered as food and food is consumed as medicine. Garlic is the well known medicinal herb. In Tamil it is called Poondu. It will appear white in color. It is a kind of onion like herb.
Garlic (Poondu) rasam is one such medicinated rasam often prepared in the households in Tamil Nadu. It is very good for common cold, sore throat, loss of appetite, indigestion, and flatulence. Sometimes the Siddha physicians ask the patient to eat plain rice and Garlic (Poondu) rasam alone for lunch and dinner.
Ingredients

Rasam Powder Ingredients

• Channa Dhal (Kadalai paruppu) – four tablespoon
• Dhania seeds – Two tablespoon
• Cumin seeds (Jeeragam) – One tablespoon
• Black Pepper – Two tablespoon
• Red chilies – Six to Eight
• Toor Dall – 1 tablespoon

Rasam Ingredients

• Asfoetida – ¼ Teaspoon
• Coriander leaves – One stalk
• Cumin seeds – One Teaspoon
• Curry leaves – One stalk chopped
• Garlic – 8 – 10 pods
• Hing – One small piece
• Mustard – One teaspoon
• Oil or Ghee – One teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Tamarind extract – collected from the lemon sized tamarind ball

Method

1. Pressure cook toor dal and keep aside
2. Roast all the Rasam Powder ingredients and keep it aside. Once cool grind the ingredients into coarse powder.
3. Soak tamarind in 2-1/2 cups of water till the pulp gets softened. Once soft squeeze tamarind extract to a thick consistency. Filter it in a sieve and keep it aside.
4. Now boil this liquid till the raw smell of the tamarind juice gets vanished
5. Fry garlic in oil/ghee and add it in the beginning itself. The garlic pods will get boiled well.
6. Add salt , asafoetida grinded Rasam powder ingredients and curry leaves to the tamarind juice and boil for three minutes.
7. Grind cumin seeds with water into paste and add this paste.
8. Add the water and let it boil under sim flame for one or two minutes.
9. Once it boils with bubbles remove the vessel from the stove.
10. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter and add some chopped coriander and curry leaves
11. Now your hot steaming Black Pepper rasam ready.
12. Serve it hot with steaming plain white rice. You may also serve rasam in cups. It will cure all digestive and cold problems. You will feel the relief on the same day.