Kerala recipe · Serves 4 · About 20 minutes

Pepper rasam (കുരുമുളക് രസം)

A thin, peppery rasam for rice or to drink warm from a cup. Crush the pepper just before you make it.

Spices used: Whole black pepper · Coriander powder

Ingredients

1 tsp whole black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 garlic cloves
Lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water (or 1 tbsp tamarind paste)
1 tomato, chopped
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
2 cups water
Salt to taste
1 tsp ghee or oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 dried red chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
Coriander leaves to finish

Crush the black pepper, cumin and garlic coarsely in a mortar or a quick pulse in a mixer.
Squeeze the tamarind into its water and strain. Boil it with the tomato, turmeric and salt for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed pepper mix, the coriander powder and the 2 cups of water. Heat until it turns frothy; do not let it boil hard.
Heat the ghee, splutter the mustard seeds, add the dried chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida, and pour over the rasam.
Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot.