What is Rasam?
Rasam is a south Indian traditional side dish, prepared almost every other day. It is often referred to a healthy soup that helps in digestion and cools the tummy. The dish is often prepared with lots of tomatoes cooked in spices and curry leaves. Bot sometimes even lentils can be used to make it more filling. On peak summer days, I don’t mind enjoying Rasam as a plain light soup and on cold days, I love it piping hot with a bowl of rice.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF PEAR RASAM
How is Pear Rasam Different?
Pear Rasam is just an addition of bite size pears in the same tomato based rasam. It adds a mild refreshing sweet taste to the rasam. I add the pear right at the end, so it adds the taste and remains chunky instead of turning into a mush.
What kind of pear can be used?
Any variety ripe pear that is soft but too soft will work. Don’t discard the peel unless you absolutely want to. I used bosc and red pears.
Can you make this rasam with dal?
Adding lentil/dal makes the rasam filling and it can be enjoyed not only as a side dish with rice, but also as a soup. Rasam is a great meal for days when you catch cold. Typically, toor daal (Yellow split Pigeon peas) is used to prepare rasam with dal. The spices help to elevate your tastebud and help you feel better. If you wish to use lentil for this pear rasam recipe, then add the boiled lentils along with the sliced pears and cook for a while for everything to incorporate and the flavors to blend.
Rasam Powder
You can use store bought rasam powder for a quick fix. But for the best robust flavor, I will highly recommend making a fresh batch at home. Here is how you make it: Dry roast toor dal and keep aside. Then to the same pan add the dry red chili and dry roast and take it off. Then in goes coriander seeds, black pepper, cumin seeds, methi (fenugreek seeds). Once cooled, just grind into a fine powder. Some even likes to add dry roasted curry leaves to the powder. I avoid that step and instead add a lot of fresh curry leaves while making rasam.
What other ingredients needed to prepare Pear Rasam ?
Apart from Rasam powder, you will need
TomatoesPearsGarlicAsafoetida (hing)TurmericBlack mustard seedstamarindCilantro leavesCurry leaves
Once you have the rasam powder ready, making this spicy soup is super easy and quick. Depending on how you want to serve this pear rasam, you can keep the consistency very soupy or concentrated with texture.
Enjoy it with rice or idli or enjoy as soup with some roasted papadum.
