This is a delicious, vegan, and comforting rasam made with tomatoes and za'atar, a well known Mediterranean spice blend. This is great to be served with cooked grains and veggies, and it is also an amazing choice to sip when the weather is cold.
Za'atar is a Mediterranean spice mixture that has herbs with sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Thyme, oregano, and marjoram are used commonly and it varies from region to region. Rasam is a spiced broth with spices and herbs. Cumin and pepper are mostly used traditionally with some usage of coriander. Rasam powder has these spices along with red chilies and dal. So, the herb and spice blend za'atar sounds perfect to use in a rasam.
This rasam is a quick one based on tomatoes. If you have cooked dal, this rasam will be ready in ten minutes. Prep work is also less. All you need is the Pepper Cumin powder and za'atar along with turmeric and asafetida. The herbs in za'atar will give a hint of Herb and Hemp Rasam, and the sesame seeds give a little crunch and at the same time the flavors resemble the Ellu Rasam. In total, this is an amazing rasam and it is guaranteed that when you set this on the table, the pot will be empty. No leftovers!
Tomatoes are the base of the rasam. It is good to use tart tomatoes for the perfect flavor balance in this rasam. In case you do not have tomatoes, tamarind extract can be used.
Coconut oil is used for tempering, any oil can be used. Coconut, sesame, herbs kind of blend well and I chose to do the tempering with it. If a vegetarian version is preferred, ghee can be used.
This is my final share for the theme "A-Z Rasam Recipes" for the blogging Marathon. This rasam with za'atar is the perfect share to end the theme. Below are the links to the delicious rasam recipes that I would highly recommend you to try.
R - Rhubarb Rasam
S - Sprouts Rasam
T - Tomatillo Rasam
V - Vetrilai Rasam
W - Wheatgrass Rasam
Y - Yuzu Miso Rasam
Ingredients
Tomatoes - 1.5 cups, chopped
Water - 2 and 1/4 cups
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Pepper cumin powder - 1.5 tsp
Asafetida -1/8 tsp
Za'atar - 1.5-2 tsp
Toor dal - 1 tbsp
For Tempering
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Dried red chili - 1, torn
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Method
Pressure cook the dal with quarter cup water and a pinch of turmeric, mash, and set aside.
Puree the tomatoes with a cup of water.
To a soup pot, add the tomato puree, turmeric, and asafetida, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the pepper cumin powder, salt, and remaining cup of water.
When it begins to boil, remove from the flame.
Sprinkle the za'atar on top.
Heat oil in a pan, add the red chilies, and mustard seeds. When it splutters add cumin followed by asafetida and curry leaves. Fry for 30seconds. Add it to the rasam.
Sprinkle with extra za'atar, and serve with cooked grains and veggies.
Rajani says
I am definitely going to try this rasam, love the flavor fusion here..
Rajani says
I am definitely going to try this rasam, love the flavor fusion here..
Rajani says
I am definitely going to try this rasam, love the flavor fusion here..
Rajani says
I am definitely going to try this rasam, love the flavor fusion here..
Rafeeda AR says
I am a huge fan of anything zaatar. That rasam sounds just so flavorful...
Rafeeda AR says
I am a huge fan of anything zaatar. That rasam sounds just so flavorful...
Rafeeda AR says
I am a huge fan of anything zaatar. That rasam sounds just so flavorful...