MIL's Simple Tomato Rasam (Thin Tomato Soup or Pepper water)

No two rasams are the same. Isn't it true that the rasam your mother makes is very different from what your MILs makes? Why? even your mother's could be different from your grandmother's although the methods are pretty much the same. A slight variation in the amount of pepper, tamarind water or even the sourness of the tomatoes all have an effect on the taste of the rasam.

I became pro-rasam from being anti-rasam only after coming here. At a friend's house, her mother had made the most delicious rasam. I pestered her for the recipe and wondered where the deep red color came from. I tried all the ideas she had given me from using canned tomatoes to the quantity of tamarind pulp. Nothing from my trials came close to that taste though.

I already have a recipe which is different from how my MIL makes rasam. Here is my MIL's way of making rasam. This rasam does not have dal water.

Simple Rasam
Ingredients
1. 2 Tomatoes
2. 1 cup of dal water (the water extracted from cooked toor dal)
3. 1 cup of tamarind extract from a small grape tomato (about 3/4 inch in diameter) sized piece of tamarind
4. 1/2 - 1 tbsp cumin,coriander and pepper powder (roughly powder the cumin,coriander and pepper)
5. 3-4 slit red chilies
6. 1 tbsp chopped onions
7. 2-3 garlic cloves pounded
8. seasonings: curry leaves, mustard and asfoetida
9. a few sprigs of coriander leaves
Method
1. In a sauce pan add a cup of water, slice the tomatoes into 2 and add them to the water and let them cook for 3-4 minutes after the water comes to a boil. Let cool.
2. With your hand pulp the cooked tomato, add in the tamarind water, dal water and
pounded garlic cloves. Add in the cumin, pepper powder and coriander powder
3. In a pan heat a tsp of oil, add in the asfoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
4. When the mustard seeds start to pop add the onions and saute till they start to turn pink
5. Add the tomato tamarind water and salt and let it come to a boil. Add the chopped coriander leaves and switch off the heat.

Good as a soup or with rice with some crisps.