Pepper Rasam

Pepper rasam is a perfect home-made medicine for any weather. It is a natural decongestant, aids digestion and improves appetite. It is an excellent accompaniment for rice, and can even be had as a soup.
When I was in school, I 'inaugurated' my very first recipe diary with this recipe. After all, good things need to go in first isnt't it !!!
Humble though it may be, the taste and resulting benefits of this simple rasam are almost incomparable.

                                                                PEPPER RASAM

Ingredients :

Sabut Kali Mirch (Black peppercorns) - 1 1/2 tsps
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chili - 1
Curry leaves - a few
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Tamarind - a lemon sized portion
Salt to taste
Tempering :
Ghee - 1 tsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method :

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for about 10 minutes and extract as much juice from it as possible using enough water to make 2 cups.

2. Soak jeera and toor dal in a little water for about 5 minutes. This will make them tender and easy to grind.Then blend in a mixer along with the pepper corns and curry leaves using a little water to make a fine paste.

3. Cook the tamarind extract on a low flame and add salt to taste. Once the raw aroma leaves the juice (roughly after 10 minutes), add the ground paste and stir well.

4. Now add water to adjust consistency and the spiciness as desired. Take care not to add too much water so as to take away the natural spiciness factor. Remember, we need this rasam to be a decongestant and not a bland soup!!!  Let cook for 5 more minutes. Check for salt and remove from the fire.

5. Prepare tempering by heating the ghee. Add rai and once it splutters toss in the curry leaves. Fry for a bit and pour over the rasam.
Serve as desired.