All You Need To Know About Rasam - The Healing Potion

It’s winter, the air is chilling and the floor is freezing. You are bedridden with the flu. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing you wait for relief from the torment of nature. In comes Grandma with a bowl in hand. The air is filled with the smell of pepper, garlic, and coriander. The whiffs of hot, steaming Rasam makes you get upright. Grandma waits for the Rasam to cool down a bit and then hands it over. One sip and you suddenly start coughing even more. But after a few more sips the warm Rasam soothes the throat, caressing it as it glides down. The heavy dose of pepper does its trick and relieves you of all the illness.

Whatever you call it - Rasam, Charu or Saaru this South Indian broth is an all-rounder. It comforts you with its savory flavors, encourages digestion and drains out a lot of ailments.

The ingredients that make up the Rasam are mainly spices, herbs, and aromatics. This makes it rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The optional addition of paruppu thanni or lentil stock makes it even more nutritionally dense.

Benefits of Rasam 

Rasam is a traditional South Indian dish with so many benefits attributed to it, in addition to its fabulous taste.

• It has amazing digestive properties 

All the ingredients that go into the preparation of Rasam like pepper, tamarind, tomato etc. have categorical benefits when it comes to wholesome health benefits. The antioxidants present in rasam have exceptional benefits for your digestive health and enable you to get rid of gas, flatulence etc. 

• It is packed with essential nutrients

Rasam is a very wholesome food and it is rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, riboflavin, folic acid, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc. In addition to that, rasam has also been attributed to have potent benefits that can help you in fighting cancer. (1)

• It is perfect for weight watchers

Since black pepper is an imperative ingredient in rasam, it can Gretzky help in stimulating your metabolism and therefore help in burning more calories. In addition to that, rasam is a healthy yet low calorie food which makes it perfect for weight watchers. 

• It has outstanding regenerative properties 

By virtue of its amazing nutritive qualities, rasam is an ideal food for someone who is on a path towards recovery after illness. It will make one feel rejuvenated by supplying the necessary vitamins that are required by your body to recuperate.

• It is appropriate for babies and toddlers 

If you have been struggling to find the perfect transition food for your baby to help him shift to solids. This is healthy, easy to consume and digest and hence it is amongst the best first foods for babies. 

• It is a very versatile dish 

You can make your Rasam as nutritious as you like by adding vegetables and lentils of your choice. Moreover, Rasam is rather easy to make which makes ‘goodness in a bowl’ a perfect definition for this dish. 

Every Rasam starts with a Rasam Podi which consists of a mix of toasted spices like coriander, cumin, pepper, and chillis. The spices are ratioed according to preference. In general, coriander is used in large amounts which gives the Rasam its signature aroma and taste. Tamarind and/or tomato pulp is dissolved in water to form the base of the Rasam. A tempering of shallots, garlic, curry leaves etc is mixed in with the base. The Rasam Podi is added in and some prefer adding asafoetida or hing as well. In certain cultures, the Rasam is made in an Eeya Chombu or a Tin vessel. The practice is followed as tin is a metal which does not react with the acid in the Rasam, unlike other metals.

Everyone has their preferred way of enjoying Rasam. Some mix it in with rice and some finish their meal with a bowl of Rasam. You even have Rasam Vadai and Rasam Idli. There are also a lot of flavors of Rasam. Depending on additional add-ins you have Garlic Rasam, Pepper Rasam, Lemon Rasam, and even Thuthuvalai Rasam made with Thudhuvalai leaves. This special type of Rasam is known to give any kind of Rasam a kick in the back.

We at Sweet Karam Coffee love holding on to our rich heritage. Our traditional Rasam Podi is handcrafted with a special recipe that will add life to your meals. We also have tons of Appalam varieties that will go amazingly well with the Rasam and some rice. So go ahead order in from Sweet Karam Coffee and feel right at home wherever you are!