Here's my rasam recipe. You have to make the rasam powder first. It is wonderful, it is simple. and the powder can be kept for months.

Ingredients:
One measure each of Dhania (coriander) and dried red chillies
Half measure each of jeera (cumin) and mustard
Quarter measure each of methi (fenugreek seeds) and peppercorns

Procedure:
Roast everything together in a kadai. You will know when to stop because it all starts smelling wonderful. Just before you turn off the heat, add curry leaves and some hing (asafoetida). Cool completely and give the mixture a few turns in the mixie/grinder. Store in an airtight container.
By the way, in case you are planning to make a gift of the rasam powder to someone make sure you put a piece of gurh (jaggery) in it. Absolute must, says amma. It is a sweet gesture when you are gifrting someone something so spicy.

Okay. The recipe for rasam.

Boil toovar dal/ arhar dal (say about a cupful). Separately, soak a lime-sized ball of imli (tamarind) and a dash of jaggery. Mash the cooked dal (if my mom is not around, I often add a couple of cloves of garlic while cooking the dal). Add the tamaind and jaggery solution, salt. Add about two and a half to three tsps of the rasam powder and put it all to boil. If you want, you could also add tomato puree to it (purists may not like that verymuch) . Boil on low heat . Temper in ghee with mustard and hing and curry leaves. Garnish with fresh green coriander.

You can serve ti as a soup on cold rainy days. Or, you could dunk vadaas into it and make it into a main course dish - rasa vadaa. Grilled tomatoes also taste wonderful with some of the rasam powder sprinkled on it, before you put it on buttered toast.

Let me know what you think. If at all there is someone reading this.