Rasam Powder

The Rasam Powder is the key ingredient in any type of Rasam. This is the spice mix that lends its taste to rasam. The powder is available in stores under different brands. Each one will have a different taste based on the type of recipe they follow. Different parts of India follow different variations of this powder.The recipe I have posted below is the one followed by my mom. This will give you a typical 'Tambram' taste in your rasam. 

You can increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients in the recipe depending on your taste buds. 

Ingredients:

• Corriander Seeds or Dhaniya - 3 cups
• Pepper - 3/4 cup
• Dried red chillies - 2 cups
• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds or Jeera - 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 cup
• Curry Leaves - 1 handful
• Dry Turmeric - 1 piece (or turmeric powder - 1 tsp) - This is optional

Method:

1. Dry roast all these ingredients one by one separately. You can roast them till they red. But ensure they do not get burnt. (No need to roast turmeric)
2. Once the roasted ingredients have cooled down, powder them together into a fine powder. You can use your mixie at home for smaller quantities or take it to a flour mill. If grinding at home, sieve the powder once or twice to ensure that big particles are removed. You can also re-grind the coarse particles to get a fine powder.
3. Allow the ground powder to cool before storing it in an air tight container. These powders can be stored for a few months and used when needed. Ensure that the powder is not exposed to any moisture.

If required, you can also take very small quantities of the ingredients and make this powder just before making rasam. You can also grind these ingredients with tomatoes while making the rasam. That will give a fresh and different flavour than the regular rasam.