Coconut milk and lentil rasam from Andhra Pradesh

I have become fascinated by rasam recently, and my cookbooks have a variety of them from different states in India. They vary tremendously in flavour, texture and composition, but they are all delicious. Rasams have the advantage of being the first type of "nutritional shot" because they are loaded with healthy spices and herbs and are light and nutritious. So far I have made a traditional Black pepper rasam from Tamil Nadu, a Lentil and tamarind rasam from Karnataka and a Ginger rasam from Kerala.

This is a bold rasam that is a bit thicker than the regular rasams. The mashed toor dal adds a wonderful texture, and it is infused with coconut, which makes it very luxurious. The green chillies and spices add a wonderful pop of flavour that make you want more. I serve this rasam as an aperitif before dinner, and it opens the palate and appetite of my guests.

This is another cookbook from Chandra Padmanabhan that I adore. The recipes vary across India's southern states, and each turns out very well. Like this one, the recipes are authentic and wonderfully flavoured. This cookbook is for those who want to go beyond the ordinary and enjoy very localized cuisines from the South.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cup toor dal

5 cups water

Salt, to taste

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup shallots, finely minced

1-2 green chillies, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Salt, to taste

Lime juice, to taste

To temper:

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

5-6 curry leaves

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

Pinch of asafoetida

Cilantro to garnish

Boil the toor dal with salt and water until very well cooked in a pressure cooker or Instapot (45 minutes is fine). The dal should be broken down. Cool and purée the dal in a small blender or with a hand blender.

Add the coconut milk, shallots, green chillies, ginger, and turmeric and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes till the shallots are translucent, and the ginger no longer tastes raw. Add water if needed.

Take off the heat and bring the consistency of a very light soup. Taste and adjust salt and spice.

To temper, heat the oil in a small pot and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Fry on medium heat until the mustard seeds pop, about 20 seconds. Add the garlic and cook until it is light golden. Add the curry leaves, chili powder, and asafoetida, and take off the heat immediately. Pour over the rasam. Mix in well.

Serve hot in glasses topped with the cilantro garnish.