Tellicherry black pepper and cumin rasam
- kzafarullah
- Jul 10, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 2
Rasam, which literally means pepper water, is the originator of the famed mulligatawny soup, but that history is for another blog. Rasams are light soups, clear but yet popping with flavors: sour from limes or tamarind, herbal from cilantro, garlicky, spicy, as in this case, from black pepper, and always earthy from the other spices.
I make it a point to use Tellicherry peppercorns for this recipe. These peppercorns have a pungent heat but are aromatic and beautifully scented. In addition, I use the whole peppercorns for this recipe, not the powder. I toast the peppercorns lightly to release the essential oils and flavours and then grind them fresh. It does make a difference.
This super simple rasam embodies the essence of this dish. It is light and soupy but packing a punch. The tamarind is tart, the pepper is spicy, and the other spices add an aromatic earthiness to the soup. You can serve this as an aperitif to open up your palate before a meal or as an appetizer with idlis.
This is again one of the first cookbooks that I bought about 30 years ago, I was craving good South Indian cuisine when I moved to Philadelphia for my degree. We have cooked through most of the recipes in this cookbook, each one delicious, it helped us remember our lives in India while we assimilated in the US. This cookbook is always the first to come out when we crave this cuisine, and of course, it led me to get every other cookbook written by Chandra Padmanabhan.
for more recipes from this cookbook, click here.



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon black peppercorns; Tellicherry peppercorns are strongly preferred
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons pigeon peas (toor dal)
2 dried red chilies
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
3-4 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 dried red chillies
20 curry leaves
3-4 tablespoons tamarind paste
salt, to taste
8-10 cups water
Dry roast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, toor dal, and dried red chillies individually until lightly toasted and aromatic. Cool, and powder with the asafoetida powder in a coffee mill. Pulse for some time to get a very fine powder. Set aside.
In a large stock pot, heat the ghee on a low flame. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chiles, and curry leaves in order and sauté for about 1 minute until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the spice powder and continue to sauté for an additional 30-40 seconds until the powder is cooked and fried.
Add the tamarind paste and sauté for one minute, mixing it with the other ingredients well. Add the water and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. The rasam should be spicy and tart, with the fieriness from the black peppercorns dominant.
Serve hot as an aperitif or with idlis.