Kollu rasam (கொள்ளு ரசம்)

A warming rasam, traditional for cold and rainy days. Horse gram is rich in protein and iron

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup kollu (horse gram)
• 1 tomato
• Lemon-sized ball of tamarind
• 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cumin and 4 garlic cloves
• Mustard, curry leaves and coriander
• Salt, 1 tsp oil or ghee

Method

1. Soak the kollu overnight and pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 6–7 whistles.
2. Strain and keep the cooking water; coarsely crush the pepper, cumin and garlic.
3. Boil the tamarind water with tomato, salt and the crushed spices for 5 minutes.
4. Add the kollu water and a spoon of mashed kollu; take off the heat when it froths — do not boil hard.
5. Temper mustard and curry leaves, add coriander and serve with rice or as a soup.

Buy the ingredients

• Kollu (horsegram)