Tomato Rasam (Thakkali Rasam)

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Rasams are just delicious South Indian style soups that are purely warming and comforting. Here, on this post, I have shared a terrifically tangy and spicy Tomato Rasam that can be enjoyed over rice or on its own, as a hearty soup. And you don’t need rasam powder, lentils (dal) and tamarind to make this one. It is also a naturally vegan recipe.

tomato rasam in a traditional South Indian container with a spoon placed on top of a white kitchen napkin on the left side on a dark navy blue board.

What’s Special About This Tomato Rasam

Tomato Rasam is a popular South Indian soup-like dish that is not just known for its flavors, but also health benefits and a wholesome choice of dish for any meal.

In fact, it’s often served as a spiced hot drink that helps ease cold/cough symptoms and digestion issues.

Since ‘tomato’ is referred to as ‘thakkali’ in Tamil language, this delish piquant rasam version is also known as Thakkali Rasam.

It is a vegan recipe that features juicy tomatoes, bold spices, and lots of ginger and garlic for extra pungent, wonderfully sour notes in the dish.

Essentially, of the most important ingredients in a rasam preparation is the Rasam Powder.

But like I have mentioned above this recipe of Thakkali Rasam typically doesn’t require any rasam powder in it. There are also no lentils (dal) and tamarind used in this recipe.

While there are many different ways for making a classic Tomato Rasam, this is by far the easiest way to make it from scratch. And, in my opinion, it is the tastiest, too!

This Tomato Rasam or Thakkali Rasam is my mother’s special recipe. It has a more tangyish tomato flavor with a robust taste coming from the spices and herbs. To sum up, it is piquant, tangy with bold and spicy flavors. There’s also a video for this.

The recipe is easy to make and is delectable to enjoy as a soup or with rice. You can also simply choose how spicy you like your rasam.

There are so many ways Tomato Rasam is made in the regional South Indian cuisine. One of our favorites is also this Andhra style Tomato Charu that has the addition of tamarind pulp together with the tomatoes for that extra tang.

Ingredient Essentials

For the Tomato Rasam, we use cumin seeds and black pepper as the main spices. You can increase or decrease the proportion of pepper to adjust with your taste and desired level of spice. Plus, you also obviously require juicy red tomatoes and plenty of herbs.

Other ingredients that are needed are tender coriander stems (cilantro, with or without leaves), ginger and garlic. Again, feel free to use more or less ginger and garlic, depending on how fragrant you want your dish.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Tomato Rasam

Make Herbs & Spice Mixture

1. In a blender or food processor, add ⅓ cup (about a handful) roughly chopped coriander stems (with or without leaves), 7 to 8 medium peeled garlic cloves, and 1 inch peeled and roughly chopped ginger.

garlic cloves, coriander stems with leaves and chopped ginger added in a blender for making thakkali rasam.

2. Add 2 teaspoons cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns.

Feel free to use less or more pepper to taste.

cumin seeds and black peppercorns added to blender for making thakkali rasam.

3. Grind to a coarse paste or semi-fine, but do not puree. Transfer the paste to a bowl or plate and keep aside.

spice and herbs crushed to a coarse paste for making thakkali rasam.

Make Tomato Puree

4. To the same blender, add 3 large ripe and red chopped tomatoes.

You will need 275 grams tomatoes or roughly 1.5 to 1.75 cups chopped tomatoes.

chopped tomatoes added in a blender for making thakkali rasam.

5. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. For a beautiful bright red rasam, you can first blanch the tomatoes and then puree them.

To blanch tomatoes, boil them in a pot of water for 1 to 2 minutes before quickly plunging in a bath of ice water. This stops the cooking process and keeps the tomatoes super red and juicy.

tomatoes blended to a smooth puree for making thakkali rasam.

Fry Spices & Herbs

6. First we need to temper the spices in oil, which means frying the spices in hot oil, so that they release their flavors.

To do the tempering, in a heavy pan or pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil on low flame. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

You can use gingelly oil (made from raw sesame seeds) or sunflower, peanut or any neutral oil.

mustard seeds added to hot oil in pan for making thakkali rasam.

7. Fry the mustard seeds until they begin to crackle.

mustard seeds crackling in oil for making thakkali rasam.

8. Next add ½ teaspoon urad dal.

I have used whole urad dal, but you can even use split and husked lentils.

While the dal adds great texture and taste, feel free to leave it out, if you don’t like or don’t have it.

urad dal added to mustard seeds in the hot oil for making thakkali rasam.

9. Continue to stir often as you fry the urad dal to a golden brown.

urad dal turned golden in hot oil for making thakkali rasam.

10. Add 1 to 2 dried red chilies (halved and seeds removed) and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Turn off the heat, if the pan/pot gets too hot and nearly smokes.

dried red chilies and asafoetida added in the pan for making thakkali rasam.

11. Stir and fry the chilies for few seconds or until they start to lose their red color and become reddish brown.

frying dried red chilies for making thakkali rasam.

12. Add the prepared spice-herb paste to the pan. Again, if the pan is so hot that anything begins to burn, turn off the heat and/or remove the pan from heat.

prepared spice-herb paste added to pan for making thakkali rasam.

13. Now, add 10 to 12 curry leaves (1 sprig curry leaves), whole or chopped.

chopped curry leaves added for making thakkali rasam.

14. Sauté for a minute on low heat, being careful to not burn the spices.

sautéing curry leaves, spices and herbs mixture for making tomato rasam.

15. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder. At this point you could add about ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder if you prefer.

turmeric powder added for making tomato rasam.

16. Stir to thoroughly blend the turmeric powder with the spice mixture.

turmeric powder mixed with the rest of the ingredients.

Make Tomato Rasam

17. Carefully, add the prepared tomato puree. Take care as the tempering mixture splutters when you add the tomato puree in the pan.

prepared tomato puree added to pan.

18. Mix well. The rasam will almost immediately smell amazing.

tomato puree mixed evenly.

19. Continue to stir and simmer for a minute to heat the mixture through.

simmering tomato rasam.

20. Season with salt to taste.

adding salt to tomato rasam.

21. Next, add 1.5 cups water and stir to mix.

If you want a thinner rasam, you can add a splash more water. But I don’t recommend adding too much more, or you risk diluting the delicious flavors of the Thakkali Rasam.

water added and mixed evenly.

22. Increase the temperature to medium-low heat and bring the rasam to a gently boil. Stir again, and reduce the heat back to low or medium-low.

tomato rasam simmering in pan.

23. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

simmering tomato rasam in pan.

24. Switch off the heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Taste, and add more salt, if needed.

chopped coriander leaves added to tomato rasam.

25. Serve Tomato Rasam hot with steamed rice or enjoy as is.

tomato rasam in a traditional South Indian container with a spoon placed on a white doily napkin next to the container on a dark blue board.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Tomato Rasam is best had, when served hot, either like a curry over steamed rice or enjoyed as a bowl of hearty soup. Both ways are great with a side of pappadums or simple toasted bread.

If love to pair your Idli or Medu Vada with rasam, go ahead and pair this Tomato Rasam with these popular snacks.

You can refrigerate any leftovers for a day. Reheat the rasam in a small pot or pan until warm or hot. If you plan to make ahead, then do not add coriander leaves. After you reheat rasam, add the coriander leaves.

Expert Tips

  1. Tomatoes: For the best Tomato Rasam, use fresh, red and ripe tomatoes. You can use any ripe variety of tomatoes in these recipes. For extremely tart tomatoes, you can add some jaggery to balance the sourness.
  2. Lentil: Skip adding the urad dal in the Thakkali Rasam, if you do not have it.
  3. Spices: For a spicy and robust Thakkali Rasam, increase the quantity of whole black peppercorns by adding a total of ½ teaspoon.
  4. Choice of Fat: Traditionally, rasam is made with gingelly oil. It is nothing but wood pressed oil extracted from raw sesame seeds. In a pinch, you can opt to use sunflower oil, peanut oil or any neutral oil.
  5. Gluten free rasam: To make both these rasam varieties gluten free, skip the asafoetida (hing) or use a gluten free asafoetida in the recipes.

More Rasam Recipes To Try!

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Tomato Rasam (Thakkali Rasam)

Tangy and sour Tomato Rasam is a delicious soup-like dish that can be enjoyed over rice or on its own as a hearty soup. This classic Tomato Rasam recipe is vegan as well. It does not include rasam powder, lentils and tamarind.
4.88 from 80 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine South Indian
Course Appetizer, Drinks, Side Dish
Diet Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

For the spice-herb mixture

  • cup coriander stems – with or without leaves
  • 7 to 8 garlic cloves – medium-sized, peeled
  • 1 inch ginger – roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

For tomato puree

  • 1.5 to 1.75 cups tomatoes – chopped, 275 grams or 3 large-sized tomatoes

For making tomato rasam

  • 1 tablespoon oil – gingelly oil (sesame oil made from raw sesame seeds) or sunflower oil or peanut oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds – black
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal – husked, split or husked, whole black gram
  • 1 or 2 dry red chillies – broken and seeds removed
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 10 to 12 curry leaves or 1 sprig of curry leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • salt as needed
  • 1.5 cups water or add as required
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped, (cilantro)

Instructions
 

Making ground spice & herbs mixture

  • Take roughly chopped coriander stems with or without leaves (about a handful of coriander stems) in a blender or mixer jar. Also add the peeled garlic cloves and roughly chopped ginger. 
  • Add cumin seeds and black peppercorns. 
  • Grind to a coarse paste or a semi-fine paste. Remove in a separate bowl or plate.

Making tomato puree

  • In the same blender add the tomatoes (rinsed and chopped). 
  • Grind or blend to a smooth puree. If you want, you can blanch tomatoes and then puree them – for a bright red color in the rasam.

Making tomato rasam

  • In a heavy pan or pot, heat the oil. Keep the flame to its lowest.
  • Add the mustard seed and let them begin to crackle. 
  • When the mustard seeds start to crackle, then add urad dal.
  • Stirring often fry urad dal until they turn golden.
  • Now add the dry red chilies (halved and seeds removed) and 1 pinch asafoetida. In case the pan becomes hot, then switch off the heat.
  • Stir and fry for a few seconds till the red chilies change color.
  • Add the coarsely ground coriander stems+ginger+garlic mixture and curry leaves. If the pan becomes too hot, then you can turn off the heat.
  • Sauté for a minute on lowest heat taking care the mixture does not burn. You will get a nice aroma while sautéing this mixture.
  • Add turmeric powder and mix it with the rest of the mixture.
  • Now add the tomato puree and mix it very well. Take care as the mixture splutters when you add the tomato puree.
  • Sauté for a minute. Season with salt as per taste.
  • Then add 1.5 cups water. If you like a slightly thinner tomato rasam, then you can add some more water. But do not add too much water as the flavors get diluted.
  • Mix well and simmer Thakkali Rasam on medium-low heat until the rasam comes to a simmer.
  • Overall simmer for 9 to 10 minutes.
  • Finally turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander leaves. Check the taste of tomato rasam and add more salt if needed.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve tomato rasam hot, either like a curry over steamed white rice or enjoy as a bowl of hearty soup. Both ways are great with a side of pappadums or a simple toasted bread.

Storage

  • Refrigerate any leftovers for a day. Reheat the rasam in a small pot or pan until warm or hot.
  • If you plan to make ahead the rasam then do not add coriander leaves. After you reheat rasam, add the coriander leaves.

Video

Notes

  • Tomatoes: Tomato rasam is best made with fresh, red, ripe tomatoes. Any variety of red tomatoes work, provided they are ripe.
  • Spices: To make the rasam more spicy and robust, increase the amount of black pepper. Add a total of ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns.
  • Oil: Traditionally Tamil nadu style rasam is made with gingelly oil. Gingelly oil is wood pressed oil extracted from raw sesame seeds. In a pinch sunflower oil, peanut oil or any neutral oil also works well.
  • Urad dal: If you do not have urad dal, then omit adding them.
  • Asafoetida: For a gluten-free rasam do not add asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida. 

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Tomato Rasam (Thakkali Rasam)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 69 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 304mg13%
Potassium 291mg8%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1081IU22%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 29mg145%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 65mg79%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 13µg12%
Calcium 47mg5%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 310µg78%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 20mg5%
Phosphorus 42mg4%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Tomato Rasam recipe from the archives was first published on January 2012. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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199 Comments

  1. Thank you Dassana. Love the way you present the cooking of vegetarian dishes in your blog. I am big fan of your cooking. Me and my family loved the rasam a lot.5 stars

    1. Thanks a lot and so glad to read your comment. Thanks for the rating too on the recipe. Most welcome and happy cooking.

  2. This is absolutely divine !!!! I have tried and made different rasam recipes.. but this one is simply the best and healthy recipes I have come accross. Everyone should try this out. Cheers !!!

  3. Hai sister, the first recipe which I have tried from ur blog is tomato rasam… I have searched for one blog which provides everything what a women should learn and know… From ur blog i have learnt many cooking techniques clearly and am happy to say that ur tomato rasam recipe is my 2 year old daughter’s fav one…. I have also tried ur sambar recipe which came out very well and my family members used to ask me to prepare ur sambar during festivals… Nothing gives me happiness than getting appreciation from my family for my cooking… I love cooking for them… And am fullfilled when they liked it…5 stars

    1. thank you kalpana for this lovely comment. i am glad that your daughter likes the tomato rasam recipe and your family likes the sambar recipe. i agree what you say about the happiness one gets when the family appreciates one’s cooking. it is an inner fulfilment and joy. thanks again and wish you all the best.

  4. Hello Dassana,
    I discovered your blog yesterday and I already want to try several (if it’s not all) recipes.
    I (french) cooked the tomato rasam last night for my husband (indian) and he loved it! It’s easy to make and very good with idli 😉
    Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!5 stars

    1. thank you cecilia for sharing this lovely comment and reviewing the tomato rasam recipe. wish you all the best and happy cooking. you can try any recipe which you want to make.

  5. Dear Dassana,
    This is my first comment on your blog, although I have been cooking with its help for more than three years now. I am commenting on this post because this was the most recent recipe I tried.
    Your blog has been my teacher of Indian vegetarian cooking. I have looked up a lot of dishes I knew of, and wanted to learn how to cook, and also regional dishes that were entirely new to me. Every time, your recipe has been reliable, very detailed and easy to follow, and the dishes always turn out delicious (although as I live abroad now, and don’t have a pressure cooker or access to certain spices like dagarphool, so I do have to improvise).

    So, for that, I have been to write to you, first to thank you, and second, to ask you to please create a cookbook. I would be first to buy 10 copies, one for me and nine to gift friends and family who are a loss for what to cook for everyday meals and for special occasions.

    In case I have missed out on the news that you do already have a cookbook, please let me know!5 stars

    1. thank you very much mia for this lovely comment. felt good and heart warming to read your comment. i am so glad that the detailed step by step recipes are helping you. i do know that certain spices or ingredients are not easily available outside india.

      currently i have been postponing the idea of a cook books. things are just not falling into place. i hope i am able to have a cookbook in future… hopefully… if i write a cookbook then for sure i will update it on the blog as well as on the social media channels like fb, twitter, instagram etc.

      1. I am surprised that publishers are not knocking your door down 🙂 I mean, the text is written, the photos have been shot, and the recipes have been tested and rated by soooo many of us users.

        anyway, I hope stars will align soon, and you find the right time and conditions to put all of your hard work in to a cookbook – or series of them. I am in for the vegetables!

        in the meantime, I will be coming back every week to your blog for guidance.

        1. mia, i have been approached by some publishers. unfortunately things did not fall into place. thanks a lot for your kind wishes. i hope too ????
          sure you can visit the blog when you want to try any recipes. any query please don’t hesitate. you can always ask.

  6. Hi..I prepared this rasam and the flavour was right..but the rasam consistency was not right..it was thick..can u please help me understand what went wrong?…
    I poured enuf water but if I were to pour more water then it wud have lost the flavour and become diluted..I used about 4-5 big tomatoes.

    1. asha, i think more water needed to be added. the rasam consistency is thin and trust me the flavors would have not got lost. if the rasam become too thin or watery, then this will dilute the flavors.

  7. Hi dassana,
    I’m looking forward to try this recipe.. such rave reviews it has got.
    Usually I skip fresh coriander in recipes unless it is indispensable- like here. I know its addition enhances the flavor but here’s the thing- I get storage woes when it comes to fresh coriander. It gets discolored & loses all fragrance if kept in the refrigerator (i keep it in a paper bag). Then, upon washing just before use, it gets very limpy and difficult to chop and all… Do you know a better way to handle it?

    1. thanks ruchi. for coriander, this is what i do. i get it a bunch from the market. pluck the stems and keep them in an air-tight box. keep some space in the box for the leaves to breathe. they stay good for a week. but i do agree at times even i have faced the discoloration in them. i even tried growing coriander at home, but they didn’t grow well. you can try this method and see how it works for you. i use coriander leaves in most of the recipes i make as they are healthy and also help in digestion of food.

  8. Best Rasam Thank you very much for this receipe???????? would be great if there is a vegatable sambar reciepe too which we can have with rice.????5 stars

    1. Welcome Resh. I have shared many sambar recipes. You can use the search icon or search box and find the sambar recipes.

  9. Super taste Dassana. My husband is real fan of this rasam 🙂 Every time I make this tomato rasam he just appreciates it. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe.5 stars

    1. yes you can crush the tomatoes. but then no need to steam them later. once you start the tempering, then add the crushed tomatoes, water and bring the rasam to a simmer.

  10. Dassana, Thank you so much for your hard work. I have enjoyed the taste of India after being introduced to it way back in the late 60’s while in nursing school. One of my classmates was an exchange student and south of India. Her delicious vegetarian meals began a lifelong love affair of ethnic cuisine and a mostly vegetarian diet for over the next 45 years and then the switch to a whole food plant based 8 years ago for the purpose of maintaining my good health in old age. Unfortunately my husband is rather entrenched in the tastes of his childhood but I have been able to adapt his meal portions with spices of Europe, while my portion of the meal are laced with the wonderful savory flavors and colors of traditional Indian cuisine you demonstrate in your recipes. I have adjusted some of the Paneer recipes with the substitution of Tofu as the curd and I was wondering if you might consider including a tab in your index that indicate lower fat or no fat options in your recipes. Again thank you for the love you put into the website, it shows in your recipes. By the way, some people start their day by reviewing their daily schedule, I start mine reviewing you lates recipe post.5 stars

    1. thats a lovely comment gracey. thanks a ton. food is memories and nostalgia too. no wonder we always go back to our old times and roots as far as food is concerned. its good you are on a plant based diet. it really helps and is good for the body too. thanks for the suggestion too. i will try to incorporate it. i already have a tag for low fat recipes. its just low fat and not no fat. but the same recipes can be made without adding any fat. some of them are sweet too, but sweeteners like jaggery or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.

  11. I always make your recipes and they turn out great. Thank you so much for sharing all this online!5 stars

  12. Thanks for this. I made it last night; it was great, and good for my cold. Appreciate your sharing the recipe.4 stars

      1. Thanks! P.S. I Instagrammed the rasam, too. ? What is strange is that there seems to be two vegrecipesofindia on Instagram. I think I’m following you, hope so.

        1. thanks lisa. i will check about the second vegrecipesofindia. i have not been on instagram lately. thanks for letting me know.

  13. I have been looking for a good tomato rasam recipe for a while . Me and my 2 year old daughter loved this . This is a great tomato rasam recipe .thank you !

  14. I dont know how to cook.. at all! But I had today off so I tried this one out. My dad loved it! It was so easy to make and tasted so good. Usually, my mom makes it with puli but I find that a long procedure. Mom said this was even better.
    Thanks so much for posting thins. I came across this through a google search.

    1. thank you sania for the feedback as well as for sharing your experience. glad to know that your parents liked the tomato rasam.

  15. One of the best garlic tomato rasam I had. Such a wonderful taste, you can even have it as soup.4 stars

  16. Awesome recipe:
    My cousin had challenged me that I cannot cook a thing.
    but I took this recipe and followed the recipe exactly,and it was delicious.My family is asking this recipe from me now!
    Thank you soo much!5 stars

  17. Hi,
    This looks delicious! Is it okay to prepare this for children who have a fever? I skimmed through the comments and couldn’t see anything about kids so thought I’d check before making 🙂

    1. this is a spicy version. but this rasam can be made for kids, but just add less spices & herbs like black pepper, ginger, garlic etc.

      1. Hi again,
        I just reduced the number of peppercorns (I used 6) and it was perfect! The kids loved it as they’ve been eating khichdi these past few days 🙂 Thanks!

  18. One of the finest and tastiest rasam. Dad and mom are asking for it every week. Especially when they are not well it is the only thing that they relish. Really can’t thank you enough for sharing.

  19. Hi, as always awesome recipe. i can just blindly follow any recipe of yours without any alterations (I always tweek other recipes to adjust to my palate). My son is a great fan of your recipe too. One doubt, why is that the spices need to be ground coarse and not fine.5 stars

    1. thanks a lot dr anand. in rasam, the spices are usually ground coarse as thus the rasam becomes more flavorful. coarsely ground spices also bring some texture in the rasam. if finely ground, the flavors will be good but the texture is not felt. however for some reason if you want to finely ground, you can do so.

  20. Hi dassana. Delicious and easy recipes. I have tried out many.. Thank u so much. It’s been a great help to me..

    1. yes garlic is an important ingredient in this tomato rasam. without garlic some flavor will be missing.

      1. Simple & easy – can prepare using Pure cow ghee or fresh groundnut / coconut oil is Definitely healthy …any ideas / suggestions …

  21. Soo good. I have tried many of ur recipes. All of them are really good and pretty easy to make. Thank you.4 stars

  22. Really its wonderful recipe for tomato rasam , it is very simple and taste , it helps to make patapat rasam , thanks a lot .

  23. Hi Dassana , I have tried many of Ur recipes and they all r gud !!

    I simply love the way you present step wise along with the pictures…

    Pls keep up the gud work !! 🙂5 stars

  24. Hi amit, your recipes are simply amazing!! I was terrified abt cooking after marriage coz i never tried cooking before. Ur recipes are my saviours!! Simple n delicious!! 🙂 thanx a bunch!! 🙂

    1. welcome anu. thanks for sharing positive feedback. glad to know that the recipes are helping you in cooking.

  25. I have been looking for a good Rasam recipe and this is IT! Thank you SO much for sharing it and for posting the detailed instructions and the photos – they helped a lot.5 stars

  26. Lovely authentic recipes. Very well presented with detailed instructions. I am excited to get started.5 stars

  27. I tried both dal makhni and this tomato-rasam step by step as shown in pictures and really both turned out very well.Thanks Dassana for sharing your talent,i will definetly try other recipes also.5 stars

    1. no issues. urad dal are husked black gram or black lentil. the outer husk has a black color and the inside lentils have an ivory color.

  28. very nice recipes tomato rasam taste of so amazing.
    Thanks for the share recipes.4 stars

  29. i am new to cooking but the rasam turned out to be amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂5 stars

  30. This recipe is really good. Flavour was like fantastic. The only thing i did extra was add a little jaggery, less than half spoon rasam powdr n corriandr pwdr.5 stars

    1. thanks radhika for sharing positive feedback on rasam and also for sharing your variations.

  31. I was looking for a simple rasam recipe and landed at the right place. How much delicious it tasted can be guessed by the fact that my south indian maid was all praises for it and said I made it much better than her.5 stars

  32. hi dasanna, that was nice way instructions. my mom use to prepare and today in her absense i tried these rasam and was happy that i could also prepare this rasam.4 stars

  33. I loved this recipe of yours. I am a mangalorean and always eat non vegetarian dishes specially fish gravies. One day when my fridge was out of fish/meat ,I wanted to try something vegetarian. I thought if making simple rasam and when I googled i found your recipe. Everyone loved it at home and now i make this yummy rasam more often. Thank you

    1. welcome joyleen. good to read this positive feedback from you… considering the fact that you mostly eat non-vegetarian food.

  34. I made this so many many times in the last one month after my husband discovered it on your blog 🙂 Its become one of our family’s favourites! Thanks!

  35. Super recipe.
    I just tried it for one day.Its very easy to do and very tasty.
    Thanks a lot.
    Keep on posting about easy and yummy recipes like this…..
    Congrats5 stars

  36. tried it today and everyone loved it at my place.. thanks a ton!! 🙂
    though i used button red chilies instead 🙂 very easy and yumm

  37. Hello Dassana,

    I happen to have rasam powder at home that I would like to use. How would I adjust your recipe, which seems to be the best one I can find otherwise?

    Thanks so much!
    Lisa

    1. hi lisa, firstly in this recipe there is no need to add rasam powder at all. but if you want to add then, i would suggest to add about 1/2 to 1 tsp without it overpowering the taste of the rasam.

  38. hi, i tried this rasam today and it came out well. But I was scared to put 10 tomatoes! It sounded too much, so I just put 3 big, ripe ones. And it was very good. Thanks :). Loved your photos too!

  39. hi!! i tried ur recipe and it came out really very well!! i had to ask you
    while i was tempering(garlic ginger cumin etc) i got a very nice aroma of karakozhambu!! and wanted to know if it has similar ingredients!! can you post karakozhambu recipe too please 😉 🙂 would definitly love it

    1. thanks janani. kara kuzhambu does not have coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and black pepper for tempering. will add the recipe.

  40. Awesome one .. I really loved it .. will try this recipe soon .. Being from North East . I had no idea how to prepare Rasam .. I googled to get your recipe .. and trust me i am a Foodie and really loved the way you made the Rasam .. will try and update you on the outcome 🙂 Thanks dear.5 stars

      1. Hi Dassana 🙂 I finally got time to make the rasam this Saturday and it came out to be Excellent … I nevr use to try beyond my selected recipe .. But this time all because of your easy and excellent step by step recpie .. I tried and it really worked out and we enjoyed the dish a lot … will make it often from now onwards 🙂 all thanks to you ….5 stars

  41. Thanks for a simple and wonderful recipe. This is really helpful for person like me. I never cooked. I live in SFO , one day decided to try Rasam. This is the best i could make. The highlight is rasam without lentils.

    My thanks to the Author.

    Natarajan Arumugam

  42. hi being a south indian have always known of a rasam with tur dal and imli..but this one was AWESOME!

  43. HI
    I was looking for a rasam reicipe that does not use toor/any dhal. I googled to get your recipe and my mouth watered even as I read it. I shall make this rasam tomorrow. I am confident about making sweet and sour rasam which is slightly spicy. It usually turns out good.
    This particular rasam is good for people how take certain ayurvedic treatments which require food restrictions. Things like dhal, tamarind, red chillies and rasam powders that contain dhal
    need to be avoided for certain types of treatment.
    Thank you.
    Kausalya sankaran

    1. thanks kausalya. i know certain foods are avoided during ayurvedic treatments. do give the feedback.

  44. i tried this tomato rasam and it turned out too good!! since all had cold at home they liked the taste more!! keep posting more recipes mam

  45. dassana for rasam coriander stems are never used during grinding, only leaves shd be used for garnishing and for tadka preferably in ghee add mustard seeds with curry patha no udid dad also that calls for an authentic rasam and you may find this in many south indian homes too.

    1. thanks neela for your feedback. i know the way authentic rasam is made. this recipe is the way my mom makes it and is purely her own innovation. back home this our favorite.

      you can share some of yours’ authentic south indian recipes. would love to try it at home and also post about it. you can mail me at vegrecipesofindiaATgmailDOTcom

  46. Hey Dassana! This is such a beautiful post. Love the addition of cilantro stems. They do give a better, stronger flavor.

  47. I love Rasam, but have never got round to making it at home. so I’ve bookmarked the page for a later date. Thank you 🙂

  48. Hi Dassana,
    Was sure to make this tomato rasam as soon as it hit my mailbox, but finally tried making it today afternoon and it came out yum, too easy and quick, loved it!!

    1. thanks anamika. i am still waiting to get some time off to make the no cook walnut almond laddoos and the dhoklas.

  49. This looks like a delicious way to prepare tomatoes. I’m saving it for the summer — tomatoes should be in in six months.