Dideer Saaru | Quick & Easy Rasam | Instant Rasam

This is a very old post from 2008. Though it was in my blog, I used to get recipe requests for instant rasam or quick tomato rasam. Also, I was not happy that it had not reached many readers.  Hence, thought of reposting it with new pictures & very minor changes!

This is a very quick, different rasam that can be prepared in minutes & doesn't require much ingredients. It doesn't need dal too :))

Dideer is a Kannada word & it translates to "quick" & saaru is "rasam/soup"

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato
• 3-4 curry leaves, chopped
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp rasam powder,
• 1 tbsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen)
• 1/2 tsp thick tamarind paste
• jaggery (optional)
• salt according to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• pinch of asafoetida

For tempering:

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ghee/clarified butter, a must! (See notes, if you are a vegan!)
• 2 curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida

Method:
Cut the tomato into 4 big pieces.
Add a cup of water to a sauce pan. Add the tomatoes, green chilli & boil for 5-7 mins. Turn off the heat & add the tamarind paste.
Let the tomatoes cool. Drain the water from the cooked tomato. Preserve the water for making the rasam
Put the cooked tomato, green chilli, tamarind paste, coconut to a blender jar/food processor & make a puree out of it.
Add the preserved water & the puree to a sauce pan.
Add more water (around 1.5 cups, approximately) to the sauce pan.
Turn the heat to medium-high.
Throw in the salt, coriander leaves, curry leaves, jaggery, asafoetida, rasam powder to the sauce pan & bring them to a boil. Your kitchen would smell amazing in 7-10 mins.
 Prepare the tempering. In a small saute pan, heat ghee; when oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Take care not to burn the mustard seeds.
When curry leaves wilt, turn off the heat & add the asafoetida.
Immediately pour the tempering over the rasam & cover the rasam with a lid. (See notes below!)
Rasam is ready to be served. Have it with rice & papad/chips.

Notes:

• Covering the rasam after the tempering is poured over it is very important. The aroma of the tempering will be caught inside the rasam & rasam will be nicely flavored .
• I again emphasize the use of ghee/clarified butter for tempering. But, if you are a vegan, extra virgin coconut oil is a great alternative.