Rasam and rice are our favorite food combinations. With my South Indian roots, a rasam-rice combination is always a comfort food. So, rasam is one of those dishes that I often make at home. This Garlic Rasam, locally known as Pundu Rasam, is one of the variations I make. It is a spicy, tangy rasam with a tempering of garlic, herbs and spices.
About Garlic Rasam
Garlic rasam is one of the popular rasam variations in South India. This garam and garlic version is traditionally known as pundu rasam in Tamil Nadu cuisine. Apparently, ‘Garlic’ is called ‘Pundu or Puntu’ in Tamil.
A classic rasam is primarily a thin and clear soup like preparation, made in a South Indian style. The basic ingredients that make up a portion of any rasam are usually spices, some lentils, tomatoes and tamarind. The use of tamarind gives a significant tang to a rasam.
Same goes for this pundu rasam. One of the primary ingredients in this recipe is tamarind, the pulp of which is added to the liquid base for a simple flavor.
Also, other ingredients that are added to this garlic juice are of course garlic, black pepper, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, tomatoes, turmeric powder, hing (asafoetida) and coriander leaves. .
As I mentioned earlier, there is a tamarind pulp that is added to the recipe. I like to make my own tamarind pulp at home by soaking seedless tamarind in hot water and then straining the extract into the water.
If you don’t have time, you can even use prepared tamarind pulp. In that case, be careful with the quantity as you don’t want your pundu rasam to turn out too sour.
I also use sesame oil for tempering this garlic rasam. If you don’t have this particular oil, you can use any neutral flavored oil for this rasam recipe.
I regularly make this pundu rasam as well as many other rasams. Especially, when the weather is rainy or during cold winters, Rasmus is a hot favorite for everyone in my house.
This garlic rasam or any other rasam is a great home remedy for cough and cold. So, a rasam is a default choice for such days as well. I also make rasam on those days, when I want to make a quick, spicy and easy meal with rice.
This pundu rasam does not use ready-made rasam powder and cooked dal (lentils). The coarse spice mix that is a part of this recipe is what’s in the dish, in place of the rasam powder.
With this garlic rasam, I usually serve steamed rice, a veggie roast or any veggie poriyal like carrot poriyal or beetroot poriyal. But steamed rice and rasam are both such a comfort food that you may not need any side dishes. You can even drink it plain as a soup.
Step by step guide
How to make Garlic Rasam
Make tamarind pulp
1. Heat ½ cup of water and soak 1 tablespoon of tightly packed seedless tamarind. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, strain the softened tamarind very well in water. Keep this tamarind pulp aside.
Make the rasam masala mixture
3. While the tamarind is soaking, in a small dry grinder or spice grinder add 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves and 2 dry red chillies (broken and chopped).
4. Grind to a coarse mixture. Keep aside.
5. Lightly crush 8 to 10 medium garlic cloves, peeled or unpeeled.
Make the garlic rasam
6. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a pan or pot. Add half teaspoon mustard and half teaspoon urad dal.
7. Fry on low flame till the mustard seeds burst and the urad dal turns a maroon color.
8. Then, add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chillies and crushed garlic.
9. Saute the garlic on low heat till it turns light brown.
10. Then, add 1 small to medium chopped or crushed tomato, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (asafoetida).
11. Stir and fry the tomatoes on medium-low heat until soft.
12. Add the prepared rasam masala mixture, stir very well and fry for a minute on low flame.
13. Now, add the prepared tamarind pulp and 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Season with salt. Strain the tea directly into the pan while adding the tamarind pulp.
14. On medium heat, cook the garlic rasam for 5 to 6 minutes.
15. Once done, switch off the flame and add 1 to 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves.
16. Serve the garlic rasam with hot rice. You can also drink it as a soup.
Expert tips
- Use seedless tamarind to make tamarind pulp. You can reduce the amount of tamarind pulp for sour taste in the rasam.
- If there are any impurities in the tamarind, strain it first and then use the extract.
- You can use sesame oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil or any other neutral flavored oil in this recipe.
- If you are fine with non-vegan varieties of rasam, you can use ghee (clarified butter) for tempering.
- You can make a gluten free version of this rasam by omitting asafoetida or using a gluten free asafoetida instead.
- Adding some chopped coriander leaves to this rasam gives it an added freshness. However, if you want to skip adding it, you can do that too.
More rasam recipes to try!
South Indian food
Tomato Rasam (Thakkali Rasam)
Vegan Recipes
Milagu Rasam Chili Rasam
South Indian food
Lemon juice
South Indian food
Parupu rasam
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Garlic sauce Pundu rasam
This garlic rasam, one of the rasam varieties locally known as pundu rasam is spicy and tangy. It is made with sour tamarind, sour tomatoes, lots of garlic, fresh herbs and strong spices.
Q. Time 20 minutes
cooking time 15 minutes
total time 35 minutes
Coarsely roasted rasam for the spice mix
For tempering and other elements
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Preparation of tamarind pulp
Heat ½ cup water and soak 1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, strain the softened tamarind very well in the water. Keep these tamarind stalks aside.
Preparation and preparation of ground rasam spice mix
When the tamarind is roasted, make the rasam masala mixture. In a small dry grinder or spice grinder add black pepper, cumin seeds, peeled garlic cloves and dried red chillies (broken and deseeded).
Grind to a coarse mixture. Keep aside.
Lightly crush 8 to 10 cloves of garlic, peeled or unpeeled. Cut the tomatoes into slices.
Make garlic paste and garlic
Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan or pot. Keep the heat low. Add mustard and urad dal.
Not until the mustard seeds burst and the urad dal turns a maroon color. Fry on low heat.
Then add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chillies and crushed garlic.
Fry the garlic on low flame till it turns light brown.
Then add tomatoes (chopped or crushed). Also add turmeric powder and a pinch of hing.
Stir and fry on medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft.
Add the prepared ground rasam masala mix. Stir well and fry on low heat for a minute.
Now add the prepared tamarind pulp and 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Season with salt to taste.
On medium flame, boil the rasam for 5 to 6 minutes. Strain the tea directly into the pan while adding the tamarind pulp.
Once done, switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves.
Serve the garlic rasam hot with some steamed rice. You can also drink it as a soup.
- You can also choose to add less amount of garlic if you want.
- Tomatoes can be given a skip.
- You can reduce the tangy taste by adding less tamarind.
nutrients
Garlic sauce Pundu rasam
No. per job
calories 91 45 calories from fat
% Daily Value*
thick 5 grams8%
1 gram of saturated fat6%
2 grams of polyunsaturated fat
2 grams of monounsaturated fat
Sodium 403mg18%
potassium 220 mg6%
carbohydrates 11 grams4%
2 grams of fiber8%
3 grams of sugar3%
protein 2 grams4%
Vitamin A 604 IU12%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.1 mg7%
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0.04 mg2%
Vitamin B3 (niacin) 31 mg155%
Vitamin B6 0.2 mg10%
Vitamin C 63 mg76%
Vitamin E 0.4 mg3%
Vitamin K 8 µg8%
calcium 59 mg6%
Vitamin B9 (folate) 322µg81%
iron 1 mg6%
magnesium 22 mg6%
Phosphorus 43 mg4%
zinc 0.3 mg2%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This garlic rasam recipe is from the archives, first published on August 2015 and republished on January 2023.
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