Blistered Garlic and Breakfast Radish Rasam
/In my 15 years of home cooking journey, the very first dish I deliberately tried to nail was “Rasam” - the magical soup hailing from Southern India that not only warms you soul but also cures the seasonal sniffles in no time (sounds dodgy, eh!). The recipe varies across all states in that region and after experimenting with different variations, I have found my happy version that includes lots of whole caramelized garlic and sweet radish. I love dunking steaming Idlis (steamed fermented rice cakes) however the classic Rasam-Rice combo is hard to beat. Don’t get bogged down by the long list of ingredients as I can swear you will get hooked on to this for life - especially when down with cold/flu.
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
15 cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
6-7 Breakfast Radishes, quartered (substitute with Daikon or Jicama about 20-25g)
2-3 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Salt
Rasam
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 Rehydrated Dried Chiles - soak dried chilies in boiling water for 15 mins then drain and pat dry
1 large Garlic Clove
1 Medium Red Onion (about 30-35g), thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño, de-seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1 Medium Tomato, finely chopped (preferably remove the skin)
1/2 tbsp seedless tamarind pulp soaked in100ml warm water or else 3/4 tsp Tamarind Concentrate (Tamicon Brand) dissolved in 100ml Water
500ml water
50g Cooked Red Lentils
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp ghee (substitute with Olive Oil)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Generous Pinch of Asafoetida (optional)
10-15 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions:
🥣 Soak the tamarind pulp for at least 30-40 mins then using a sieve strain the concentrate and keep it aside. If using the concentrate, then mix with water and keep it aside
🥣 In a pan, on low heat, toast peppercorns & cumin for about 5 mins or until very aromatic. Now using a mortar pestle/spice grinder/food processor blitz the toasted whole spices, garlic & rehydrated chiles into a coarse paste
🥣 Now heat up a nonstick skillet. Once smoking, add garlic cloves and toast for 2-3 mins or until begins to char or turn deep golden. Then add 1 tbsp Ghee and fry garlic for 3 mins. Transfer the garlic into a bowl and return the skillet to high heat. Now add radish quarters and let them start turning golden, then add 1 tbsp Ghee and fry for 4-5 mins. Transfer into the bowl with garlic. Everything should look deep golden and blistered all over. Sprinkle salt and toss to coat well. Keep it aside
🥣 In a soup pot, on medium flame - heat up ghee and add onion and jalapeño. Fry for 10-12 mins or until looks caramelized and smells aromatic. Now add mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric & asafoetida and sauté for 2-3 mins. Add ground spice paste and continue to sauté for another 2 mins, then add lentils, tomato and sauté for 3 more mins. At this point, add the tamarind concentrate, water & salt. Adjust the seasoning (if required)
🥣 Simmer this on medium heat for 13-15 mins. Add blistered garlic and radish into the pot and cook for 2-3 more mins. Serve right away with a garnish of chopped cilantro
