Rasam is a top three soul nourishing food, one of India’s best offerings to the world. In simple terms it’s a tangy, spiced tomato water optionally mixed with dal, best served piping hot.

As winter rolls in and to make use of this year’s tomato bounty, I’ve begun adding rasam to the weekly rotation, experimenting with different online recipes. Here’s a classic one that I’ve landed on with consistently good results:

1. In a dutch oven, add in oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Eye ball the quantities. Let the seeds dance but not burn.
2. Add a few pinches of hing.
3. Add sliced garlic, 3-4 dried red chilies, and a sprig of curry leaves for a few seconds. Curry leaves should not be missed, they provide a very distinct flavor.
4. Add a half teaspoon turmeric.
5. Add tomato puree (2-3 medium) with salt and stir until rawness is gone. Ideally skins are off but I’m always lazy and keep the skins on. Skins are much easier to peel if the tomatoes are boiled.
6. Add 4-5 cups water. Exact quantity is not important. You can reduce the rasam down or thin it out at the end.
7. Add 1 tbsp ground black peppercorn. I’ve started freshly grinding peppercorns in a spice grinder these days but regular pepper is fine.
8. Add 4 teaspoons rasam powder and mix in. I use store bought (Sakthi) but homemade is obviously best.
9. Add 1 tsp tamarind paste. You can swirl the spoon around the hot liquid and it will dissolve. Tamarind adds a tanginess to the dish.
10. Add 1 tsp maple syrup (subsitute for jaggery because I never have jaggery). You need some sweetness to balance out the tanginess.
11. Add 1/4-1/2 toor dal (raw measurement, cooked). I cooked the dal separately in the Instant Pot and then dump in.
12. Simmer everything together on low for a while, adding salt to taste. I always end up adding more salt that I thought I would.
13. Finish with loads of chopped coriander.