Lemon Fruit Image via Wikipedia

In South India medicine is considered as food and food is consumed as medicine. Lemon or Nimbu Citrus Limon (botanical name) is the well known medicinal herb from India. In Tamil it is called Elimichai. The plant is well known for its tart taste. Its yellowish golf ball sized fruit has abundant quantity of Vitamin C. It has its own medicinal properties.

Lemon rasam is one such medicinated rasam often prepared in the households in South India. It has got very good for nutritional value.

Ingredients

1) Toor (red gram) Dal – 5 tablespoon
Grind it coarsely:
2) Asafoetida (powdered) – a pinch
3) Black pepper- 3/4 teaspoon
4) Coriander chopped – 1 1/2 tablespoon
5) Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
6) Curry leaves – 1 teaspoon
7) Lemon – 1 big or 2 small
Salt, – to taste
9) Sugar – to taste
10) Turmeric powder – a pinch
11) Water – 2 1/2 cups

Method

1) Pressure cook toor dal
2) Mash the cooked toor dal into a fine consistency and keep it aside.
3) Take green chilies and slit it lengthwise.
4) Take lemon and extract lemon juice and keep it aside
5) Now add salt, sugar, black pepper, cumin seeds and turmeric powder with the mashed dal. and allow it to boil for a few minutes.
6) Boil this liquid till the raw smell of the ingredients gets vanished
7) Once it boils with bubbles remove the vessel from the stove.
Now add chopped coriander and curry leaves and boil for few seconds.
9) Finally add lemon juice
10) Now your hot steaming Lemon rasam is ready.
1) Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter and add some asafetida, chopped coriander and curry leaves. Pour seasoned ingredients to rasam
11) Garnish with chopped coriander and curry leaves
12) Serve it hot with steaming plain white rice. You may also serve rasam in cups. It will provide refreshed feeling.