Rasam powder is a must if you want to make Indian rasam — a delicious thin soup, perfect over rice. Its heat comes from dried red chilies. You can control the spice with your red chili choice. We recommend Kashmiri chili in this recipe (relatively mild, 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units), but there are many alternatives, including cayenne pepper, if you want a significant increase in heat.
But rasam powder can do a lot more in the kitchen than this. It’s like garam masala — a versatile seasoning that can flavor everything from curries to fresh vegetables. It can even make a flavorful dried rub for meats. If you favor DIY seasonings, there’s a lot of versatility here.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Homemade Sriracha Powder: Turn that rooster sauce into a delicious seasoning blend.
- Green Chili Powder: Not all chili powders need to be red. We use green chilies here to deliver a bright bite.
- Vindaloo Masala Powder: There’s no doubt spiciness in this curry seasoning.
Rasam Powder
A versatile exotic spice blend
Ingredients
- 1 cup coriander seeds
- 25 dry red chillies mix Kashmiri and/or hotter chilies (up to 30 dried chilies if you prefer)
- 9 curry leaves
- 1/3 cup toor dal
- 1/4 cup black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons chana dal
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the coriander seeds and curry leaves. Heat the spices, stirring often, until aromatic – 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer the spices to a bowl.
- In the pan, add the toor dal and chana dal and heat, stirring often, until they turn a light brown. Transfer the mix to the plate with the coriander and curry leaves.
- Place the black peppercorns and cumin seeds in the same pan and heat, stirring often, both until aromatic – 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to the plate with other spices.
- Add the Kashmiri chilies (or dried red chili of your choice) to the pan and heat them, stirring often, until aromatic.
- Place all ingredients into a spice grinder (or use a mortar and pestle) and grind the spices into a fine powder. Use immediately, or place into an airtight jar for future use.
Nutrition
Calories: 9kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 40mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 63IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.4mg
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