Pineapple Rasam

Every time we get a pineapple home, I always save a portion of it to make my most favorite kind of Rasam, the Pineapple Rasam. I’m not sure how much nutrition I’m killing by cooking the pineapple, but the taste is sooo divine that I really don’t care. The husband and son are not too fond of it and so, this is one of those ‘many’  selfish foods that I make all for myself!

 Ingredients

1/4 cup tuvar dal/ lentils (pigeon pea)
1 plump and ripe tomato
11/2 tsp rasam powder(or however much spicy you want the rasam to be)
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
5- 6 curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp tamarind paste or 1 lemon sized ball of pitted tamarind soaked in warm water and pulp extracted
11/2 cup diced pineapple
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp clarified butter /ghee
water
salt to taste

 

Directions

If you plan on retaining the dal in the Rasam, pressure cook dal with 11/2 cup water, tamarind extract, turmeric, pineapple and the whole tomato together. Peel the skin of the cooked tomato and mash them up with the dal until there are no lumps,

or

If you plan on using just the stock of the dal then, pressure cook the dal separately, drain out the stock and in it, cook peeled and crushed tomatoes along with pineapple turmeric and tamarind extract.

Add rasam powder and more water to get desired consistency and bring it to boil. Put off the flame.

Heat a little ghee in a small pan and add asafoetida, mustard, cumin and curry leaves.

When the mustard pops, switch off the flame and  pour the seasoning over the  Rasam.

Garnish with cilantro.