how to make rasam powder at home

what distinguishes an outsatnding cup of rasam from a mediocre one is the rasam powder. therefore i thought it would more useful to share the rasam powder recipe with you. how to make rasam itself can be found on any number of cooking sites.

this is a tam brahm recipe taken from "andu paati's cookbook", just the book you are looking for if you want to recreate your grandma's pulikaachal or labour over jaangri just for the fun of it!

coriander seeds - 2 cups
red gram dal (tur dal) - 1/3 cup
black pepper - 1/4 cup
red chilli - 6
fenugreek seeds - 1tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
dried curry leaves - a handful

1. dry roast the coriander leaves, red gram dal, black pepper and fenugreek seeds, each separately. turn off the stove. add the red chillies, dried curry leaves and the cumin seeds to the hot kadai and stir. let cool.

2. grind coarsely and store in an airtight container.

if the mixture is not spicy enough, add more ground pepper/red chilli. if it is too spicy, a little more coriander seeds and red gram dal rosted and ground can be added.