By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 2
61 cal · 30 min
Easy Dal Rasam
Recipe GLPR0b45494550fe21
A light and aromatic South Indian soup made with cooked tuvar dal, tamarind, and a blend of warming spices. This easy dal rasam features a fragrant tadka of mustard seeds, cumin, and red chili, finished with fresh cilantro. Serve warm as an appetizer or light starter.
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Ingredients
¼ cup Tuvar dal (arhar dal or pigeon peas)
3 cups Water
1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
6 Curry leaves
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
to taste Salt
pinch Asafetida
2 teaspoons Rasam powder
2 teaspoons Oil
¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Dry red chili, broken
few Cilantro leaves, chopped finely
Directions
Rinse the tuvar dal under cold running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a pressure cooker with ¾ cup of water. Close the lid, place the weight on top, and pressure cook over medium heat until the dal is very soft and tender, approximately 6–7 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then open the cooker.
Mash the cooked dal thoroughly using the back of a spoon or an immersion blender until you reach a smooth paste.
Add 1 cup of water to the mashed dal mixture and set aside. In a separate saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil with the tamarind paste, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
Continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the raw tamarind smell dissipates completely. Add the asafetida and rasam powder, stirring well to combine.
Pour the mashed dal and water mixture into the tamarind-spice base. Bring to a gentle simmer while you prepare the tadka.
Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and allow them to pop completely.
Add the cumin seeds to the hot oil and let them sizzle for approximately 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the broken dry chili to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour this entire tadka mixture into the simmering rasam.
Allow the rasam to simmer for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. Stir in the finely chopped cilantro leaves and serve warm.
Comments
Dal rasam is a light, tangy South Indian soup that works well for a quick lunch, but ingredient availability will require a special trip. Tuvar dal, asafetida, rasam powder, and curry leaves are not reliably stocked at Charlotte chains like Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Walmart; you'll need to visit an Indian grocer such as one in the Plaza Midwood area or order online, which adds real cost and planning to a weeknight meal. The 30-minute timing is honest if you have all spices on hand, but the narrow two-serving yield makes this more suitable for a couple than a family, and the soup does not reheat especially well since the delicate spice balance can flatten overnight. If you are already an Indian spice enthusiast with a pantry stocked, this is affordable and worth making; if not, budget the extra stop and treat it as a deliberate splurge into that cuisine.
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