Beetroot Rasam or Beetroot Saaru is a delicious take on the classic tomato rasam. It is spicy, tangy and made from scratch. Here is how to make it.
South Indian cuisine is one of those cuisine that uses one vegetable in many forms.
Be it in the curry, thorans, mixed rice, sambar and rasam, one particular vegetables can be used in so many ways. And that’s what I love about it!
Firstly, you don’t get bored of eating the vegetable in the same way and you get the necessary nutrients also.
And one of the very often used in South Indian cooking is Beetroot.
To be frank, earlier I used to refrain from eating beetroot, but after I have tasted in so many South Indian dishes, this vegetable has become a regular at home.
Today, we will make a Beetroot Rasam, that’s one of my favourite ways to use Beetroot.
The traditional Rasam is made of Dal and Tomatoes, but since I have tried this one, I am more into experimenting with new fruits and vegetables.
Very easy to make and filled with nutritional benefits, this rasam is apt for your weekday meals.
Believe me if you are craving for something comforting yet satisfying, make this combination of Beetroot Rasam and Steamed Rice and pour some melted ghee on top! Yumm!
Here are some more Rasam recipes, that are often made at home – Tomato Rasam, Raw Mango Rasam, Kerala Rasam.
About the recipe
Tangy and Spicy, it is a popular South Indian dish which is generally made with the combination of beetroot, tomato and tamarind.
Here, along with Tomatoes and Tamarind, this rasam requires ingredients such as beetroot as the key ingredient, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, curry leaves, salt and coriander leaves.
You can make fresh homemade Rasam Powder or if you are short on time, you can even use the store bought ones.
But I recommend you to use the homemade rasam powder, because it lends a beautiful and authentic flavour that you will not get the store bought ones.
If you like it a little sweet, you can add in a little jaggery too, for that very subtly sweet taste.
Ingredients
Serving Suggestions
Rasam Rice is the most comforting meal you can have!
Serve this Beetroot Rasam on the bed of steamed rice with a dollop of ghee, papad and your favourite pickle.
You can also enjoy this Rasam as a soup on a cold Winter or Monsoon day.
Step By Step Recipe
Dry roast peppercorns, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and coriander seeds until slightly browned.
Crush to make a rough rasam powder.
Heat 1 cup water in a pan. Add beetroot and tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and let it cool.
Grind the cooked beetroot and tomatoes along with the water to make a coarse puree.
Add the pureed beetroot and tomatoes, tamarind paste, garlic and curry leaves in a pan.
Add 2 cups of water and cook the rasam on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
Now add the roasted powder and salt and cook until rasam comes to a gentle boil.
Heat ghee for tempering in a pan. Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, hing and dry red chillies and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Pour the tempering over the rasam, garnish with coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot.
Beetroot Rasam Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ tsp Black Peppercorns (crushed)
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (crushed)
- 2 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
- ½ cup Beetroot (peeled and cubed)
- ½ cup Tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 tsp Tamarind Paste
- 2-3 Garlic (smashed)
- 10-12 Curry Leaves
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
*For tempering
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- ¼ tsp Hing
- 1 Dry Red Chilli (broken)
Instructions
- Dry roast peppercorns, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and coriander seeds until slightly browned.
- Crush to make a rough powder.
- Heat 1 cup water in a pan.
- Add beetroot and tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and let it cool.
- Grind the cooked beetroot and tomatoes along with the water to make a coarse puree.
- Add the pureed beetroot and tomatoes, tamarind paste, garlic and curry leaves in a pan.
- Add 2 cups of water and cook the rasam on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Now add the roasted powder and salt and cook until rasam comes to a gentle boil.
- Add coriander and remove the pan from heat.
- Heat ghee for tempering in a pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, hing and dry red chillies and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the rasam and mix well.
- Serve hot.
