Kachampuli Rasam
Veg
Vegan
Coorgi sour pepper water — a very thin, intensely sour and peppery broth made by diluting kachampuli with water and boiling it with black pepper, cumin, curry leaves, and garlic. Drunk as a digestive at the end of a meal or eaten poured over rice. The kachampuli gives it a more complex, almost fruity tartness distinct from tamarind-based rasam.
Cuisines
Coorgi
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 tablespoon | tamarind |
| 2 cups | water |
| 1 teaspoon | black peppercorns |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | mustard seeds |
| 1 tablespoon | coriander seeds |
| 2 cloves | garlic |
| 1 inch | ginger |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 cup | tomatoes, chopped |
| 1 tablespoon | kachampuli (Coorg vinegar) |
| 1 teaspoon | jaggery |
| — | salt to taste |
| 1 tablespoon | coconut oil |
| 1 sprig | curry leaves |
| 2 tablespoons | coriander leaves, chopped |
Instructions
- 1 Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 minutes, then extract the pulp and set aside.
- 2 Dry roast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds until aromatic. Let them cool.
- 3 Grind the roasted spices along with garlic and ginger into a coarse paste.
- 4 In a pot, heat coconut oil and add the ground spice paste. Sauté for a minute.
- 5 Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder. Cook until the tomatoes soften.
- 6 Pour in the tamarind extract and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
- 7 Add kachampuli, jaggery, and salt to taste. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- 8 In a small pan, heat a little more coconut oil, add curry leaves and let them splutter.
- 9 Pour this tempering over the rasam.
- 10 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.
Tips
Adjust the amount of kachampuli to your taste preference for a more tangy flavor.