Milagu Rasam

Thin black pepper and cumin soup — the most elemental Tamil preparation: tamarind pulp simmered with a ground paste of black pepper, cumin, and garlic (in Iyer preparation) or dried red chilli (in Iyengar), finished with toor dal water, tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida. The rasam must be very thin — it is meant to be drunk from a cup or poured over rice so it flows between the grains. The pepper provides slow-building heat; the tamarind provides sourness; the cumin and asafoetida provide the characteristic rasam aroma. Made daily in every Tamil Brahmin household as the second course after sambar; the second serving of rice is always eaten with rasam. Considered the most effective remedy for colds and indigestion.