Poondu rasam with coconut milk

Garlic rasam recipe
Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins | Serves: 3-4
Garlic 20 pods (small garlic) Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Salt as needed Tomato 1/2 Green chili 1 Tamarind a small gooseberry size Curry leaves few Coriander leaves few Toor dal (cooked) 1 tblsp Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp Red chili 1 Oil 1 tsp Coconut 2 tblsp To grind Coriander seeds | dhaniya 1 tsp Black pepper | milagu 1 tsp Cumin seeds | jeera 1 tsp Tomato 1/2 Garlic pods 4

Method:
- Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract thin water using 1 cup of water.
- Take out the skin of the garlic pods.
- Cook the garlic along with little water, salt and turmeric powder.
- Let this boil for 3-4 minutes till the garlic gets cooked, let this be crunchy not mashed.
- Soak coriander seeds, black pepper, cumin seeds, 1/2 tomato and 4 garlic pods in little water for 10 minutes.
- Grind this into a paste in a mixie.

- Add this ground paste to the pan.

- Slit the green chili, add this to the tamarind extract. Mash 1/2 tomato nicely with hands and add it to the tamarind mixture.
- Add curry leaves and salt.

- Transfer this to the pan. Allow this to boil.
- Let this boil for 5 to 7 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
- Add 1 cup water to the cooked toor dal and add chopped coriander leaves.

- Add this to the pan and cook till it froths up. Do not allow this to boil.
- Grind 2 tblsp of fresh coconut with 1/4 cup of warm water.

- Squeeze the extract on the rasam and switch off the flame.

- Temper mustard seeds and red chili in oil. Transfer it to the rasam

- Cover it immediately.
- Serve after 5 minutes.
- Do not compromise on the garlic, it gives a nice flavour to the rasam.

- This rasam does not have any strong smell of garlic. It has a good aroma of garlic in spite of the more quantity of garlic is added.
- Also the flavour of coconut milk is very subtle, so no need to worry that it will be be sweet.
- You can reduce the black pepper and add 1/2 tsp of rasam powder too.
- Serve the garlic rasam with hot rice with any dry curry as an accompaniment.