Regional blends
Rasam powder
A peppery cumin and coriander powder for the thin, sour soup called rasam.
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Rasam powder flavours rasam, a thin tamarind and tomato broth of South India and northern Sri Lanka. It leans on black pepper and cumin more than sambar powder does, and it is typically used in smaller quantities.
What goes in
- Coriander seed635%, Body.
- Cumin318%, Warm.
- Black pepper318%, Bite.
- Dried red chilli318%, Heat.
- Toor dal16%, Thickens slightly.
- Curry leaf16%, Dried leaf.
Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.
Step 1: Toast Dry roast the dal and chillies over low heat. Step 2: Toast Add the coriander, cumin and pepper to the pan briefly. Step 3: Toast Add the curry leaves and roast until crisp. Step 4: Rest Cool completely before grinding. Step 5: Grind Grind to a fine powder and sieve. Step 6: Store Keep in a closed jar. Finished Rasam powder, by share.
Why pepper
The word for pepper in Tamil, milagu, plus water, thanni, is often said to lie behind the English word mulligatawny. Many cooks make rasam with a lot of pepper for a clear, sharp taste.
Serving
Rasam is eaten with rice, or sipped as a drink after a meal. Cooks adjust the powder to taste, and each house keeps its own proportions.
Where it is used
The spices in it
Black pepperMain bite.
CuminWarm.
CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.
Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.Also part of it, and being written: Curry tree (Leaf.).
More on EveryMasala
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Black pepper: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black pepper: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source