Rasam is a quintessential side dish that’s enjoyed with rice. This kathirikka rasam is a very special rasam that’s served in temples, or on special occasions. It’s a specialty in some parts of Tamil Nadu that uses eggplant and a spice paste made with coconut.
Some recipes are just meant to come your way and steal your heart.
Even if you despise eggplant as I used to, you are going to like this one. Take this from someone who used to be a staunch eggplant hater.
Many of you who follow me on Instagram know I was in India for four months during this pandemic, from March to end of June. Let’s just say it wasn’t a fun one. However, like many things in life, things happen for a reason, and I chose to see the positive in everything.
Mom and I exchanged many recipes, read many old recipe books (almost forty years old), saw TV shows, and tried out dishes that we otherwise wouldn’t have tried. To distract ourselves from what we were going through, food was our venting ground.
One day as we were browsing a couple of cookbooks written in Tamil almost sixty years ago, both mom and I looked in shock. Vegetable in a rasam? That’s weird. Then we got to research some and got to know that this was a thing. A tasty one. The original recipe was a tiny bit different, and I loved the addition of coconut and jaggery… I think it is a must. And this recipe came to be loved. A recipe that reminded us of weddings and temples of Tamil Nadu. Kathirikka Rasam, a recipe that’s authentic as it gets.
Rasam is an important side to rice in South Indian homes. You’ll find some kind of rasam along with sambhar and a vegetable almost every single day. Rasam is said to have properties that aid in digestion and soothe your body. It’s watery, tamarind based, peppery and OH SO COMFORTING.
As I mentioned earlier, this rasam is a special one, as usually, rasam doesn’t have veggies. This is made with eggplant or mini kathirikka, which lends its distinct flavor and texture to the rasam, while the daal gives it the creaminess. The spice paste with coconut adds richness, completing this kathirikka rasam which is wholesome and D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.
Making of the Vegetable Rasam
The main thing for this rasam is the fresh ground paste. Make sure to use fresh spices and freshly grated coconut. No tamarind paste, the solid form should be used. Also make sure to not boil the rasam in the end too much. Jaggery is a must, don’t skip that.
If you have a soapstone or a clay pot, now is the time to take it out and make the rasam in it.
- Small Lemon size tamarind
- 6 cups of water
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 mini eggplant/kathirikka thinly sliced
- ¼ cup tuvar daal cooked in 2 cups of water
- 8 peppercorn
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp channa daal
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut
- 7 bydagi chillies or normal red chilies
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 10-15 curry leaves
- pinch of asafoetida/hing
- In a large vessel, add the tamarind chunk, with water, turmeric and salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for about 10 minutes. Drain the liquid and take out the seeds and pour it back into the same pan. Add the kathirikka and cook on medium to low heat for another 15 minutes. Once the
- Cook the tuvar daal with some turmeric to a very soft mushy consistency. Mash and set aside.
- In a small saute pan, add the spices for the masala paste except the coconut. Fry it on low heat until you can smell the spices and everything is roasted. Add the coconut in the end and grind it to a fine paste with about 1 cup of water. Set aside.
- Add the masala to the tamarind kathirikka liquid, check for salt. Bring it to a boil for about 5 minutes. Then add the boiled and mashed daal. Simmer and bring to a slow bubble. Add jaggery
- While that comes to a bubble, in a pan, add oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing. Let it pop and pour it the rasam mixture. Once you see a foamy bubble, turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for 30-1 hour before serving.
- Enjoy with some rice and touch of ghee.
If you make this kathirikka rasam or eggplant rasam, make sure to rate the recipe and tag me social media at #foodfashionparty.
*Please do tag me on Instagram @foodfashionparty if you make this, using the hashtag #foodfashionparty. Check out my book MASALA AND MEATBALLS.
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This is such a unique recipe, Asha! And such gorgeous photography.
Bina, thanks so so much! XO
Amazing new recipe. The coconut and jaggery twist sounds very south Indian and tempting. Your pictures are exceptional as always. Beautiful!!!
Thankyou for yet a new rasam to be added to special menus.
Awww thanks so so much hun. Hope you get to try it out. XO