Prepare tomatoes and ginger; mash 300 g cooked ordinary lentils and dissolve tamarind in 1,200 g water. Measure 5 g black pepper and 4 g cayenne.

Ingredients

• 400 gTomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average
• 30 gTamarinds, raw
• 300 gLentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
• 1,200 gBeverages, water, tap, drinking
• 20 gGinger root, raw
• 7 gSalt, table
• 5 gSpices, cumin seed
• 3 gSpices, mustard seed, ground
• 4 gSpices, pepper, red or cayenne
• 5 gSpices, pepper, black

Method

1. Prepare tomatoes and ginger; mash 300 g cooked ordinary lentils and dissolve tamarind in 1,200 g water. Measure 5 g black pepper and 4 g cayenne.
2. Simmer tomatoes, lentils, ginger, black pepper and cayenne for 8 minutes at 95 °C.
3. Add the tamarind water and 7 g salt, heat for only 5 minutes and serve the thin home-style rasam with all its liquid.