Rasam is the soul of South Indian home cooking — thin, peppery, and profoundly comforting. Garlic rasam (poondu rasam) is a particularly beloved version, made with generous amounts of garlic for its immune-supporting and digestive properties. With AnnVaya Garlic Powder, you can make this traditional comfort food even on the most rushed days.
Why AnnVaya Garlic Powder?
Traditional poondu rasam uses whole garlic pods, peeled and lightly crushed. AnnVaya Garlic Powder preserves all the allicin goodness of garlic in a concentrated, instantly usable format. It dissolves into the rasam liquid seamlessly, giving you deep, rounded garlic flavour without the prep work.
Ingredients (Serves 3-4)
- 2 tsp AnnVaya Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste or extract from a small ball of tamarind
- 1 tomato, roughly chopped (or 2 tsp AnnVaya Tomato Powder)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp rasam powder (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- For tempering: 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin, 2 dry red chillies, 8-10 curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Instructions
- Combine tamarind, tomato (or tomato powder in water), AnnVaya Garlic Powder, rasam powder, turmeric, salt, and water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the tempering: heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin, red chillies, curry leaves, and hing. Let it crackle.
- Pour the tempering into the rasam. Stir and simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt. The rasam should be thin, tangy, and warmly spiced.
- Serve hot with rice or as a soup on its own.
Why Rasam Is Good for You
Rasam's combination of tamarind, tomato, pepper, and garlic makes it naturally anti-inflammatory, digestive, and immunity-supporting. It's traditionally served when someone is unwell — and nutritional science validates most of those claims. Thin, warming, and packed with nutrients.
Shop AnnVaya Garlic Powder — deep garlic flavour for your favourite South Indian dishes.
Sources & References
- Ried K. Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, regulates serum cholesterol, and stimulates immunity. J Nutr. 2016;146(2):389S-396S. PMID: 26764320
- Rivlin RS. Historical perspective on the use of garlic. J Nutr. 2001;131(3S):951S-954S. PMID: 11238804
- Josling P. Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey. Adv Ther. 2001;18(4):189-193. PMID: 11697022
- Borlinghaus J et al. Allicin: chemistry and biological properties. Molecules. 2014;19(8):12591-12618. PMID: 25153873
- National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), ICMR. Nutritive Value of Indian Foods. Hyderabad: NIN, 2017.
