Thippili (long pepper) rasam
Thippili or long pepper is a common spice used in Ayurveda for the cure of many ailments. This belongs to the same family as black pepper and is used in Indian cooking as it is known for its treatment of cough, cold, digestion problems, removing toxins, digestive issues among others.
This rasam is a personal favourite and the spice of the thippili can be felt in every sip. The fruit of the long pepper plant is called arisi thippili and the bark/roots are called kanda thippili. Both have medicinal properties and are used to make the rasam.
Ingredients
Tamarind – size of 1 small lemon
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
For the spice mix
Tuvar dal – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Arisi thippili – 1 tsp
Kanda thippili – 1 tsp
Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies – 2
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
For the garnish
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 8-10
Ghee – 1 tsp
Soak the tamarind in some water and extract the juice till you get 3 cups of tamarind water by adding water as needed. Roast the spices in the ghee till they are golden brown and then grind to a fine paste with some water.
In a kadai boil the tamarind water with the turmeric and salt till the raw smell of tamarind is gone. Add the spice paste and continue cooking till rasam starts boiling and frothing at the top. Pop mustard seeds in ghee, add the curry leaves and garnish the rasam. Serve hot with rice and ghee. Can also be served as a soup. Serves 4.