Rasam or Saaru is a South Indian soup, traditionally prepared using tamarind juice as a base, where as Lemon Rasam is a sour soup prepared with lemon juice and dal water (paruppu water).  It goes well with hot rice and appalam.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp - Lemon juice
• 1 no - Tomato (crushed)
• 1 or 2 nos - Green chillies
• 1/4 inch - Ginger (crushed)
• 3 pinches - Turmeric powder
• 1 cup - Thuvaram paruppu / toor dal water (only water not dhal)
• 1 1/4 cup - Water
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Salt as needed

Seasonings:

• 1 tsp - Oil
• 1/4 tsp - Mustard seeds

Preparation method:

1. To get 1 cup of dal water: Pressure cook 1/4 cup thuvaram paruppu / toor dhal / red gram along with turmeric powder, 1 clove garlic and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil until well cooked. Remove water and leave the dal, Set it aside.
2. Take a vessel, add crushed tomato, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder along with required salt, bring it to boil.
3. Then add toor dal water and once again bring it to boil. Switch off the stove, add coriander leaves and temper it with items given in the list for seasonings.
4. Allow them to cool completely and then add the lemon juice, mix well. Adjust the lemon juice as per your taste. Delicious lemon rasam is ready, serve with hot rice.

Notes:

• You can increase or decrease lemon juice as per your taste.
• Allow the rasam to cool completely before adding lemon juice. Do not add lemon juice when it is hot.