Cranberry Rasam has a distinct tartness and spiciness to it, that makes it a true repository of flavors. Rasam is either eaten along with rice or savored as a soup in South India. Apart from being soothing and satiating to the senses, the soup is also considered to be dense in nutritional and health benefits.
What is Rasam?
Rasam /Saaru / Chaaru is a thin watery heartwarming soup of South Indian origin. It is traditionally prepared using tamarind extract/juice as a base, with an addition of tomatoes, chili peppers and spices like cumin and coriander seeds as seasoning.
It is basically a thin extract made with lentils or Toor dhal spiced in various ways by adding black pepper, tamarind, tomatoes, lime, jaggery/cane sugar, curry leaves along with any choice of vegetables/fruits to amke it more nutritious.
It is mixed with rice and is served as the second course in a South Indian meal. It is also named as saar, saaru, chaaru, pulusu in various other South Indian languages
“Rasa” in Sanskrit means an extract.
How the Rasam came to be?
Talk to any South Indian and they would tell you endless stories of their favorite rasam.
The British when they ruled India adopted it as a pungent soup calling it the “Mulligatawny” when translated in the South Indian language of Tamil becomes Millagu(Pepper) Thanni ( Watery) soup.
Don’t be surprised if you hear Mulligatawny soup when you visit a restaurant the next time, it is nothing but simple rasam with a British accent.
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The Back Story
The cranberries I had bought a week ago were sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be experimented on.The gentle snow flakes kept falling outside my windowpane.
Memories of eating rasam rice with papadums/crispy Indian rice chips during the monsoon season teased my senses.
A need to have something sweet, a bit tart & spicy began to play in my mind. Cranberries in a rasam felt just perfect for the day. Off I went to the refrigerator and set about creating something different this winter in my kitchen, thus was born the Cranberry Rasam!
Apart from enticing us with its rich color of a deep coral , the tart taste of cranberries easily replaces tamarind, which is on of the main ingredients in rasam preparation.
Cranberry Rasam/Soup Recipe
Cranberry Rasam/ Soup
Looking for a healthy, nutrient rich spicy soup to chase away your winter blues?
Our Cranberry soup/rasam is your answer.
Rasam is either eaten along with rice or savored as a soup in South India.
4
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesIngredients
1 pack 1 Cranberries Fresh cranberries – 12 oz
2 tbsp 2 Rasam powder homemade or store bought
1/2 tsp 1/2 Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 Cumin seeds crushed
3 cloves 3 Garlic cloves crushed
3 tbsp 3 tbso Jaggery powdered
1 1 Tomato cubed
3 cups 3 Water
3/4 tsp 3/4 Salt (adjust to taste)
- For seasoning/tempering
1 tbsp 1 Coconut Oil
4-5 4-5 Curry leaves
1/2 tsp 1/2 Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp 1/4 Hing/Asaefoetida
- For garnishing
2-3 stems 2-3 Cilantro/Coriander leaves
Directions
- Rinse cranberries in a bowl full of water.
- Next warm a pan with 1 tbsp of coconut oil .To this add in the rinsed cranberries gently and stir for a few minutes, you will hear them pop open & than gently turn soft. Remove from heat, add a little water & puree them in a blender & set aside.
- Now, in the same pan, warm 2 tbsp of coconut oil, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida/hing. Wait for the seeds to splutter. Add the tomatoes and stir till they turn soft and mushy.
- Next add in the pureed cranberries along with a bit of turmeric powder ,allow to cook for a minute or two.
- Next add 3 cups of water and allow the rasam/soup to boil.
- Once the soup starts boiling, add salt to taste along with 2 tbsp of homemade or store bought Rasam powder along with 3 tbsp of jaggery/cane sugar. Simmer and allow the soup to boil.
- When the soup starts boiling, garnish with cilantro leaves and turn off the stove.
- Serve hot with rice or drink it up as a soup.
Notes
- Don’t forget to rate our recipe!
Cranberries in a relish/thokku?
Have you tried using cranberries in a chutney /relish? They taste amazing in a relish too, owing to their tartness and can be stored in the refrigerator to last longer for cold winter months.
Cranberry Thokku/Relish pairs well with South Indian breakfast items like Idli, Dosa, Paniyaram or can be had with chapatis/ Indian flat breads and in a sandwich too!
List of my rasam recipes
You can make any number of instant rasam’s if you have your homemade rasam powder ready. I prefer homemade spice powders, since the aroma from freshly made spices taste better then the one’s sitting in the store aisle for months together.
Links to more of our soup recipes
- Why is Fall/Autumn considered the soup season?
- Creamy Carrot Soup
- Healthy Vegetable Soup
- Cranberry Rasam/Soup
- Spinach Chickpea Soup/Chole Palak
- Hyderabadi Marag Soup
- South Indian Mutton Soup
- Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Spinach Cream Soup
Soup making made easy
Check out our helpful blogpost below to make your soup making at home an easy breezy affair.
The Bottom Line
A different way to use cranberries in the colder months, apart from just in a sauce, is to use it in a Cranberry rasam/soup or a relish/thokku.
Give your cranberries an Indian twist this season.
Cranberry Rasam/ Soup-Give your cranberries an Indian twist this season. Click To TweetDon’t forget to share your feedback in the comments below.