Garlic Rasam, is a thin, spicy, flavorful and tangy soup/broth from South India. It is made from a base of gently sautéed garlic and a peppery spice mixture that is ground to make rasam powder. This rasam powder is then mixed with a juice of tamarind extract and brought to a frothy boil, to make this delicious garlic rasam.
Served with boiled rice, a side of Indian pickle and papadam/Indian rice crackers is a comfort food for any South Indian on a cold rainy day.
This garlic rasam is also Milagu Poondu rasam, in the local language of Tamil.Milagu stands for Black pepppercorns, Poondu stands for garlic, since these two influence the taste of this garlc rasam in a big way, it is named so.

What happens when the South Indian moves to the Northern hemisphere? Rasam, still a hot favorite, since we don’t have the kind of monsoon season we have in India, rasam becomes the comfort food for the crispy cold soup season in Fall and cold wintery days.
Did I tell you, rasam is loaded with medicinal properties in the spices that are used , that it has the power to chase any cold and flu symptoms away? Read all about it , in my blog post here.
Table of Contents
Garlic/Poondu Rasam Recipe
Common FAQ’s
What is rasam?
Rasam /Saaru / Chaaru is a thin watery 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.
Is rasam good for health?
- Best home remedy for cold and flu
- Keeps constipation at bay
- Powerhouse of minerals
- Best diet food
Does this garlic rasam use rasam powder like most other rasam recipes?
This garlic/ milagu poondu rasam does not make use of readymade rasam powder and cooked dal (lentils).
What pairs well with garlic rasam?
In South India, Rasam or Charu is staple food. It is a watery soup mostly served with rice, lentils and ghee in everyday meal as the second course in the meal. Best served with any dry vegetable stir fry like carrot poriyal or meat fry like pepper chicken.
It can be consumed plain in a soup form as well.
Can rasam be stored or frozen for later use?
Rasam stays good for 2 days in the refrigerator. When you need to use it just warm it up & have it.
If you need to freeze it, then store it when it is thick, add additional water, only when you take it out, thaw it and then heat it up for soup or to have with rice. Saves you stress during cold winter week days, to come back home from work and cook.
The Bottom Line
Do give my garlic rasam/milagu poondu rasam a try , during the cold weather season, you can thank me later for helping you skip the cold and flu season altogether!
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