Lemon Rasam Recipe | Multi-Purpose South Indian Nimbu Rasam

Lemon Rasam Recipe | Nimbu Rasam Recipe | South Indian Lemon Rasam with detailed photo and video recipe. This is a simple, healthy, and tasty rasam recipe that is ideally served with hot steamed rice. However, it can also be served as soup as an appetizer and even for common cold problems. It is typically served as an appetiser just before the meal for better digestion and taste enhancement.

Lemon Rasam Recipe | Nimbu Rasam Recipe | South Indian Lemon Rasam with step-by-step photo and video recipe. Perhaps one of the most common and underrated rasam recipes is prepared in most South Indian households. This thin and watery rasam can be prepared within minutes, yet it delivers a fantastic taste and is typically served with rice and papadum.

In Kannada, we typically refer to this recipe as kat saru or Nimbu Saaru, and it is served with rice just before sambar. But this rasam recipe is very well popular in other states of Southern India. It is referred to as elumichai rasam or nimmakaya rasam in Tamil and Telugu, respectively. Lemon rasam is believed to be one of the South Indian Brahmins’ delicacies, and hence, it is even prepared for auspicious or religious events. However, I personally prefer this rasam recipe and cook whenever I feel I have something light with no fancy creamy recipes. In addition, it is also prepared as an appetiser and served just before the sambar rice meal.

Furthermore, here are some essential tips and suggestions for a perfect lemon rasam recipe. Firstly, Nimbu rasam should always be thin and watery and not thick like the sambar or dal recipe. I prefer to add cooked and mashed to or dal in this recipe, which gives this rasam a slightly thicker consistency and good taste. Secondly, always add the lemon juice or lime juice once the gas or stove is turned off. Otherwise, the rasam may turn bitter if added while boiling. Lastly, avoid reheating lemon rasam once cooked, which may again lead to bitterness in the taste. It is best served when prepared freshly and served immediately. 

Finally, do visit my other Rasam Recipes Collection with this post Lemon Rasam. Particularly, Mysore rasam, Udupi rasam, tomato rasam, kokum rasam, pepper garlic rasam, tomato onion rasam, coconut milk rasam, horse gram rasam, beetroot rasam, and rasam powder recipe. In addition, do visit my other recipes collection board like,

• Sambar Recipes Collection
• Beverages Recipes Collection
• Dal Recipes Collection

About Lemon Rasam

This is an easy yet healthy rasam or thin soup recipe made with lentil water and a hint of fresh herbs and spices. Once Lemon Rasam or Nimbu Rasam is prepared, it is topped with a generous amount of lemon juice, hence the name lemon rasam. It is typically served just before the meal as soup or as an appetiser with rice before the sambar rice meal. It also carries medicinal health benefits, and hence, it is served during indigestion or constipation problems.

There are many different ways to make this simple Lemon Rasam recipe. The most common way is to make it with leftover lentil-cooked water, which gives it a thin, watery consistency. However, it can also be made with moderate thickness by adding the cooked lentils to diluted water. The other way is to make it without lentils; it is cooked with water, herbs, spices, and lemon topping.

Video Recipe

Recipe Card for Lemon Rasam

How to make Lemon Rasam with Step-by-step Photos

1. Firstly, in a large vessel, add tomatoes, ginger, chilli, coriander and curry leaves.
   
2. also add turmeric and water.
   
3. boil for 10 minutes or till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
   
4. further, mash the tomatoes well with back of the spatula.
   
5. now add pressure cooked toor dal. make sure to pressure cook for 5 whistles or till dal is cooked completely.
   
6. additionally, add salt to taste.
   
7. mix well and adjust consistency by adding water as required.
   
8. boil for 3 minutes. do not over boil after adding dal, as it leads to gastric problem.
   
9. meanwhile, prepare the tempering by heating up ghee / clarified butter.
   
10. once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, red chili, curry leaves, asafoetida and pepper.
    
11. once the tempering splutter, pour the tempering onto prepared rasam.
    
12. switch off the stove and squeeze lemon juice.
    
13. finally, serve lemon rasam / kat saaru with steamed rice.
    

Notes

• firstly, use well ripped tomatoes for nice tangy rasam.
• also adding tomatoes are optional, however increase the amount of lemon juice.
• additionally, cook the dal well else the rasam will not taste good.
• finally, lemon rasam taste good when they are slightly spicy.