Rasam is a South Indian dish (eaten with other dishes or by itself),[1] traditionally prepared

using tamarind juice as a base, with the addition of tomato, chili pepper, pepper, cumin and other
spices as seasonings. Steamed lentils can be added along with any preferred
vegetables.[2]Nowadays, all the seasonings required are combined and ground beforehand into
rasam powder, which is available commercially. Chilled prepared versions are also marketed
commercially.[3]
It is eaten with rice or separately as a spicy soup. In a traditional meal, it can be part of a course that
includes sambar rice and curd rice. Rasam has a distinct taste in comparison to the sambar due to
its own seasoning ingredients and is usually fluid in consistency.
Rasam is prepared mainly with tamarind or tomato as the base along with cumin, black pepper and
dry chilli powder as flavoring ingredients. All of these ingredients are abundant in South India.
Different kinds of rasam are listed below with its main ingredients in the Tamil language:

 Koli rasam – chicken

 Kadalai rasam – black chickpeas
 Venkaaya rasam – onion
 Kattu saaru – lentils and Byadgi chillies
 Tili saaru – sieving water from plain rice
 Thakkaali rasam – tomato puree
 Poondu rasam – garlic
 Inji rasam – ginger
 Mudakathaan rasam – balloon vine
 Maangaa rasam – raw or semi-ripe mango
 Elumichai rasam – lemon juice
 Nellikkai rasam – Indian gooseberry
 Murungai poo rasam – drumstick flower
 Vepam poo rasam – neem flower
 Kandathippili rasam – greens
 Bassaaru/kattu saaru – boiled vegetables/greens/lentils
 Milagu rasam (mulligatawny) – black pepper
 Jeeraga rasam – cumin
 Pineapple rasam - Pineapple rasam is traditionally a part of Tamil cuisine.[4] For pineapple rasam
main ingredients garlic, red chillies, curry leaves, tomato, pineapple, salt, black pepper , cumin ,
pigeon peas, and tamarind paste. Garnish the rasam with coriander leaves and serve it with
Masala Paniyaram.[5]
 Beetroot rasam
 Puli rasam – tamarind extract
 Hesaru kaalu saaru – green gram
 Parupu rasam / pappu saaru – pulses and tomato stock
 Baellae saaru – pigeon pea lentil
 Kattina saaru – jaggery
 Kollu rasam, hurali saaru, kudu saaru, or ulava saaru – horse gram
 Mysore rasam – fried lentils[6]