hot-&-sour tomAto rAsAm

Milagu rasam India Serves 2–4 as a side Literally ‘peppered water’, this complex broth is both edgy and soothing, just the thing to scare away a summer cold. The dish was corrupted by the British Raj into the soup mulligatawny, with an added assortment of meat and vegetables, but to my mind this original is better. The heat comes from peppercorns. Kashmiri chilli also lends a kick, but is more there for the gorgeous shade of red it brings.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Using a pestle and mortar, crush together the peppercorns, cumin seeds and garlic to make a textured spice paste.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium–high heat. Scatter in the mustard seeds and wait until they start to splutter and pop. Add the spice paste and curry leaves and fry for a minute to cook the garlic, toast the spices and crisp the curry leaves. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and asafoetida and cook until the tomatoes break down into a sauce, mashing and squishing as you go.

Step 3

Pour over 400ml (1½ cups) of water along with the salt and tamarind. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed to make the broth sour, sweet and hot. You can make up to this stage in advance.

Step 4

Stir through the coriander and thin with water if you want it more brothy. Cook for a final minute to heat through and serve.

Step 5

EAT WITH

Step 6

Either drink as a soup or serve as a brothy accompaniment to basmati rice with another Indian vegetable dish.