pineapple rasam

Pineapple rasam recipe with step by step photos – spicy, tangy and lightly sweet rasam made with pineapple, lentils, tomato and spices. A vegan recipe.

Rasam is a spicy tangy soup made with tamarind and spices. In South Indian cuisine, rasam is made in many ways. Various vegetables and fruits are used to make it.

Rasam usually has a sour taste and the key ingredient that gives it the sour taste is tamarind. In this recipe, I have not used tamarind as the tangy tasty comes from the pineapple and tomatoes.

This pineapple rasam is a lovely variety of rasam. Having complex flavors, it is spicy, tangy, and faintly sweet.

The sweet tangy pineapple gives such a nice fruity flavor to the rasam. This flavor blends well with the pungency of the spices and herbs added. Try this pineapple rasam and you will like it for its uniqueness.

You can serve it with steamed rice or you can even have it as an appetizer soup. Both ways this rasam tastes awesome.

How to make pineapple rasam

1. Cook ¼ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils or arhar dal) in a pressure cooker with ¾ to 1 cup water and ⅛ tsp turmeric powder. Cook for 5 to 6 whistles or more till the lentils have softened completely.

If cooking in a pan, then soak the lentils for an hour. Drain and then cook them with the required amount of water.

TIP: You can also use moong dal instead of tuvar dal or a mix of both the lentils.

2. Mash the cooked lentils very well with a spoon or wired whisk and keep it aside.

3. In a mortar, take 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black pepper and 5 to 6 medium-sized garlic cloves.

4. Crush coarsely with the pestle. Keep aside. You can also use a small grinder to crush these spices.

5. Chop the pineapple into small cubes and keep it aside. You will need 1 cup of pineapple cubes or 140 grams of pineapple.

6. Now add half of the chopped pineapple cubes in a grinder jar or small blender.

7. Blend to a smooth puree. Take this puree in a bowl and keep it aside.

8. To the same jar, add 1 medium sized tomato, quartered or roughly chopped. You need approx 75 grams of tomatoes.

9. Pulse the jar a couple of times to crush the tomatoes. You don’t need to make a puree. You can even crush the tomatoes with your hands.

Making pineapple rasam

10. Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pot or pan. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and crackle them.

You can use any neutral flavored oil.

11. Now add the coarse paste of garlic+pepper+cumin and 2 to 3 dry red chilies. Stir and keep the heat to a low so that the spices do not get burnt.

12. Add 6 to 7 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). To make the dish gluten-free skip adding asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida.

13. Stir and then add crushed tomatoes.

14. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame till the raw aroma of tomatoes goes away. You should also be able to see the oil at the sides.

15. Add the pineapple puree.

16. Stir very well and saute for 2 minutes.

17. Then add the mashed dal.

18. Next add the remaining half of the chopped pineapple cubes. Stir.

19. Add 1.5 cups water.

20. Add 1 to 2 tsp rasam powder. The addition of rasam powder is optional and you even skip it if you don’t have it.

21. Season with salt as per taste.

22. Stir very well and bring the rasam to a simmer on low to medium flame, without the lid for 8 to 9 minutes.

23. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and Serve pineapple rasam hot with steamed rice or as an appetizer soup.

More Rasam varieties

• Tomato rasam
• Rasam recipe
• Milagu rasam
• Lemon rasam
• Paruppu rasam

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