collection of 16 tasty rasam varieties – rasam is a south indian variation of soup made with tamarind pulp as a base along with spices & herbs. lentils can be added or skipped in rasam.

there are many varieties of rasam. it can be made in two ways – with rasam powder and without rasam powder. further you can make it with different veggies & herbs like tomato, drumstick, pineapple, lemon, garlic, ginger etc. rasam can also be made with fruits like pineapple, apple, mango etc.

the word rasam is derived from the word ‘rasa’ which means juice or extract. the other names for rasam is chaaru in telugu and saaru in kannada. if you carefully see the word ‘saaru’, it is also derived from the word ‘saar’ which means essence.

in rasam the extract that is usually used is tamarind extract/pulp and sometimes tomato puree/juice. some variations like pineapple rasam use pineapple puree. lemon rasam uses lemon juice. beetroot rasam will use beetroot stock (extract) and so on.

rasam is usually thin in consistency and can be served as an appetizer or can be had a soup. you can also serve rasam with steamed rice accompanied with a side veggie dish along with sambar.

rasam should not be overcooked so that the flavors from the spices don’t get lost. many rasam varieties are very good for coughs, colds and fever. specially during rainy season or when the season is changing and you are more prone to cold then you can make rasam varieties like pepper cumin rasam or lemon rasam.

you can also check these south indian recipes collections:

• 11 idli recipes
• 36 dosa recipes
• 16 sambar recipes
• top 30 south indian breakfast recipes
• 12 coconut chutney recipes to along with idli, dosa, medu vada.

16 rasam varieties or rasam recipes:

1. rasam recipe – an easy rasam recipe that is made without rasam powder. this rasam is sour, spicy and is warming to the palette.

2. tomato rasam – this is also an easy recipe to make tomato rasam. the recipe is made with tomato puree. no dal/lentils are added. there is also no tamarind added in the recipe and you don’t need any rasam powder too.

3. pepper rasam or milagu rasam – this is a variation of rasam made with black pepper, tamarind, tomatoes and other spices. excellent for cold and cough.

4. lemon rasam – spicy, tangy rasam made with lemon juice and coriander leaves.

5. mysore rasam – spiced delicious rasam recipe from the karnataka cuisine. unlike regular south indian rasams, mysore rasam has lentils and fresh coconut added. the addition of fresh coconut  makes this rasam tastes too good along with the flavors coming from ground spices. as a result this rasam goes very well with steamed rice.

6. pineapple rasam – spicy, tangy, and lightly sweet rasam made with fresh pineapple, lentils and spices.

7. quick thakkali rasam recipe – easy to prepare and instant recipe of tomato rasam. you do not need to add rasam powder or tamarind.

8. pepper cumin rasam – a spicy, tangy and hot appetizer drink made from tamarind pulp, black pepper and cumin. this rasam is excellent remedy for cough and cold.

9. garlic rasam – spiced, sour rasam made with garlic and spices. the recipe does not make use of rasam powder and cooked dal (lentils).

10. beetroot rasam recipe – a spicy, tangy and delicious rasam variety. beetroot rasam has light sweet tones of the beetroot blending beautifully with the sour taste of tamarind and the spiciness coming from the black peppers and dry red chilies.

11. tomato charu recipe – easy and quick recipe of tomato rasam made andhra style. rasam is also known as charu in andhra pradesh and saaru in karnataka.

12. dal rasam –  spicy rasam recipe made from pigeon pea lentils or arhar dal. this dal rasam warms the body and is excellent when one has bouts of cold, chill and cough.

13. curd rasam recipe – mor rasam also known as buttermilk rasam is a rasam variety made from curd or buttermilk. usually sour curd is used to make mor rasam and this gives a nice sour taste in the rasam along with the spiciness coming from the spices which are added.

11. tamarind rasam – this is a sour and spicy rasam recipe. the sourness comes from the tamarind and the spiciness & heat comes from the spices that are used in making rasam – mainly black pepper, cumin, garlic and red chilies. you don’t need rasam powder to make this recipe.

15. drumstick rasam – tangy and slightly sweet rasam due to the addition of jaggery warmed with spices and the flavor of drumsticks.

16. coconut milk rasam recipe – this rasam recipe is made with thick coconut milk, tamarind pulp, rasam powder and spices. the addition of coconut milk gives a creamy subtle sweet hints in the rasam. but of course the rasam does have a sour taste as tamarind is used.