Tomato Rasam Vada

          This is a yummy South Indian breakfast recipe where urad dal vadas are served, dunked in rasam (soup). Here I have used some tomatoes and a little bit of tuvar dal to make this rasam. You can make it more tangier by adding some lemon juice. 

          It is absolutely a delicious first meal of the day. It can also be relished as a snack or as a light dinner too. Choice is yours. So do give it a try and I'm sure you'll just fall in love with this simple dish. This was my first try and I'm totally hooked to this melt-in-the-mouth delicacy. Will definitely give it a try again soon. How about you?

• 1/4 cup urad dal, soaked for 2-3 hours
• pinch of salt
• oil to deep fry
• 2-3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. tuvar dal, soaked for 30 minutes
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/2 tsp. peppercorns
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Grind the urad dal with very little water into a smooth batter. Add salt and beat well till light and fluffy. Grind the cumin seeds, peppercorns and garlic into a smooth paste. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonful of the batter into the hot oil. Deep fry them to a golden colour. Drain and keep aside.

          Pressure cook the soaked dal and tomatoes in 3-4 cups water for 4-5 whistles. After it cools down, blend it in a mixi grinder. Strain and keep aside. 

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil and temper with mustard seeds. asafoetida and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the ground paste and turmeric powder. Stir fry till the oil separates. 

           Add the tomato water and salt. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add the ghee. 

          While serving, dip the vadas in the rasam and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.