Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 3 - 5 betel leaves (depends on size)
2. 2 tbsp toor dal
3. 1 tomato
4. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
5. 1.5 tsp salt (or as per your taste)
6. Gooseberry sized tamarind
7. 1 - 2 tsp jaggery
8. 2 spoon rasam powder
9. 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
10. 1 tsp cooking oil

Ingredients for tempering:

1. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1 red chilli
4. A big pinch of asafoetida
5. 5 - 6 curry leaves
6. 2 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions for making veelyadele saaru or betel leaf rasam:

1. Rince and remove the stalk from the betel leaves.
2. Make it into rough pieces and take it in a mixie jar.
3. Add rinsed toor dal.
4. Add in chopped tomato.
5. Grind it into a fine paste by adding required water.
6. In a kadai or pan, prepare tempering with oil, mustard, cumin and red chilli.
7. Add in asafoetida and curry leaves. Reduce the flame.
8. Add the ground paste. Fry and cook until raw smell is gone (around 2 minutes).
9. Add in a cup of water and give a good mix.
10. Add in salt as per taste.
11. Add in tamarind as per taste.
12. Add in jaggery as per taste.
13. Adjust the consistency and bring it to boil. You can adjust the salt, sweet and sour level at tis stage.
14. Add in rasam powder. Continue boiling for a minute.
15. Add in chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.