Nimmakaya Charu (Lemon Rasam, Lemon lentil Soup)

Ingredients:

• Lemons – 1 no.
• Tomato – 2 nos.
• Toor Dal (Kandi pappu, red gram) – 1 cup
• Green chillies (chopped) – 2 small
• Ginger (chopped) – 1in
• Cilantro (chopped)
• Black Pepper (miriyalu) – 1 tsp.
• Jeera (curry)– 1 tsp.
• Pinch of turmeric.
• Salt to taste.

Seasoning (popu, tadka)

• Ghee – 1 tsp.
• Red chillies – 2 no.
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp.
• Jeera – ½ tsp.

Preparation:

Pressure cook toor dal and tomatoes. Mash the cooked dal. (Note: Remove excess water if any from the cooked dal and add it to the mashed dal). Add 1 cup of water if needed to make it rasam (soup) like. Add green chillies and ginger to the rasam and let it simmer for 5-10 mins.
Powder black pepper and jeera and add it to the rasam. Add turmeric and salt after 5 mins.
Seasoning (tadka, popu): Heat ghee and add the above seasoning sequentially and let the mustard seeds splitter.Add the seasoning to the rasam.
Garnish it with cilantro and let it be.
Squeeze lemon juice to the rasam before serving (note: not while on the stove).