Healthy, delicious Rasam!

5 from 2 votes

With the betel leaves we can make quick rasam which helps to soothe and cure cold / cough. Betel Leaves Rasam / Vethalai rasam is simple and easy to make and it has the strong flavor of vethalai along with other spices.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Betel Leaves, also called as Vethalai in tamil has lots of medicinal properties. In Southern India, we consider these leaves as so auspicious and we offer betel leaves to God and also its auspicious to give to women and girls betel leaves with betel nuts along with turmeric and kumkum. Also, in marriages or other occasions, after a heavy food, we will take betel leaves with betel nuts for digestion. For cough / cold my MIL used to make a kashayam with betel leaves, pepper and tulsi leaves. With the betel leaves we can make quick rasam which helps to soothe and cure cold / cough. Betel Leaves Rasam / Vethalai rasam is simple and easy to make and it has the strong flavor of vethalai along with other spices.

Rasam is an integral part of any South Indian Meal, especially for Tamilians. A perfect meal will be complete only with Rasam. Mostly everyday I make Tomato Rasam, but over weekend, I try to make different Rasam variety like Garlic Rasam, Mysore Rasam, Lemon rasam etc. This Vethalai Rasam is very new to me. I learnt it from one of the mami in my MIL’s native agraharam. she told how healthy this rasam is and she explained how to make this. Try this Vethalai Rasam and share your comments!

Method:

Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice
First wash the betel leaves and remove the stem. Chop the the betel leaves and grind it to a paste
Take peppercorns, cumin seeds and garlic cloves in a mixer jar or a pestel-mortar and crush it coarsely
Heat a sauce pan. Add tamarind juice, tomato, turmeric powder, salt, asafetida, curry leaves and crushed peppercorns+cumin seeds+garlic cloves and allow the mixture to boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off
Then, add the betel leaves paste and stir well. Allow this mixture to boil again for couple of minutes
Add water and adjust the consistency. Keep the flame low till a frothy layer forms on top of the rasam and then switch off the flame
Garnish with coriander leaves
Heat ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add broken red chili along with curry leaves and sauté for few seconds and then pour this seasoning into the rasam
Yummy and healthy Vethalai Rasam (Betel Leaves Rasam) ready to serve!