– Heat a pan, dry roast black pepper corns and cumin seeds, till the aroma arises and let it cool
– Grind it to a coarse powder
– Chop the tomato finely. Add it to 2 cups of water and mash it well with your hands. You can also grind the tomato in a mixie jar and add it to water
– Crush the garlic pods with a pestle and keep aside
– Heat a pan with oil or ghee. Add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add asafoetida powder, crushed garlic, curry leaves, pepper cumin powder and roast for 10 seconds
– Add the pulpy tomato water, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well and let it come to a boil
– Add the remaining pepper cumin powder and let it boil for a 4-5 minutes over medium flame. The rasam will get reduced slightly by this time
– Add coriander leaves at the end