Poondu Rasam

Lightly roast 5g of cumin seeds and all black peppercorns in a dry pan until fragrant. Let cool, then grind to a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

Soak tamarind in 150g of hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze well to extract the pulp, then strain to remove any solids and fibers. Set aside the tamarind pulp.

Wash toor dal thoroughly and pressure cook with 200g of water and 1g of turmeric powder for 3-4 whistles until very soft and mushy. Mash the cooked toor dal well and set aside.