Pachai puli rasam is made by no cook method, with simple ingredients, yet so unique in taste and flavor. Within minutes this is ready and worth a try.

Make it as a part of your south Indian lunch menu, for a change or for a quick fix.
This is a variation of my 10 mins rasam recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing potato curry recipe. My BIL shared this recipe and I knew it will be good, a must try.
Ingredients
Here are the things needed for this pachai puli rasam
- Tamarind (Puli)
- Jaggery
- Tomato
- Black Pepper
- Cumin seeds
- Green chillies
- Garlic cloves
- Coriander leaves
See recipe card for full list and quantities.
Instructions
1. Soak a small lemon sized tamarind (puli) firstly in half cup hot water for 15 mins minimum or upto 30 mins.
2. After that, extract the tamarind (puli) juice to make it 1 cup in total (use another ½ cup to extract the pulp). Set aside.
3. Next, add roughly chopped tomato to this and mash with your hands to soften it, bringing out the pulp. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, gather the ingredients needed to crush.
5. Now, take a mortar pestle and add the ingredients for crushing along with rock salt. Rock salt helps crushing easily, however, if you don't have just use table salt.
6. Crush furthermore until you get a coarse paste.
7. Add it to the rasam.
8. Meanwhile boil 2 cups water.
9. Pour it to the rasam.
10. Add jaggery and mix furthermore.
11. Taste and finally adjust the salt if needed. It should be slightly more as when you mix with rice, it will be balanced.
Serve with hot rice.
Hint: I used this VISIONS corningware (affiliate link) for this recipe.
Substitutions
Here are some substitutions.
- Tamarind - Mine was pudhu puli (white variety) which works best for this recipe. In fact It lends flavor to the rasam mainly. So use best quality, white ones.
You can use ready made paste (Indian brand like Priya) in place of fresh puli. Just mix with hot water. - Tomato - Tangy naatu thakkali will be my choice but any variety should work. If big, use ¾th alone.
- Garlic - I used naatu poondu (small variety), if you are using malai poondu (large) then reduce to 5 numbers.
You can add finely minced small onion (shallots) in place of garlic. Along with puli and coriander leaves, it will be really flavorful. - Jaggery makes this rasam smooth and balanced, you can add sugar if you do not have jaggery in stock.
The recipe is naturally vegan.
Variations
You can adjust the recipe to suit your taste buds.
- Spicy - Increase black pepper or green chilli's quantiy.
- Deluxe - add finely chopped small onions (shallots)
- Kid friendly - Skip green chilli or the black pepper.
See this spicy version recipe on my website!
Equipment
Mortar pestle is really handy for me when I make rasam. I mostly make rasam with fresh ground masala and use it.
If you do not have one, you can use a regular mixie and use just the pulse option without continuously grinding it.
Storage
Since we are not cooking the rasam and use our hands extensively, this should be consumed immediately (3-4 hours). Do not store leftovers.
Top tip
- Use boiling hot water whenever needed.
- If puli is not fresh and old, reduce the quantity as the old puli is too tangy.
- My chilli is medium spiced. So adjust the numbers according to the chilli variety. Make sure to use enough as if it is less, the rasam will be too tangy or bland.
Related
Recipe card
Pachai puli rasam recipe
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
Ingredients
- 1 small lemon size Tamarind Pudhu puli
- ½ teaspoon Jaggery
- 1 Tomato
- 3 cups Water Divided
- Rock salt or table salt
To crush
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 Green chillies
- 7 cloves Garlic small
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves Handful (I used less as I had no stock)
Instructions
- Soak a small lemon sized tamarind firstly in half cup hot water for 15 mins minimum or upto 30 mins.
- After that, extract the tamarind juice to make it 1 cup in total (use another ½ cup to extract the pulp). Set aside.
- Next, add roughly chopped tomato to the tamarind juice and crush your hands to soften it, bringing out the pulp. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, gather the ingredients needed to crush.
- Now, take a mortar pestle and add the ingredients for crushing along with rock salt. Rock salt helps crushing easily, however, if you don't have just use table salt.Rock salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds, 2 Green chillies, 7 cloves Garlic, ¼ cup Coriander leaves
- Crush furthermore until you get a coarse paste.
- Add it to the tamarind juice.
- Meanwhile boil 2 cups water.
- Pour it to the rasam.
- Add jaggery and mix furthermore.
- Taste and adjust the salt if needed. It should be slightly more as when you mix with hot rice, it will be balanced.
Video
Notes
- Use boiling hot water whenever needed.
- If tamarind is not fresh and old, reduce the quantity as the old tamarind variety is too tangy.
- My chilli is medium spiced. So adjust the numbers according to the chilli variety. Make sure to use enough as if it is less, the rasam will be too tangy or bland.
Leave a Reply