Being a South Indian, rice is our staple. Rasam and rice are literally what we grew up eating (almost every day). Our typical everyday lunch would be rice, some sambar or kuzhambu, and rasam along with some curry and we would end the meal with thayir sadam (yogurt rice). There would be days when there would be no sambar but rasam will always be on the menu. After a tiring day, when amma would be clueless about what to cook for dinner, the simple answer would be rasam sadam. It would mostly be Milagu Jeera rasam / Pepper cumin rasam with some steaming hot rice and a good dollop of ghee.
What is Rasam?
Rasam is a broth-like soup made with tomatoes, tamarind water, rasam spice powder, and lentil and then simmered. Rasam sadam is the most comforting meal when we are sick or under the weather. Rice and rasam are also what is introduced as one of the earliest meals to a child. Rasam made with pepper and cumin is great for digestion after a heavy meal. When under the weather, rasam made with turmeric, garlic, and pepper is very soothing for the body and throat. At the first sign of sickness, we all were fed rasam rice. It keeps us filled up yet is easy on the stomach.
Why make One pot rasam sadam?
I first tasted rasam sadam cooked as a one-pot meal when we went to India last summer. It is a very popular item served at weddings and functions by caterers. We performed the upanayanam function for our younger son and when deciding the menu, the caterer mentioned rasam sadam. Tomato Rasam Tomato Juice Rasam Milagu Jeera Rasam / Cumin Pepper Rasam That is when I even knew that it is a thing now and is becoming very popular. I can why it is becoming popular though.
It is very convenient to make rasam and rice together as a one-pot meal as it saves time. Making it in the instant pot or pressure cooker is the best option as we don’t have to stand around waiting for the rasam to boil and simmer. It is literally a dump, mix, and cook recipe. The flavors are amazing as the rice is cooked along with the rasam ingredients.
I made this Instant pot rasam sadam using a recipe that does not use rasam powder. This time I used fresh spices and it makes it very convenient for anyone to make it. If you make rasam frequently, having this homemade rasam powder is a good idea.
Ingredients needed
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Rice - I use Sona masoori rice for regular cooking. Use any short-grain rice as rasam sadam is soft and mushy and long-grain rice or Basmati don’t work too well. Tomato - Use ripe and juicy tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes also work well. Spices - I used black pepper, cumin seeds, ginger, green chilies, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt. Lentil - I used toor dal to make the rasam rice. Garnish - Lemon juice and cilantro (coriander leaves) Seasoning - Rasam tastes the best when seasoned in ghee. I used ghee and mustard seeds. If making it vegan, skip the ghee and use oil.
Step by step process
Prep work - Soak the toor dal / tuvaram paruppu in water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Grind together, tomato, ginger, black pepper, cumin, seeds, drained lentil (toor dal), and green chilies. Turn the instant pot on sauté mode. Add the Ghee and then when it heats up, add the mustard seeds (1). Add the ground tomato mixture to the instant pot along with turmeric powder, asafoetida, and salt (2). Mix well. Add the washed and drained rice, and mix to combine (3). Now add the water needed (4). I used about 3 cups of water. We can adjust the consistency to make it runnier after the rasam sadam is done cooking. Set the instant pot on pressure cook mode for 12 minutes. I also placed a trivet and then placed some white rice to cook to use for Yogurt rice. Once the instant pot turns off let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and carefully mix everything together. If you prefer smoother and creamier rasam rice, gently mash everything together using a ladle. Adjust the consistency of the rice by adding hot water. Again I used close to one cup of hot water to make my rasam sadam more flowing in consistency. At this stage also check for salt and adjust it. Add the lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
Serving suggestion
Serve the one-pot rasam rice hot with poriyal or appalam. I served mine with potato curry. Rasam sadam also tastes amazing when served alongside crunchy chips. Pair it with Raw banana chips or Bittergourd chips and you will be amazed. When I make spicy rasam sadam, I like to pair it with something cooling. Kootu or pachadi/raita are best then.
Expert tips
I did not use tamarind for my one-pot rasam sadam recipe and instead used lemon juice. If not using lemon juice, soak a small marble-sized tamarind piece and grind it along with the tomatoes. Seasoning with ghee gives the rasam sadam the best flavor. Skip the ghee and use any cooking oil to make it vegan. I soaked and ground the toor dal to get the smooth texture of rasam rice and also to make sure that the lentils cook. Rasam rice will keep becoming thicker and soak up all the liquid as it cools. Make sure to adjust the consistency by adding hot water. Also, make sure to check the salt if adding hot water.
Frequently asked questions
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