Indianness IX - Mulligatawny Soup.....

For those of you wondering as to what this title means; well, it is the British equivalent of a South-Indian mouth-watering dish that goes about being referred to as Rasam/Saar/Saaru in most parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The British fell in love with this clone(?) of tomato soup. By the way, Mulligatawny soup refers to "Pepper Water" in Tamil. So, no points for guessing the ingredients of this dish. Tomatoes, Pepper, Curry leaves, Tamarind Water, Toor Dal, Mustard/Rye + Ghee for seasoning. Now, lets forget about the British. For all you know, this dish might very well be patented elsewhere under the name of Mulligatawny Soup for its medicinal properties. This dish does occupy a special place in the hearts of the people.

The making of the dish is relatively simple. Yet, only those fortunate few hands have that capability of making it taste really good. A person's cooking capabilities are often judged on the basis of the Rasam he/she prepares. Surprising, right. Well, this goes to say that the things taken for granted as simple/easy often prove to be the most difficult of things. Since the time of our ancestors, this dish has undergone numerous refinements.

First, the vessel itself. It is made in a "Seesas Thappel" which is actually made of lead or an alloy of lead. I had learnt (in high school Chemistry) that Tamarind and this very alloy react very slowly to create a compound that is poisonous. To put in simple words, preparation of Rasam in this vessel is definitely a slow poison. I used to wonder if our ancestors were mad for this fact didn't deter them or the inheritors of this legacy (us). They definitely believed in leading life the "Carpe Diem" way. And such is the hold of the sense of taste in a person's life, that we forget its poisonous nature. By the way, what is not a slow poison in this era of pollution?

Not every variety of tomato gives the same taste. In India, we have the Naattu Takkali (country side tomatoes) and Bangalore tomatoes. While the former is more on the sour side, small in size, and best when in the phase of neither being totally ripe or totally unripe; the latter is more on the sweet side. Well, Naattu Takkali does help in accentuating the taste of this dish. The Roma tomatoes available here serve the purpose, I suppose.

By the way, who would ever forget the role played by this dish during the grand meals (esp. during the festival times, marriages, upanayanams, etc). Served after Sambhar/Kootu, and before the customary second round of Kheer and first round of sweets, it is often a delight to watch people have Rasam Sadam/Saar Baath/Saaru Anna on a banana leaf. People are involved in this battle - how fast one can eat with the Rasam flowing all around the leaf towards the ground. I must say that people are ingenious. When the rice is served on the leaf, they make holes in the middle so as to accomodate Rasam. They build canals/dams/ and what not during that phase of the meal. Well, having this dish on a banana leaf demands great talent, and fortunately, one can achieve perfection by constant practice. Another lesson for us!

Well, I guess I have written a lot on this topic. Let me stop here. However, I must mention that such a simple dish, which most people take for granted, often proves to be elusive and blessed are the souls who have tasted and appreciated excellent Rasam. Well, what was served as Rasam in the messes would often drive away even the most tolerant of souls. So, people who had formed a biased opinion against Rasam, (courtesy that water which was doled out in huge quantities in the name of Rasam, only to be left untouched in most cases,) please do consider it favourably. Everything in the world deserves a second chance.

Lastly, I dedicate this blog to Gopi for having served this author excellent Rasam, a few days ago, in a place, miles away from the land of Rasam.