Fire Soup with Cucumber Raita

South Indian, Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups of peeled, diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tbsp jaggery**
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves** (this is absolutely necessary and worth the trip to get the leaves)
• 1 red chili, broken into two
• 1 tsp coriander seeds – roasted & powdered
• 1 tsp cumin seeds – roasted & powdered
• 2 tsp peppercorns – roasted & powdered
• 1⁄2 tbsps oil
• 4 cups of vegetable stock

How to make the soup:
1. Boil the tomatoes and jaggery in 4 cups of water.
2. Heat the oil.
3. Splutter the mustard seeds.
5. Add the curry leaves, red chili, asafoetida powder, and onion and fry for a minute.
6. Add the ground spices, green chilies and garlic and toss in the pan for another minute.
6. Pour it over the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

To make the raita:
1. peel, seed, and slice 1 cucumber into thin small triangle pieces.
2. Empty a 16-ounce container of yogurt into a serving bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of roasted ground cumin seed.
3. Stir and chill. serve as a side with the Fire Soup.

**the noted ingredients are essential to this soup and are most easily found in an ethnic Indian grocer. If you are in Pittsburgh, there is a very helpful store on Craig Street beside Luca Restaurant. Kohli’s Indian Imports – 319 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, 15213 – (412) 621-1800

adapted from:
http://www.indiaexpress.com/cooking/simple_rasam.html