Hello all,
I am back from our trip to vegas and Grand canyon. It was very nice trip, my little one enjoyed it very much. We had a chanced to go to west side of the grand canyon where there is the new ’sky-walk bride’. It was so exciting to walk on that and same time scary to look down. Well, had a nice break and back to blogging again.
For our everyday lunch, I usually make rice dishes, most of the days it rice and sambar/saaru, with veggies playa. Some day is one-pot rice dishes. But Rice and rasam is our favorite meal all the time. I make this atleast one a week. Would like to send this to Asha’s RCI- Kanataka.

In Kannada rasam is also know as Thili saaru. Thili meaning like water. This rasam is made with just tomatos no dal is added and freshly roasted cumin-black pepper powder give nice taste and aroma to it. This is how my mom makes and most home in Mysore region make it the same way just with tomatoes.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes- 2 big ones
- Spices- rasam powder- 1 tbsp, cumin-black pepper powder 2 tsp, turmeric- 1/2 tsp.
- Others- Jaggery 2 tbsp and tamarind juice (this is optional)
For seasoning:
- Oil- 1tsp
- Mustard seeds, red chilli ,few curry leaves and hing a small pinch.
Garnish
- Corriender/cilantro leaves
- 1Tbsp of coconut.( I was out of it so havent’t added)
Here is the recipe for Rasam

- Pressure cook the tomatoes, remove the skin,mash and extract the juice of it by squeesing the tomatoes and discard the tough pulp. (Make sure tomatoes are cool enough to handle)
- Dry roast 1 tsp of each cumin and black pepper for few minutes and crush it. (Freshely made tastes good).
- Combine all the ingredints and bring it to high boil add jaggery and tamarind extract and salt to taste. Let it all cook together for 10-12 mins.
- Then switch off and do the seasoning with oil, mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and one red chilli.
- Lastely garnish with cilantro leaves.
Enjoy with plain white rice of tastes good with puliyogare and with cumin and black pepper added to the rasam, pour hot rasam to a small steel-coffee cup and just take sip after sip after sip, this is the way I enjoy rasam.

September 24, 2007 at 9:47 am
Good to see you back Madhu! When we went to Grand Canyon, they didn’t have that walkway yet. Lucky, you got to walk on that!! I saw on TV, it does look scary and expensive too!! Glad you enjoyed it!:))
Lovely Thili Saaru, I drink it in a cup!:D
Thank you for taking time Madhu, I appreciate it.
Best way enjoy thili saaru is drink it up, I do it same way. Its my pleasure Asha, wish I had more time to send you some more recipes. Can’t wait for the round-up.
September 24, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Wow …Lovely looking entree…Simpel , neat and delicious.
September 24, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Ah, comfort food! I make it the same way, but temper with ghee
September 24, 2007 at 10:20 pm
lovely!
September 24, 2007 at 10:53 pm
With a grind of fresh pepper, thats one tasty bowl of hot soup!
September 25, 2007 at 7:23 am
I loooove rasam . I don’t add jaggery in mine. Will try it your way next time.
Where ever we use tamarind we use jaggery with that, it enhances and balance the tangyness of tamarind.
September 25, 2007 at 8:53 am
HI there,
I am a regular visitor on your blog, you have a nice one going here… I am from Mysore too. Reading your blog brings back memories of my mom’s cooking.
Best
Aparna
Thanks for stoping by Aparna, Nice to know one more mysore girl. Glad to share the same memories of food.
October 17, 2007 at 11:59 am
Hey Madhu,
Typical mysooru tili saaru, liked the recipe , this is just the way my mom cooks back in Bengaluru…I feel this style of making rasam is more delicious to kannadigas then Andhra Style…I find many blogs on kannadiga dishes over internet..which is really great…you guys are doing a great lot to document and preserve Kannadiga recipes
Welcome to my blog Praveen, and you are right this is typical to mysore and bangalore region. Its really a pleasure to document and share the recipes we grew up eating. Hope you’ll try some recipes too. Thanks
January 18, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Hello, Please see the link below. I think she stole ur recipe word to word. No credits are given. Infact all the recipes on her website are stolen from others.
http://iaminhungry.blogspot.com/2007/10/tomato-rasam.html
Hey thanks for the info, I did check and left a comment there.
January 30, 2008 at 1:49 am
Hello Madhu,
Not sure how I ended up in your site but I am glad I did. So many of these recipes remind me of my Mom’s food. She also mentioned about adding Jaggery to any dish where you use tamarind or lemon. BTW, is brown sugar an okay substitute?
Thanks for posting all these recipes
Welcome Raghu,
We too use Jaggery where ever tamarind is used. Dark brown sugar is next best thing if you don’t have jaggery so go ahead use it. Thanks for stoping by.
July 1, 2008 at 5:32 am
Hi Madhu,
I;m so excited to your site. I wonder howcome I didnt find it b4. You are doing a great job.I love rasam .When I make I usually dont put jeera and tamarind. Never mind I’m definitely gonna try your recipe and get back to you.I’m sure its going to be delicious.
April 20, 2009 at 11:22 am
What happened to togari bele in tili saaru? would you not add bele to tili saaru?
There are so many recipes for thilisaru/rasam. So this is ‘no bele’ recipe.. just plain tomato thili saru. Thanks for your time.
Shiva