2 peeled jam tomatoes
1 finely chopped onion
1 head of garlic (approximately 10 cloves), minced
2 sprigs of curry leaves
3 green chillies
20g fresh coriander
3 dried chillies
2 ½ tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp jaggery
3 dried chillies
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
3 tbs king soup spice mix (roasted jeera seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, equal parts)
1 tsp jeera powder
2 tsp king soup powder (finely ground spice mix)
2 tsp powdered chicken stock
4 cups boiling water
Ffesh thyme
4 shredded chicken breasts (cooked)
1 tbs oil
200g split pea dhal
lemon
salt to taste
Peel and chop the jam tomatoes into small pieces. In a bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, fresh thyme, one sprig of curry leaves, the juice of half a lemon, tamarind paste, jaggary, and chicken stock powder.
Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the bowl and stir to mix. Set this aside to allow the flavours to infuse.
In a dry skillet, lightly roast the king soup spice mix (roasted jeera seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns) for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool slightly. Set 2 teaspoons aside to grind into a powder.
Add the roasted spices to a pestle and mortar along with the chopped green chillies, garlic, fresh coriander leaves, the second sprig of curry leaves, and salt to taste. Grind everything into a coarse paste.
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground spice mixture from the mortar and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the oil starts to separate.
Stir in the ground jeera powder and king soup powder. Cook for 2 minutes to allow the spices to bloom and infuse into the mixture.
Add the prepared tomato and tamarind mixture to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to soften and the flavours to meld.
Add the split pea dhall to the pot, followed by 3 cups of boiling water.
Stir in salt to taste, then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the dhall is tender and the soup has thickened to your desired consistency.
Add the shredded chicken breasts to the pot, stirring to combine. Let it cook for an additional 10 minutes to heat through and allow the chicken to absorb the flavours of the rasso.
Once the rasso has thickened and reached your desired consistency, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, tamarind, or lemon juice if needed.
Remove from heat and stir in freshly chopped coriander leaves
Serve the rasso hot with steamed rice or your preferred accompaniment.
Serves 4 to 6.