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South Indian · Indian

Milagu rasam

Vegetarian

மிளகு ரசம் · miḷaku racam

A fiery, warming Tamil rasam built on freshly roasted and ground black pepper, cumin and coriander with tamarind and garlic — the classic home remedy for colds.

Milagu rasam is a South Indian soup, ready in about 35 minutes and made with black pepper and tamarind. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
60

Ingredients

4 servings

Roasted spice powder

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Dry-roast the peppercorns, cumin (opens in a new tab), coriander, toor dal (opens in a new tab) and chilli in a small pan over low heat until the dal turns golden and the spices smell toasty. Cool, then grind to a coarse powder.

    Keep the heat low — burnt pepper turns bitter.

  2. Step 2

    Simmer the tamarind (opens in a new tab) water with the tomato (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt until the raw tamarind smell disappears.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the water and the spice powder. Heat until the rasam rises and froths, then turn off the heat before it comes to a rolling boil.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab), pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab), add the curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab) and pour over the rasam. Add coriander and cover for a few minutes so the flavours infuse.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

About this dish

Origin
Tamil Nadu, India · Well documentedAlso popular in Sri LankaMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method
Toasted, Simmered
Taste
peppery, tangy, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · One-pot
Cook more with
Tamarind · Cumin · Ground coriander · Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Dried whole chillies · Tomato
Techniques
Toasting · Boiling · Simmering · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Dry grinding

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee
  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

60 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 197 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy60 kcal30 kcal
Protein1.7 g0.9 g
Carbohydrate8.3 g4.2 g
Net carbohydrate6.5 g3.3 g
Sugars2.3 g1.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.8 g0.9 g
Fat2.8 g1.4 g
Saturated fat1.5 g0.7 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol6 mg3 mg
Sodium591 mg299 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
199 mg
Calcium
46 mg
Iron
1.1 mg
Magnesium
24 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
37 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
20 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Adjust the pepper to taste — 1 tsp is gentle, 2 tsp is properly fiery.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard after the spice powder goes in — the pepper turns harsh and the aroma is lost.

Serve with

  • Mix with hot rice and a little ghee, or drink from a tumbler.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; it gets more peppery as it stands.

Reheating

  • Warm gently; don't boil hard.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Tamarind, soaked in 200 ml hot water, squeezed and strained15 g
  • Tomato, chopped1 piece · 120 g
Used in step 2

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Rasam powder

    This recipe roasts and grinds it from whole spices (22 g for 4 servings). The full masala recipe explains each step in detail.

    Make Rasam powder

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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