Wheatgrass Rasam

This is a delicious rasam made with simple spices and wheatgrass. This flavorful rasam can be served with cooked grains along with veggies and papad.

Wheatgrass is a supe food! It is a micro green. Wheatgrass is the wheat berries' freshly sprouted leaves. It is rich in micronutrients and vitamins, especially, Vitamin A, C, and E. It may help in lowering the cholesterol, blood sugar, and reduce the inflammation too! Wheatgrass juice is quite a popular health drink. Nowadays wheatgrass is also available in powdered form which enables people to include this nutrient powerhouse in easy recipes. 

If you are wondering why rasam with wheatgrass then the simple answer is - not everyone is capable of having 

wheatgrass juice. The earthy flavor of the wheatgrass may not be appealing to all. If the juice is added to recipes, the flavors may weld together resulting in more easier consumption. So, I used the juice of the wheatgrass in this rasam to get the benefits from this wonder food! By the way, chop the wheatgrass and then grind, preferably with a powerful blender.

Like in traditional rasam, tamarind is used in this recipe too for the tangy base. The juice is added in the place of water to make up the liquid quantity. In this rasam, I adapted a version of jeeraga rasam, where we roast the dal-pepper mixture. The roasting in ghee gives a soothing and comforting flavor. For the vegan version, use any oil (coconut oil adds to the flavor and aroma too!) for roasting as well as tempering. The spices, tangy tamarind, and the earthy wheatgrass juice, all play along resulting in a flavorful rasam that even wheatgrass haters would love to have!

I am sharing delicious and soothing rasam recipes from A-Z as a part of Blogging Marathon this year. For the letter 'W' in this series, this comforting Wheatgrass Rasam is my entry. Check the links below for the rasam recipes shared as a part of this series.

A - Apple rasam

B - Basil and Balsamic Vinegar Rasam

C - Cauliflower Rasam

D - Dill Rasam Recipe II

E - Ellu Rasam

F - Fennel Rasam

G- Gooseberry Rasam

H - Herb and Hemp Seeds Rasam

I - Instant Garlic Rasam

J - Jamun/Black Plum Rasam

K -Kokum Rasam

L - Lemongrass Rasam

M- Manga (Raw Mango) Rasam

N - Neem Flower/Veppampoo Rasam

O - Oma Rasam

P - Persian Sour Plum Rasam

Q -Quatre Rasam

R - Rhubarb Rasam

S - Sprouts Rasam

T -  Tomatillo Rasam

U - Ulavacharu/Horsegram Rasam

V - Vetrilai Rasam

I am also linking this to Full Plate Thursday, Wonderful Wednesday, and Thursday Favorite Things.

Ingredients

Tamarind - 1 tsp

Water - 2 and 1/4 cup

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Wheatgrass - 1/2 cup, packed

To Roast and Grind

Ghee/coconut oil - 1 tsp

Toor dal - 1 tsp

Red chili - 1, torn

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Cumin - 1 tsp

For Tempering

Ghee/coconut oil - 1 tsp

Dried red chili -1, torn

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method

Soak the tamarind in half cup water and extract the juice using another three quarters of a cup water.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan and roast the dal, red chilies, and black pepper for a minute or until they are golden. Set aside to cool.

When the mixture is cool, add the cumin and grind to a powder.

Add the tomatoes and turmeric powder to the tamarind water and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

In the meantime, grind the wheatgrass with a cup of water.

Filter and discard the fiber. The juice is to be used in the rasam.

Add the wheatgrass juice, salt, and the ground spice mixture to the tamarind water. When the rasam begins to boil, remove from the flame.

Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of ghee. Add the red chili and mustard seeds. When it splutters add the cumin, followed by asafetida and curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds. Pour onto the rasam.

Serve with cooked grains with veggies.