Tomato Kashaaya

I have been feeling under the weather from a few days. It's getting really cold and people have been coughing all around me. Have caught the bug now :(

I left early from from work and was in a mood for a homemade remedy. Mum used to make Kashaayas when we were ill. I make my own version with a saar element to it.

So what is Kashaaya and what is Saar?

Saar (more commonly known as rasam) is a watery broth made with vegetables and/or lentils to eat along with rice. Whereas Kashaayas are homemade remedies made with freshly ground spices. There are tons of them. For coughs & colds, stomach upsets, cramps etc.

This specific one is somewhere between the two. The soothing recipe is yummy, flavorful and comforting. I add lots of crushed peppercorns to make it spicy as fever and colds usually make everything tasteless and bland. The heat of peppercorns warms me up almost instantly
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Roasted and ground peppercorns and cumin add flavor and heat

To prepare this, I put around four glasses of water to boil. Added three chopped tomatoes, pinch of turmeric and salt. For the tadka, sautéed some crushed garlic in a little oil and add lots of crushed peppercorns and cumin powder. I dry roasted whole black peppercorns and cumin together and crushed it in the pestle motor before adding to the garlic for more flavor. The pepper is the real star. So be generous. Once the tomatoes cooked completely I added the garlic, pepper and cumin mixture to it.

Typing as I am sipping a mug-full! Make this soup, wrap yourself in blankets, turn on the telly and drink this magic potion.