Lemon and Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:
Tomatoes – 3, medium
Rasam powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tbsp
Mustard – 3/4 tsp
Gingelly oil
Green chilli – 1, finely chopped
Lemon – 1, cut into two halves
Coriander leaves – a few strands

Method:
1. Dice each tomato into 4 cubes.
2. Boil the tomatoes in 3 to 4 glasses of water. Allow them to boil until the tomatoes soften, the skins given away and start dissolving. Alternately, you can pressure cook them too.
3. Next, mix rasam powder and salt to the steaming tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to simmer for some more time.
4. heat gingelly oil in a pan. To it add the mustard seeds. Once they start cracking, put in the chopped pieces of green chilli.
5. Then empty the crackled mustard-chilli mixture over the boiling rasam. Allow it to simmer for 5 more minutes.
6. Squeeze juice of both halves of the cut lemon into the steaming rasam.
7. Use the coriander leaves to garnish it. Remove from heat. Cover the pan with a lid so that the aroma is retained.
8. Serve hot with steamed rice.