Kokum Soup ... a new ingredient in my pantry

Kokum - hmm, what do I do with this? One of those ingredients that I had read about in some of my fellow bloggers posts. I had never heard of it before. When browsing through an Indian grocery store in New Jersey, I came across the mystical Kokum - got delighted and bought some. But to my utter disappointment and frustration, I just could not find the recipes using Kokum. They had been lying around in my pantry not knowing when their lucky day will come :(

God bless Sushma of Savi-Ruchi! That's exactly what I as well as my lil' kokums are saying right now! :) She posted the Kokum Rasam recipe - just could not wait to try it. This is such an easy and tasty recipe - mind you, healthy also! Thank you, dear Sushma..will forever cherish this!

Health benefits of Kokum: "The rinds may be soaked in hot water for a few hours to extract the juice which may be mixed with spices and consumed directly. Alternatively, you could add a few pieces of the dried rind to curries and gravies as a substitute for other souring agents like tamarind, vinegar and lemon juice." - Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medicine/articles/15199.aspx


Ingredients:

• 5 Dried Kokum (8)
• 2 Dry red Chilli
• 1/2 tsp red Chilli-Cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp ground Pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp powdered Jaggery or Sugar
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Canola oil (Sushma recommends coconut oil - Go for it if you like the coconut oil flavor)
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 5 Curry leaves
• Salt according to taste
• Coriander leaves - For garnishing

Cooking Method:

• Soak the dried kokum in 1 (3) cup of water for 15 minutes.
• Add Salt, Sugar, Pepper-Cumin seeds-Red Chilli powder to the Kokum mixture and boil it.
• Temper the boiled mixture with mustard seeds, broken red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Add cliantro and serve.