Cumin and Pepper Rasam with Vadaam (milagu jeeraga rasam)

This rasam is usually made when someone in the house is suffering from cold or fever.
It is made and then mixed with some hot mashed rice and made very soupy so as to soothe the throat..
You will need
Water- 4 cups
Tamrind - a tiny ball size of 1inch diameter
Salt - as needed
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli - 1 (optional)
Curry Leaves - 6 or 7

---> Take the tamarind and soak it in 1 cup of water.
---> In another pan, dry roast the cumin and pepper till you smell them
---> Let cool and make in to a powder
---> When the tamarind is soaked, squeeze it well and pour the water in the vessel in which you plan to make the rasam and add the powder to it also, as well as the salt
---> Boil this in a medium flame and once it reaches a rolling boil add the rest of the water to it
---> Give tadka to this with ghee, mustard and the red chili and curry leaves

To eat this add the rasam to hot mashed rice. It helps if the rice is soft and mushy ...
a Close up of Vadam. These are rice wafers and tapioca wafers, deep fried in hot oil.
The first picture is of a vadam floating in rasam...