Bingo Recipes: Flu Rasam Soup

This Rasam soup is an ancient and proven cure for the common cold.

Do you have bingo fever? How about just a regular fever due to cold or flu? Well we've got a recipe for a miracle flu soup that will have you feeling better in no time, just in time for the cold and flu season too!

Ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes, one quartered and one chopped
1 garlic clove
4 cups water
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 fresh hot green chile, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon store-bought curry powder, or 2 teaspoons rasam powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Tempering Oil:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 whole dried red chiles
4 fresh or 6 to 8 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces (optional)
1 teaspoon unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
Puree the quartered tomato with the garlic in a blender of food processor. Set aside.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chopped tomato, the ginger, cilantro, and green chile. Turn the heat down and simmer 3 minutes.
Add the tomato-garlic puree, the curry or rasam powder, cumin, black pepper, and salt and simmer 5 minutes.
For the tempering oil, combine the oil and mustard seeds in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover (the mustard seeds splatter and pop) and cook until you hear the mustard seeds crackle, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chiles and cook uncovered, stirring, until they start to brown, about 30 seconds. Add the curry leaves and coconut, if using, and cook, stirring, until the coconut turns golden brown, about 30 more seconds. Pour immediately into the soup and stir. Serve hot.