Raw Mango Rasam is a light, tangy and delicious South Indian soup made with green mangoes, spices and herbs. It's an easy and comforting dish that pairs perfectly with hot steamed rice. A must-try summer recipe when raw mangoes are in season.
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What is mango rasam?
Mango rasam is a light, tangy and flavorful South Indian dish made with raw green mangoes, spices, and herbs. It is also known as manga rasam, mangai rasam, mavinakayi saaru and mamidikaya charu. If you've never had rasam before, think of it as a lightly spiced broth or soup typically served with white rice. It can also be enjoyed on its own like a warm and comforting soup.
There are many varieties of traditional rasam recipes such as drumstick rasam, tomato rasam, and lemon rasam. Traditionally, rasam is made with tamarind extract for sourness, but we are using raw mango in this variation. In many South indian homes, rasam is a staple because it is light, easy to digest, and pairs wonderfully with rice and a simple vegetable stir-fry such as Vazhakkai Podimas, Jackfruit Seeds Stir Fry, Aratikaya Vepudu, Dondakaya Kobbari Karam, and Seppankizhangu Varuval.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Raw Mango - Use unripe green mangoes for the best tangy flavor. Do not use ripe or semi-ripe mangoes that are sweet. If you don't have raw mangoes or are looking for a similar flavor, you can swap them with dried green mango pieces or amchur powder.
Rasam Powder - It's a South Indian spice blend made with roasted spices like coriander seeds, red chilies, cumin and black pepper. You can use homemade or store-bought rasam powder. If you don't have it, replace it with freshly ground cumin-black pepper powder for a similar flavor.
Spices - You will need some mustard seeds and cumin seeds for tempering. They will add an authentic aroma and depth. Do not skip mustard and cumin seeds.
You will also need a small amount of turmeric powder, which adds a lovely color and earthy flavor.
Herbs - Fresh curry leaves and cilantro (coriander leaves) are essential to make any variety of South Indian rasam. You can skip one of them, though the flavor won't be the same.
Variations:
With dal - Add a little cooked and mashed toor dal (pigeon peas) to make the rasam healthy and filling. It also makes it slightly thicker.
Without rasam powder - If you don't have rasam powder handy, just grind black pepper, cumin seeds and dried red chili into a quick spice mix.
With tomato - If you are a lover of classic tomato rasam, feel free to add a finely chopped tomato while boiling.
How to make Mango Rasam
Wash, peel and chop the raw mango into cubes. Add enough water to cover the pieces and cook covered until they turn soft.
Once they are cooked well, turn off the heat.
Mash it using a potato masher until smooth or chunky. You can also grind it to a smooth paste using a blender.
Add 3 cups of water, salt, jaggery, cilantro, curry leaves, green chili, turmeric powder and rasam powder.
Mix everything well and bring it to a rolling boil.
Heat oil in a small frying pan or tadka pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add a pinch of hing and turn off the flame.
Pour the tempered ingredients over the boiled rasam and combine well. Serve hot with rice.
Tips & Notes:
Choose a firm and raw (unripe) mango for the best flavor. It should be tangy but not too fibrous. You may need to add more or less depending on the sourness of the mangoes.
You can also cook the mangoes in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.
Mash the cooked mango either smooth or chunky, depending on your preference. If you want it very smooth, grind it using a blender.
Adjust the spiciness and sweetness by adding more jaggery and green chilies.
Avoid boiling too long for the best flavor.
Storage suggestions:
It stays fresh for 2 days if stored in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator.
Reheat it gently on the stovetop whenever you want to serve.
Serving suggestions:
The classic way to enjoy rasam is by pouring it over hot steamed rice with a little bit of ghee. It also tastes great with a side of papad, potato fry or potato chips.
It can also be served as a warm soup.
More South Indian recipes:
If you tried this Mango Rasam Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments. Thanks for visiting my blog today!
Raw Mango Rasam
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Raw Mango Cubes 1 medium green mango
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- A Pinch of Hing
- 1-2 Sprigs Curry Leaves
- 2 Teaspoons Rasam Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Jaggery or as needed
- 1 Teaspoon Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Green Chili
- 3-4 Cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and chop the raw mango into small cubes. Add just enough water to cover the pieces and cook covered until the mango turns soft.
- Once cooked, mash the pieces well using a potato masher or blend them into a smooth pulp using a blender.
- Add 3-4 cups of water, turmeric powder, salt, jaggery, rasam powder, green chili, cilantro and curry leaves to the mashed mangoes.
- Mix everything well together and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Heat a small pan or tadka pan with oil. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add a pinch of hing and remove it from the flame.
- Pour this tempering over the rasam and mix well.
- Serve with rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only.
Vidhya says
I made rasam with tomato many times. But This one is new to me. looks yumm. I will definitely try this recipe.
Do visit me if you can, following you
Aparna says
i tried raw mango rasam and did cme out well 🙂
Suman says
WOW...that looks delicious..love to try this one soon...yum!
kanthi says
i do this charu,with a slight differance..do visit my blog http://myworld-kitchen.blogspot.com