Punarpuli saaru

Punarpuli saaru or punarpuli soup - A tangy and tasty saaru (rasam) prepared in Udupi and Mangalore regions. Dried kokum is available there in any grocery shop and doesn't get spoilt. Kokum is a fruit belonging to mangosteen family with lots of health benefits. This rasam can be had with rice or you can drink it like soup.
Ingredients
Dried Kokum - 10 to 12
Pepper powder - 2 tsp
Green chilli - 1 slit vertically
Ghee - 2 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Salt for taste
Water as necessary.
Method
Wash the dried Kokum to ward off any impurities. Soak it in water for 2 to 3 hours. It should become soft. Once it is soaked, squeeze the kokum and remove the kokum extract.
In a kadai, take ghee and heat. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they splutter add the slit green chilli and Kokum extract. Add the jaggery, pepper powder and salt for taste. Add water if it is too sour. Let it come to a boil in low flame. Add asafoetida and coriander leaves. Remove it from flame. Serve hot with rice or as soup.

1. You can saute garlic cloves in ghee and add it to this rasam.