• Set the dal to cook in about 3 cups of water, covered, for about 20 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder once it’s nearly done and cook until the dal is completely soft.
• Add the extracted tamarind water and leave this to continue simmering until the raw tamarind smell dissipates
• Grind the coconut and green chilli, adding a little water to make a paste. Thin this with more water until it’s a pouring consistency, and add this to the rasam.
• Follow with rasam powder, jaggery, and salt.
• Simmer until the rasam is frothy. Do not bring to a boil.

To season:

• Heat 1 teaspoon ghee until nearly smoking. Add the mustard seeds, jeera, hing, and dry red chilli.
• Follow with curry leaves once these splutter.
• Pour the seasoning onto the simmering rasam.
• Return the same seasoning pan to the flame, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of ghee. Once it is hot, add in the aavaaram – put in both handfuls if you are using just dried flowers, just 1 handful if you are using fresh. Fry these gently for less than a minute. Don’t let them burn.
• Once the petals are browning just lightly, pour this onto the rasam. Mix well, and follow with the remaining handful of fresh flowers (if using). Switch off the flame.
• Serve hot with a nice soft white rice like jeeraga samba or parboiled iluppaipoo samba.