Soothing and comforting, coconut milk rasam pairs beautifully with a warm bowl of rice or can be sipped on its own as a nourishing soup. Below is a detailed recipe along with a short video to guide you through the process.
If you’ve been following my blog, you’re already familiar with my love for coconut milk—it’s a staple in my kitchen. I use it in everything from curries to desserts, and I’ve shared many of those recipes here. For some reason, I had been putting off making coconut milk rasam, but I finally made it happen—and I’m excited to share it with you in video form.
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If you’re craving something warm, soothing, and deeply nourishing, this coconut milk rasam is exactly what you need. Whether you enjoy it with hot rice or sip it like a broth, this rasam is pure soul food. And this rasam comes together in under 30 minutes—perfect for busy days. Trust me—once you try this version, it might just become your go-to rasam recipe. Let’s get into it!
This rasam features a freshly ground spice mix along with a bit of rasam powder. You could also use sambar powder, or skip it and simply increase the cumin and pepper. The blend of garlic, pepper, cumin, and herbs with creamy coconut milk is not just easy on the stomach—it’s a soothing, healing dish for both body and soul.
Ingredients required
- For the spice mix, we need green chili, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, garlic cloves, rasam powder (or sambar powder), fresh curry leaves, and some cilantro stems or leaves.
- As with most rasams, the tangy base comes from tamarind. I’ve used my homemade tamarind paste here, but feel free to use store-bought if you prefer. Tomatoes add more depth and a subtle sweetness to balance the flavors.
- Now for the highlight of the dish—coconut milk. You can use fresh coconut milk if you prefer, but I opted for canned coconut milk for convenience. I diluted ¾ cup of thick canned coconut milk with water to get a light, thin consistency perfect for rasam.
- We’ll also need a few pantry staples: a pinch of asafoetida, turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
- For tempering, use oil, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. While ghee is commonly used in rasam, I prefer oil here to maintain a vegan option and to complement the flavor profile of coconut milk. Coconut oil, peanut oil, or any neutral cooking oil works well.
Please check the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Dietary specifications
This rasam is naturally vegan and gluten-free. Ensure you are using gluten-free asafoetida. This rasam can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Microwave or reheat the required portion before serving.
How to make coconut milk rasam
- Grind one green chili, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp whole peppercorns, three garlic cloves, 1 tsp rasam powder or sambar powder, 10 curry leaves, and 2 tsp cilantro stems or leaves into a coarse paste.
- Heat a saucepan or kadai and add ½ tbsp oil. When it is hot, temper ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Add one finely chopped tomato and sauté it for a minute.
- Then add 2 cups of water mixed with 1.5 tsp of tamarind paste, or use tamarind juice extracted from a gooseberry-sized piece soaked in 2 cups of water. Add 1.5 tsp of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder, and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground paste and cook until the raw smell of the garlic and spices dissipates, about 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Then add 2 cups of thin coconut milk, bring to a very gentle boil, and when it becomes frothy on top, turn off the heat.
- Finally, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Recipe notes
- Feel free to adjust the salt and spices to suit your taste preferences.
- You can substitute sambar powder for rasam powder, or even leave it out entirely—just increase the cumin seeds and peppercorns by about ½ teaspoon for added depth.
- If you’re making this rasam in a pathiyam (light, healing) style, you can skip the green chili altogether.
- For tempering, avoid using vegetable or olive oil, as they tend to overpower the delicate flavors. Stick to coconut oil, peanut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil for the best results.
More coconut milk curries
PS: If you try this coconut milk rasam, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.
📖 Recipe
Coconut Milk Rasam | Thengai Paal Rasam
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 green chili
- 1 tsp cumin seeds for grinding
- ½ tsp whole peppercorns
- 3 big garlic cloves
- 1 tsp rasam powder or sambar powder
- 10 curry leaves
- 2 tsp cilantro stems or leaves
- ½ tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds for tempering
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 1 tomato approx. 75 grams, finely chopped
- 2 cups of water
- 1.5 tsp tamarind paste or juice from soaked gooseberry-sized tamarind
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp turmeric powder a pinch
- 2 cups thin coconut milk ¾ cup canned coconut milk mixed with 1.25 cups water
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Grind one green chili, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp whole peppercorns, three garlic cloves, 1 tsp rasam powder or sambar powder, 10 curry leaves, and 2 tsp cilantro stems or leaves into a coarse paste.
- Heat a saucepan or kadai and add ½ tbsp oil. When it is hot, temper ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Add one finely chopped tomato and sauté it for a minute.
- Then add 2 cups of water mixed with 1.5 tsp of tamarind paste, or use tamarind juice extracted from a gooseberry-sized piece soaked in 2 cups of water. Add 1.5 tsp of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder, and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground paste and cook until the raw smell of the garlic and spices dissipates, about 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Then add 2 cups of thin coconut milk, bring to a very gentle boil, and when it becomes frothy on top, turn off the heat.
- Finally, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the salt and spices to suit your taste preferences.
- You can substitute sambar powder for rasam powder, or even leave it out entirely—just increase the cumin seeds and peppercorns by about ½ teaspoon for added depth.
- If you’re making this rasam in a pathiyam (light, healing) style, you can skip the green chili altogether.
- For tempering, avoid using vegetable or olive oil, as they tend to overpower the delicate flavors. Stick to coconut oil, peanut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil for the best results.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
This rasam is divine!! Absolute winner!! We all loved it!
Thank you :-)
This coconut milk rasam was absolutely incredible. I did serve it with rice and my whole family loved it.
Thanks :-) Glad you all liked it.
I love all coconut dishes, and this Coconut Milk Rasam is definitely going on my weekly rotation!
:-) Thanks much.
What a unique twist on rasam! Love how this feels both comforting and refreshing at the same time.
Thank you :-)
I can’t think of a better dish for the fall. It sounds so good and so warm! I can’t wait to give this a try. Time to hit the store.
Thanks :-)
I had to order the spices from Amazon, but I am very much looking forward to making this!
Oh ok. Thank you. Please let me know how you liked it.
This was so good! Luckily, we have an international grocery store nearby, so it was easy for me to find everything.
That’s great. Thank you