South India · Side dish
Rasam
Also called charu, saaru, chaaru, tomato rasam, pulusu charu, thakkali rasam, ginger rasam
A thin, tangy South Indian soup of tomato, tamarind and pepper-cumin spices, with a little toor dal in this version, finished with a mustard and curry leaf tempering. Eaten with rice or drunk from a cup.
The short answer
Rasam has about 113 kcal in a regular serving (1 bowl, about 280 g), with 5 g of protein and 2.8 g of fibre. It rates 4.0/5 (good fit) for weight management: it is low in calories for its weight and a regular serving is a modest portion.
Reviewed by Deepu Oommen on 2 Nov 2026 · How we review
- Calories per serving
- 113 kcal
- 1 bowl (about 280 g)
- For weight management
- 4.0 / 5Rated 4 out of 5. Good fit for weight management
- Protein and fibre
- 5 g · 2.8 g
- per serving
- Brisk walking
- About 20 min
- uses similar energy (70 kg adult)
What's in rasam?
Raw weights for one serving (1 bowl, about 280 g), from the standard recipe
- Tomato, 32 g
- Green chilli, 2 g
- Tamarind, 3 g
- Jaggery, 1 g
- Toor dal, 20 g
- Coriander leaves, 2 g
- Oil, 3 g
- Urad dal, 1 g
- Water, 73 g
- Water, 151 g
- Water, 43 g
How is rasam made?
Preparation 5 min · Cooking 20 min
- 1Roast and grind the rasam spices, or use ready rasam powder.
- 2Cook the tomato, green chilli, tamarind water, turmeric, jaggery and salt together for about 15 minutes.
- 3Mash the tomatoes, add water and bring it to a boil.
- 4Stir in the mashed cooked toor dal and the rasam powder and boil for 2 minutes more, no longer.
- 5Heat a little oil, crackle mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves, and pour it over the rasam.
- 6Add coriander and serve hot with rice.
Rasam nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 bowl, about 280 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 113 kcal | 40 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g | 1.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.4 g | 5.5 g |
| Fat | 3.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Fibre | 2.8 g | 1 g |
Calculated from a standard recipe (based on a recipe by Hebbar's Kitchen: Easy Tomato Rasam (Rasam Recipe), serves 3) using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values for the raw ingredients, divided by the weight of the cooked dish (888 g for the whole recipe). Salt and dry spices are left out. The regular serving is the average portion in three chefs' recipes: Hebbar's Kitchen, Easy Tomato Rasam (Rasam Recipe) 296 g, Sanjeev Kapoor, Tomato Rasam (SK Khazana) 302 g and Swasthi's Recipes, Rasam Recipe (South Indian Hotel Style) 234 g. Food composition: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. How we calculate nutrition facts. Home and restaurant versions vary with the oil, rice and portion used.
Is rasam good for weight management?
It rates 4.0/5, a good fit, because it is low in calories for its weight and a regular serving is a modest portion.
- Calories per gram (35% of the rating)0.40 kcal · 100/100
- Protein per 100 kcal (25% of the rating)4.5 g · 45/100
- Fibre per 100 kcal (20% of the rating)2.5 g · 83/100
- Portion (20% of the rating)113 of 200 kcal (side dish) · 93/100
Each part is scored against fixed limits, then weighted. A higher rating does not mean a food causes weight loss. How the rating works
Lighter ways to have rasam
- Use one teaspoon of oil in total, not two
- Add more tomato and pepper and less jaggery
- Have it with a small portion of rice and a vegetable side
- Drink a bowl of rasam before the main meal so you eat a little less rice
- Skip papad or fried sides on the plate
Common questions about rasam
How many calories are in rasam?
About 113 kcal in 1 bowl, about 280 g, or 40 kcal per 100 g.
Is rasam good for weight management?
It rates 4.0/5, a good fit: it is low in calories for its weight and a regular serving is a modest portion. See the lighter ways to have it on this page.
How much protein is in rasam?
About 5 g in 1 bowl, about 280 g, which is 4.5 g for every 100 kcal.
How much walking uses the energy in rasam?
About 20 min of brisk walking for a 70 kg adult uses similar energy to one regular serving.
Is rasam good for weight management?
Rasam is a light, watery dish. A bowl of about this size gives about 110 kcal here, mostly from the dal and the oil.
Is rasam better without dal?
Without dal it has even fewer calories, but the dal adds a little protein, so it is more filling.
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Information, not medical advice. Values are estimates for a typical recipe. Found an error? Tell us.