1. Soak tur dal for a few minutes.
2. Then grind it to a coarse paste along with cumin and curry leaves and set aside.
3. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.
4. Add rasam powder, salt, asafoetida, and a few curry leaves to the tamarind juice.
5. Boil the mixture till the raw smell disappears.
6. Now add the ground tur dal, cumin and curry leaf paste to the rasam, and immediately add 4 cups of water.
7. Let the rasam stay on low flame till it forms a lot of froth on top.
8. Remove from flame when it is just about to boil. (Note: Do not actually boil the rasam, as this spoils the aroma)
9. Heat ghee and add mustard seeds.
10. When it splutters add the dry neem flowers and fry.
11. Pour the seasoning on the rasam and cover with a lid immediately.

Recipe courtesy: Chitra Amma's Kitchen