Wash and soak the rice and dal for 15 mins. Drain the water and keep it aside.
Add ghee to the pressure cooker pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves, garlic cloves, asafoetida, and dried neem flower / vepampoo (optional).
Crush or coarsely grind garlic, peppercorns, cumin seeds and keep them ready.
Soak tamarind in 3 cups of warm water. Extract the juice and discard the pulp.
Add rice, dal, finely chopped tomato, turmeric powder, salt, rasam powder, tamarind extract, coriander leaves, crushed garlic+cumin seeds+peppercorns.
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for 4 whistles on a medium-high flame. Switch off the flame after four whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the cooker and add one more cup of hot water. Mix together. Adjust salt if needed.
Garnish with more coriander leaves/ cilantro and add some lemon juice. Mix it all. If needed, add some hot water to adjust consistency.
Serve hot rasam rice with a generous dollop of ghee on top. Rasam Sadam is best served with a side of papad and potato fry.