Breakfast, Paratha/Flatbread
Sanika Khadilkar
Aloo Paratha
Aloo Paratha

Soups & Salads

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Rasam

,

Rasam

Serves: 2-3 persons

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tomatoes
  • 6 garlic pods (Chopped 3 pods finely and just roughly crush rest of 3 pods)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
  • 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 7-8 curry leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 dry red chillies
  • 4 cups water
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As soon as they splatter, add asafoetida, red chillies, curry leaves, and 3 chopped garlic pods. Mix everything and add chopped tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook completely.
  2. Add turmeric powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder, and salt to the tomatoes. Stir well. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add water, tamarind concentrate and crushed garlic pods. Let everything boil for another 10-12 minutes on medium-high flame.
  4. Add chopped cilantro to the boiling rasam. Check for salt and add more if needed. Simmer for 5 minuts.
  5. Turn off the flame. Serve immediately.

Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

Serves: 2-3 persons

Is there anything better than a bowl of fresh tomato soup on a snowy day? My family loves tomato soup anytime and it is literally a comfort food for us. We usually pair it with any vegetable rice, or paratha, or even a simple grilled cheese sandwich!

I have tried so many different recipes. Tomato soup has some key ingredients like canned or fresh tomatoes, fresh cream and a chicken/vegetable broth. They are all good but, when I tried this recipe, I was totally in love with it. (The recipe's credit goes to my sister-in-law who is younger than me but very efficient in cooking and baking.)

This recipe uses some Indian spices which can be easily available at any Indian grocery store. Also, I cooked the tomatoes in a pressure cooker. If you don't have one, you can cook on a stove top. Pressure cooker makes this process little faster.

Do give a try to this recipe and let me know your feed back.

Ingredients:

  • 5 large tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 1 large onion roughly chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 2-3 black peppercorns
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 2–3 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon Oil
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Salt as per taste
  • 2 cups of water

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cloves, black pepper and cinnamon. After 5-6 seconds add chopped onions and saute till the onions become translucent.
  2. Add the tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes become soft. Transfer it to the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Now cook the mixture for 3 whistles.
  3. Blend the mixture to smooth puree once it gets cool. Strain this mixture through strainer.
  4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in another pan. Add corn starch and stir vigoursly to avoid lump formation. Pour the strained mixture to the pan.
  5. Add sugar and salt. Boil until thick consistency is reached.
  6. Serve it hot with some fresh cream and chopped cilantro on the top.