Lentil soup with soya nuggets

While the kids don't like the regular dal chawal/ dal roti, they are open to innovations of any kind. With hubby traveling this week, it is a good time to indulge them a bit, and get them to eat healthy.

1 cup masoor dal
1/2 cup soya nuggets
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon
1 large onion cut lengthwise
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the masoor dal for half an hour and cook in the pressure cooker with the haldi and paprika powder till soft.
Boil water with some salt, add soya nuggets and let it soak for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Heat the ghee, add bay leaves and cinnamon, and then the onions. Saute till browned.
Add the cooked dal,  drained soya nuggets and 1/2 cup water, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve hot.
It can also be used as a substitute for a dal- you will have to increase the quantity of water.

Beet soup

I wanted to have a soup for lunch, and a quick audit of the fridge threw up only two slightly sad looking beets. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this awesome soup resulted.

2 beetroots

1/2 cup curds

1 tsp garlic paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cream cheese for garnish

Method:

Roughly chop the beetroots and steam them for 10 minutes. 

Blend beetroots, curds and garlic paste till you get a smooth consistency. Add water to get the desired thickness. 

Bring the blend to boil, with salt and pepper

Sprinkle with cream cheese or feta cheese before serving. 

Green gazpacho soup

 There are days when you plan your meal and there are days when you take an inventory of what is there in the fridge and find a way to use the stuff. I had some steamed capsicums left over from last night, and a cucumber, so a green gazpancho it was for me. A cold soup for a warm July lunch.

1 cucumber, peeled and cored

1 capsicum steamed

1 slice stale bread

1 large pod garlic

½ litre vegetable stock

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Method

Moisten the stale bread and keep aside

In a blender, mix the cucumbers, capsicum, garlic and bread, and blend to a smooth purée along with the vegetable stock.

Add the salt and pepper and mix well. Add a little stock, if required to thin out the gazpacho.

Serve chilled garnished with croutons or chopped cucumber.

Clear sweet corn chicken soup

You may not call what passes for a winter in Bombay, a winter. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't indulge in warm soups. My first attempt at a clear sweet corn chicken soup was much better than anticipated. 

1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup sweet corn

1/2 onion, chopped fine

1/4 cups celery chopped fine

1 tsp cornflour

1 egg

1 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

4 cups chicken stock or water or a mix of the two

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the oil/ butter, sauté the onions till transparent. 

Add celery, sweet corn and chicken and sauté fir 2-3 minutes

Add chicken stock/ water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes

Meanwhile make a paste of cornflour and keep aside

Also beat egg white with lime juice and keep aside

When cooked, add cornflour ensuring no lumps and simmer for a minute

Gradually pour in the egg white, stirring with a fork to ensure it cooks evenly. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. 

Creamy sweet corn soup

When winter is here, can soups be far behind. This was something I made while the chicken was simmering away on the other burner. The proportions are for 4 soup bowls- you need to reduce or increase quantities proportionally for different amounts.

2 packets peeled corn
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped spring onions/ onions
1 tbsp butter
4 cups water or 2 cup warm milk + 2 cup water or 4 cups veg stock
½ tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water
4 tbsp shredded boiled chicken, optional
Salt to taste

Method:
Steam the corn for 5 minutes. Keep aside 1/3 cup corn, and blend the rest, with water to a smooth paste.
Heat butter, add onions, and saute till transparent.
Add celery, and toss around till the aroma is released.
Add the ground corn, and the water/ water+ milk/ veg stock. Bring to a boil.
Add black pepper, salt and the reserved corn kernels. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shredded boiled chicken, if desired.
Add cornflour paste, and simmer for 2 more minutes till the soup thickens.

Serve hot.

Tomato basil soup

With an unseasonal winter knocking on the door, what better way to enjoy the shortest day of the year, than with warm tomato soup?

6 large tomatoes
1/4 cup basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
4 pods garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the tomatoes (so they are submerged), cover, and allow it to cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the flame, immerse the tomatoes in cold water. Peel the skin and discard.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil, and saute the garlic on low heat till brown.
Blend the skinned tomatoes, basil leaves, and garlic, till you get a smooth consistency (I blended a bit less, because I wanted it a bit chunky).
Return the blended tomato puree to the pan (some of the olive oil will still be in it), add milk, and water (if desired), and bring to a boil.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with basil leaves.

*- the original recipe calls for cream, but milk worked just fine.
Olive Oil, also, works better than butter.

French lentil and vegetable soup

It was the second day of the Diwali vacation, and the maid had taken off. With two hungry kids (and a grandmother) to feed, I decided to try out a recipe I had seen and liked a very long time back. Since I trust SpiceRoots like I trust few other blogs, I presumed the recipe would work, and didn't worry too much about making a few changes. Needless to say, I skipped the wine, and served it as a regular "dal" to my mother, but it was absolutely fantastic.

1/2 cup masoor dal, rinsed
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
4-6 cloves of garlic minced
1 bunch spring onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp dhania powder
2 carrots, diced
4 cups water
2 tablespoons dry red wine
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Salt and pepper as per taste

Method:
Rinse the masoor dal, and pressure cook it for 20 minutes with 2 cups water.
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, spring onions, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender.
Add the carrots, and jeera and dhania powder, and cook until the carrots begin to soften.
Add the two cups of water and the cooked dal, and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Add the grated cheese, and let it bubble for half a minute till the cheese melts in with the soup.
Add in the wine, stir and cook half a minute.
Serve with garlic bread.

Clear noodle soup

I had some noodles left over from making sesame ginger noodles the other day and decided to make some clear noodle soup for myself. Mixed and matched a bunch of recipes, and came up with something I liked quite a bit. Wonder why I never thought of making an Indo-Chinese soup before- they are so high on taste given the amount of effort one needs to put in.

500ml low salt vegetable stock
1 inch piecce of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1 stalk of lemon grass
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
handful of moong sprouts
cooked noodles
 2 spring onions, sliced, to serve

Method:
Put stock, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar in a saucepan, and heat. Simmer for 5 mins.
Throw in the sprouts and heat for an additional 5 minutes (if you can let it marinate for about 30 minutes, it will only improve the taste
Add the cooked noodles, let it boil for about 30 seconds, and serve garnished with spring onions.

Almond Pea Soup

I saw a picture of Almond pea soup, and wanted to have it right away. Unfortunately, the recipe was not forthcoming, so I had to trawl the Internet to get ideas. This recipe is taken from here and there, but ultimately has been adapted to my taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh peas
Onion chopped 1
Garlic chopped 2 cloves
Butter 2tbsp
Water 5 cups
Salt to taste
Black pepper 1tsp
Almond soaked and thinly sliced 14
Lemon juice. 1tsp
Fresh cream 1/4 cup
 
 Method:
Heat butter in a medium thick pan or in a pressure cooker. Add garlic and onion sauté till translucent.

Add peas and stir for 2 minutes and add water. Add peppercorns and almonds (keep 2 aside for garnish). Close the lid and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Let the pressure releases itself. 

Cool and after keeping a few peas aside for garnish, blend the mixture. Strain the mixture and put it back on fire and bring to a boil.

Add cream, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice and the peas that were kept aside. You can add a cup of milk if do not want to use cream. Cool till thick or the required consistency acquired.

Remove from fire and serve hot garnished with few almond slices. 

Fresh dill and potato soup

Fresh dill and potato was one of my favourite dishes during my teen years. In fact, if you press me, I'd probably say it was my most favourite dish of all. My mother had seen the recipe in a magazine, and saved it even though she never even knew what dill was. Then on a chance trip to the market, she sighted these different looking greens, and couldn't believe her luck when the vendor told her it was dill. What made the dish extra wonderful was the fact that one could never predict when one would get it, because even in season, you didn't always find dill!
Here then it is- the dish I had when I came home after taking my Maths Board Exams- a wholesome meal in a bowl- Dill Soup.

5 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions , chopped
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3tbs chopped dil
3tbs curds
2 tbs butter

Method
Cook potatoes and onions in 4 cups water with salt till just tender
Add milk,caraway seeds,diland salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 mins till potatoes crumble a bit
Add curds and butter. Heat well. Do not boil
Serve hot.

Tomato soup

Can anything be more inviting on a cold winter day than a bowl of hot tomato soup? If there is, I am not aware of it. And this recipe is a winner!

Ingredients:

4 medium to large tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 bay leaf/tej patta
1 tsp cornflower + 2 tbsp water
1 or 1.5 tbsp butter
1 cup water
1 tbsp cream
1 tsp sugar
1 or 2 slices of bread – brown, whole wheat or white bread
freshly crushed or powdered black pepper as required
salt as required

Method:In a saucepan take enough water so that the tomatoes get immersed completely, add 1 tsp salt to the water and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the tomatoes, switch off the fire and close the saucepan with the lid. Let the tomatoes be immersed in the hot water for 20-30 minutes.
In the meantime, finely chop the onion and garlic.
Heat a tava, place the bread on it, and toast on a low flame till the bread is browned and crisp from both sides. Slice into cubes and keep aside
Make a smooth paste of the 1 tsp cornflour with 2 tbsp water.
Drain the tomatoes, and after it is cooled, peel the tomatoes, and chop them above the blender jar so that the juices drop directly inside the blender jar. Blend to a smooth puree.
Melt butter in a pan, add the bay leaf and saute for a few seconds. Add garlic and chopped onion and saute till the onions become translucent.
Add the tomato puree, stir and add water, salt and pepper, and heat on a low flame till it comes to a boil.
Stir the corn starch paste and add it to the soup, stir well and simmer for 3-4 minutes till the soup thickens on a low flame.
Add sugar and stir.
Add the cream and bread croutons just before serving.

Creamy mushroom soup

A few times last year, I made soup and bread for dinner, and it worked much better than I'd anticipated it would. So this year, I am planning to make "soup and bread" once a week at home. This is my first attempt at making a soup which all of us love- mushroom soup- but which I have never been brave enough to try.

1 tsp cornflour mixed with ¼ cup milk

3/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste

For the paste:
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup milk

Method:
For the paste:
Combine the mushrooms and milk and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cool and blend in a mixer to a coarse paste. Keep aside.


Heat a non-stick pan, add the ground paste, mushrooms and 2½ cups of water and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the cornflour-milk mixture, oregano and salt and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or till the mixture thickens.
Serve hot, with breadsticks.

Masoor dal with cauliflower leaves- the Ayurveda way

Everytime I buy a cauliflower, I end up paying for a whole lot of leaves that I never use. What if the leaves could be cooked separately, I asked myself, and decided to experiment. As luck would have it, I found this nice recipe for an Ayurvedic soup, which I adapted to make this dal.
The jury is out on whether we liked it or not.

 

1 cup red masoor dal

Leaves of 1 cauliflower, chopped fine

Haldi powder

1 inch piece of ginger

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste

 

For the tempering 

1/2 tsp of Whole Cumin/Whole Jeera
1/2 tsp of Whole Fennel/Whole Saunf,
6-7 whole Fenugreek seeds/Whole Methi seeds
and a pinch of asafoetida/Hing.

 

Method

Pressure cook the dal with cabbage leaves, haldi and sufficient water, till well cooked. 

Heat the ghee, and temper the ingredients listed under "for the tempering". Pour the tempering over the cooked dal.
Grate the ginger, and add to the dal along with the coriander powder, and salt to taste. Add about 2 cups of water, and let the dal come to a boil.

Adjust for seasonings, and squeeze juice of a lime quarter.

Serve with rice/ rotis, or drink it as a soup.

Tomato soup

I love soups.
That's a statement.
I can live on soups.
Another statement.
But for some strange reason, I have never tried to feed my family soups as a meal. But now that I have got a little more adventurous with baking bread, I decided to give it a try. Saw this beautiful recipe of Padma Anagol's and made it to celebrate the first day of the holidays. Kids loved it, as did the hubby, and I am definitely doing more soup and bread meals.

5-6 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tsps tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
White pepper
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:-
Spoon 2 tbsps olive oil into a large pan and heat it over a low heat. 
 Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes. 
Add the garlic and give it a quick stir and then add the carrot. 
Sauté for another few minutes and then add the tomato puree and stir around. 
Add the tomatoes, sugar and grind in a little white pepper. 
Tear 2 bay leaves and throw them into the pan. 
Stir to mix everything together, and let the tomatoes stew over a low heat for 10 minutes. 
Now slowly pour in the water so as to submerge the tomatoes completely. Turn up the heat and boil for about 20 minutes. 
Remove the pan from the heat and fish out the pieces of bay leaves and throw them away. Let cool briefly and then puree until smooth. 
Put the pan back on the stove, add salt and reheat the soup. 
Taste and adjust the pepper and sugar if required. Garnish with some cream and basil, if using.

Red lentil Soup, with a touch of the Konkan

Started out making a conventional red lentil soup, but got creative and ended up making something quite different. Tasted almost Thai, though the mix of ingredients could as well be from the Konkan coast. It tasted so good as a soup, I put a bit aside to have with roti at night, and one of these days, am serving it as a regular dal.

Pressure cook -
1 measure dhuli masoor dal
1 onion chopped
1/2 inch ginger grated
2-4 pieces of kokum

Fry/ dry roast 2 tbsp grated coconut, and 1 red chilli and temper the dal with it.

Add salt to taste and blend till it attains a smooth consistency.

Carrot-cucumber cold soup

I had a cucumber that was ready to die on me, and a whole bunch of carrots that were no longer suitable either for putting into a curry, or for making gajar-ka-halwa with. Google to the rescue- before I knew it, I had a bunch of carrot-cucumber soup recipes to mix 'n' match with. Perfect for a day when the weather seems to be turning to warm.

Serves 1 potion:
Chop 1 medium carrot, and 1 medium cucumber, and blend both together with 3 tbsp sour curds, salt, pepper and parsley, till smooth. Dilute with water, if required.
Serve cold garnished with fresh parsley (I used dried parsley).

Lentil Soup

Soups are another current addiction. I like them hot, I like them cold. I like them in all colours of the rainbow (though I am partial to green and red/ orange). This is my take on the classic French Lentil Soup.

Fry 1 medium onion (chopped fine), 1 medium carrot (diced) and 1 large bay leaf, in a tsp of butter till the onions turn transparent. Add 1 measure red lentils, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 tsp red chilli powder, and cook for 30 minutes, till the lentils turn soft (or you can pressure cook it- I didn't).
Add tamarind pulp (recipe called for lemon juice, but I went with gut), remove the bay leaf, and blend till smooth.
Add salt to taste. Crumble some paneer and garnish with paneer before serving.

Cucumber-radish soup

This is a warm soup, in keeping with the temperature in the city.

Saute 1 medium onion (chopped fine) in a tbsp olive oil
Add 1/2 capsicum (chopped fine), and fry till it starts getting mushy
Add 2 medium cucumbers (chopped), and 2 small red radishes
Stir for a couple of mins, then add 1 cup chicken/ veg stock (I ran out so added plain old water), cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
When it cools down, pour into a mixer and blend till smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot.

Cold Cucumber Soup

This calls itself a cold soup, but sounds exactly like a smoothie to me (and all the photographs even had it in glass not a soup bowl). What's in a name, as long as it tastes great? And it did. Recipe adapted for several similar.

Cut 1 large cucumber into small pieces. Peel 4-5 cloves of ginger. Blend the cucumber and garlic with 1/2 cup low fat yogurt, salt and freshly ground pepper till smooth. Add water to dilute, if desired (I didn't).
Garnish with small pieces of radish. Serve chilled.

Traditional Gazpancho

My quest for cold soups has taken me to places I never thought I would visit on a culinary trip (not that I ever thought I would want to go on a  culinary trip in the first place). Gazpancho is apparently an Andalusian peasant dish, and is made using stale bread, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. I loved it so much, that I know I am going to have it for lunch at least once a week till I tire of it.

Take 1 cup of stale bread and soak in cold water for 15 minutes.
Cover 2 pods garlic with water in a pan, bring to boil, cook for three minutes. Keep aside.
Cut 500 gms tomatoes, half a small cucumber and half a small bell pepper into large pieces and put in a blender. Drain excess water from bread and add it to the veggies. Add the garlic, 2 tbsp organic vinegar, and blend tilll smooth.
With the blender still running, add 2 tbsp olive oil in a slow, steady stream, blending till emulsified. Add water, if required.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate gazpacho until chilled, at least 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
Serve cold with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.