TOMATO SOUP | SIMPLE SOUP USING TOMATO

This is one of the popular soup which we always cherish when we go to any restaurant. Consistency may vary from place to place. Adding sweetness is up to individual taste. Here, I have added rusk bits instead of roasted bread pieces. Fresh cream can be added for rich taste.

INGREDIENTS: 

Tomato - 3

Small onion - 6

Garlic cloves - 3

Ginger - small piece

Bay leaf - 1

Coriander leaves - little

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Corn flour - 1 tsp

Rusk bits - 10 to 15 

Butter - 1 tsp

Sugar/ Brown sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - as desired

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook tomato, small onion, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and bay leaf adding a cup of water.

2. After the pressure settles down, discard the bay leaf, add to a mixer and grind along with the water used for cooking. 

3. Add little water if needed and strain the tomato mixture so that the texture of the soup will remain smooth. Discard the residue.

4. In a tawa, add butter and add the tomato puree and allow to boil.

5. Mix water to corn flour and add to the tomato mixture.

6. Adjust consistency accordingly, add pepper powder, sugar, mix well and switch of the flame.

7. Transfer to the serving bowl and add rusk pieces.

8. Tasty TOMATO SOUP is ready.

Note:

• Add rusk/bread pieces only while serving.
• Tawa roast bread pieces in ghee or oil before adding.
• If the soup becomes cool, warm a while before adding rusk pieces.

KALAKAND / MILK CAKE

This is one of the popular milk based soft dessert done using Paneer/ cottage cheese and condensed milk. . Authentic way of preparing Kalkand is by evaporating milk, curdling it and adding sugar and once it comes together, cutting into desired shape. It takes nearly an hour and time consuming. This is an instant version done using condensed milk and can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. No need to add sugar since it is already present in condensed milk. To get good results, Paneer should be soft and fresh.

 

INGREDIENTS: 

Paneer - 200g
Condensed milk - 400g
Milk powder-  3 tsp
Cardamom powder-  1/2  tsp
Pistachios-  10 ( chopped)
Ghee - 1 tsp for greasing

METHOD:
1. Dry roast pistachios and chop into pieces and keep aside.
2. Crumble paneer without any lumps. Grease a tray/plate with ghee and keep aside.
3. In a thick bottomed kadai/tawa, add paneer along with condensed milk and cook on low flame.

4. Condensed milk will turn little watery and starts sputtering. Keep stirring on low flame.

5. Add milk powder and mix well. it gives a good texture to the recipe.
6. The mixture will start to thicken. Add cardamom powder.

7. Mix well so that it doesn't get burnt.
8. It starts to leave the side of the pan, and will come together.

9. Transfer it to greased plate, level it and garnish with chopped pistachios.

10. Allow it to cool completely or refrigerate it after it cools down a bit, for an hour.
11. Cut into desired shape.
12. Tasty, soft and delicious Instant Kalakand is ready.

LEMON PICKLE

An authentic Indian recipe, Lemon pickle can be easily prepared at home with minimal ingredients. I chose the traditional way of preparing pickle without any preservatives which I learnt from my Mother, rather than the instant way. A lunch doesn't become wholesome without a pickle. It goes well with Naan, Chappathi, roti and curd rice also. The process takes a few days but doesn't consume time

INGREDIENTS:

Lemon - 8

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Sesame /Gingelly oil - 5 tsp

Salt

METHOD:

1. Wash lemon and wipe using a kitchen towel and set aside for few minutes. It should be dry without any moisture.

2. Cut each lemon into 8 small pieces, remove seeds and place in a container.

3. Add 1 cup of salt for 6 cups of lemon pieces. The ratio of lemon pieces and salt is 6:1.

4. Mix salt well using a dry spoon and close the mouth of the container using a clean cloth and tighten the sides using a rubber band.

5. Next day remove the cloth, the lemon would have let out some juice, mix well again and close with the cloth.

6. Continue this process until the juice gets absorbed fully and the lemon turns soft and shiny.

7. It may take 3 to 4 days.

8. Heat a tawa, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.

9. Add fenugreek, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida and switch off the flame and allow to cool.

10. After it completely cools down, add to the lemon pieces and mix well and leave for an hour.

11. Transfer to a glass/ porcelain container, cover the mouth using a clean cloth, tighten with a rubber band.

12. It can be placed under sun for 2 or 3 days and  stored in a refrigerator.

12. Tasty Lemon pickle is ready. 

Note:

• Instead of placing under sun, soaked lemon pieces can be added to the seasoning and cooked for a while, till the lemon absorbs the seasoning.
• Spice and salt can be adjusted to individual taste. 
• If needed more spice, heat little oil add the spice powder and allow to cool before adding to the pickle. 

  

 

KARA PORI / MASALA PORI

Kara Pori/ Spiced puffed rice is one of the easiest snack, well suited for tea time. A popular snack  in many South Indian houses.It is best compared to chips or any such snacks. Well cleaned and packed Pori is easily available in shops. It is low in calories, and suits well during rainy season.

INGREDIENTS:
Puffed rice - 2 cups
Garlic - 6
Turmeric powder-  1/4 tsp
Sambhar/ Red chilly powder-  1/2 tsp
Roasted peanut - 1/4 cup
Fried gram dhal/ udaitha kadalai - 3 tsp
Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-  a leaflet
Salt
Ghee/ Oil -  1 tsp

METHOD:
1. Crush garlic roughly along with the outer covering.
2. Heat ghee/oil in a broad tawa, add the crushed garlic and saute till nice aroma comes out.
3. Add curry leaves, roasted peanuts, fried gram dhal and mix well for a minute.

4. Add turmeric powder, Sambhar powder, salt and hing, mix well and switch off the flame.
5. Add puffed rice and mix well, till it gets well coated with masalas.

6. Tasty Spicy Murmura/ Masala Pori is ready to be served along with tea or coffee.

Note:

• Do not forget to store in an airtight container.
• Using garlic is optional.
• After mixing the puffed rice with Masala, allow 5 to 10 minutes, so that the masala is well absorbed. 
• If tasted immediately after mixing, it might taste spicy & salty.
• Garlic should be roasted along with skin, since it gives unique aroma to the dish.

BADAM KATLI

Badam Katli is a quick and very easy recipe which can be done in minutes. Diwali festival is fast approaching in a fortnight from now. So, I have posted this recipe. This burfi is very soft and semi transparent compared to Kaju burfi and can be prepared the same way as we prepare Kaju Katli which has been already posted in this blog.

INGREDIENTS:
Badam - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Saffron strands - a little
Ghee - 2 tsp

METHOD:
1. Soak Badam in hot water for an hour and remove the skin. Let it dry for sometime.
2. In a mixer, add the badam and saffron and make into a coarse powder. Do not over run the mixer since the badam might turn sticky due to the oil content in it.
3. Meanwhile, in a thick bottom tawa add sugar and 1/2 cup of water and allow to boil.

4. When the sugar dissolves completely and starts boiling add the badam powder and stir well. 

5. Mix continuously adjusting the flame from low to medium.
 6. In 10 to 12 minutes time, dough will start leaving the pan. Take a little and roll into a small ball after greasing fingers with ghee. 

7. If it rolls into a soft ball, switch of the flame. If it is sticky, stir for a minute and try again.
7. Add ghee and mix well.
8. Allow to cool for few minutes. 
9.Grease a burfi plate/butter paper/plate with little ghee.

10. Knead the dough with hands and transfer it to the plate.
11. Stretch using a flat bottomed cup and cut into desired shape.
12. If transferred to a butter paper, use rolling pin to flatten it.
13. Tasty and soft BADAM KATLI is ready. 

Also see for Badam Halwa in this blog

Note:

•  little milk powder can be sprinkled while kneading into dough, so that the burfi doesn't look transparent.
• Saffron is optional. Adding saffron gives a tinge of yellow colour to the burfi.

YAM ROAST

Yam/ Karunaikizhangu is a very good root vegetable compared to other root vegetables. It is not used regularly due to its itchy effect. There are methods to avoid it. Washing the chopped yam in water which was used to soak  rice/ boiling in water with little tamarind/ cooking in an iron tawa/pan can reduce the itchy effect.

INGREDIENTS:
Yam - 200g
Turmeric powder-  1/4 tsp
Sambhar powder-  1/4tsp
Rice flour - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - a little
Salt
Oil - as needed

METHOD:
1. Clean the Yam after chopping the muddy parts and cut into small,  thin  rectangular/ square pieces.

2. Boil water, add turmeric, tamarind and yam pieces and cook till it is half done.
3. Drain the water completely, spread in a bowl, add Sambhar powder, salt and rice flour and mix thoroughly without breaking into pieces.
4. Heat a dosa tawa, sprinkle some oil, place 5 or 6  pieces at a time and cook on medium flame.

5. After one side  is cooked, flip to the other side using a ladle/spoon, sprinkle little oil.
6. Reduce the flame to low after both sides are cooked and allow sometime so that it becomes crispy.
7. Cook all the pieces the same way.
8. Crispy and tasty Yam roast is ready.

NOTE:

• I have used iron dosa tawa so that the itchy effect might be reduced.
• Shallow/Deep frying can also be done.