Tomato Soup ...Super simple!

Tomato Soup

I made some pretty good tomato soup and I was amazed at how simple this recipe really is. Anushka gave me this awesome recipe. The ingredients below are for 3 servings, so you'll have to adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 15 Tomatoes
• 1 Potato
• 1 Onion
• 2 Carrots
• 2 cups of water
• 3 Tblsp Sugar
• 2 Tsp Salt
• Freshly ground Black Pepper
• 3 slices of bread and some Oil (for the croutons)

Before we begin, I want to mention that you will need 2 specific things - an electric mixer-grinder and a sieve. 

To start with, wash the vegetables well and roughly chop them in chunks - for instance, I chop the tomatoes in 4 chunks. Add these to a pressure cooker, add the salt and water. Cook this on high heat until the first whistle. Then, turn the heat to low and heat for 15 minutes further. Then, take the cooker off heat.

Once the pressure is released, transfer the boiled vegetables to the mixer-grinder, and grind the vegetables well till it turns into a pasty consistency. It is advisable to just add the vegetables to the grinder and not the water from the cooker as well. If you pour the entire mixture from the cooker into the grinder, water tends to flow in and this doesn't help the grinder.

You want to transfer the resultant mixture onto a sieve with a large bowl beneath it as shown in the image below. Slowly run a spoon in a circular fashion on the sieve, so that resultant soup drips into the bowl below. At this time, also add the water from the cooker onto the sieve so it passes into the bowl below. This way we do not lose any nutrients.

 

You basically have your soup in the bowl - but we now will simmer this soup for about 10 minutes on low heat. This is time to adjust salt and sugar. Once you have the desired consistency, turn off the heat. I usually sprinkle some fresh black pepper to add that extra zing.

For the croutons, slice the bread into a 4 x 3 matrix and fry these pieces until golden brown. Serve them with steaming hot soup and some grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

Chandrapuri Vada

Chandrapuri Vada

This recipe actually actually appeared in the newspaper last week as part of an article on Nagpur Cuisine. Nagpur is a city in Maharashtra, and this dish seems to be a typical Vahradi (Vidharbha) dish. The article mentioned that these vadas are usually eaten with rice, but I find that a little odd and I suggest treating them as tea time snacks.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup whole Moong dal
• 1/2 Cup Channa dal
• 1/4 Cup Toor dal
• 1/4 Cup kaali dal
• 1/4 Cup matki
• 1/4 Cup chawli / rongi
• 3 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp turmeric powder
• 1.5 Tsp red chilli powder
• 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder
• 1 Tblsp minced ginger
• 4 green chillies chopped fine
• Some fresh coriander leaves
• Some fresh curry leaves
•  Oil to fry

First, if you don't know your dal / lentils well, Google the ingredients so you have the right ones. Once you're ready, add all the lentils in a bowl and wash them 4-5 times in cool water. Soak these lentils for at least 6 hours. This is how they should look after that:

Now, we need to grind these lentils. The idea is to grind them coarsely and if you're new to the mixer-grinder operations (as I was) - this may be a little tricky: How coarse? How much time to grind? How much water to add? What I recommend  as a thumb rule is grinding 1.5 cups of lentils as a time - its more manageable. You will roughly need to add 1/4 cup of water to this while grinding. Also, do not go overboard with keeping the lentils coarse - just don't get it to a paste - anything less is good.

Once the lentils are ground, add the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder and mix well. Now, add the ginger, green chillies, coriander and curry leaves. Now add 2 teaspoons of very hot oil to this mixture and stir well. That's it - heat the oil for frying and you're all set for frying these vadas.

I made small balls for frying, although the tradition method is small rounds with a hole in the center. That is too difficult for me! If you find that your dough just spreads in the oil as soon as you put it to fry, try adding a couple of handfuls of gram flour.

Serce with chutney or hot ketchup.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji needs no introduction. If bhatura chana is Punjab's contribution to Indian fast food, then Pav Bhaji is definitely Mumbai's choice offer. Wikipedia interestingly traces the origins of Pav Bhaji as follows: "The origin of this dish is traced to the heyday of the textile mills in Mumbai. The mill workers used to have lunch breaks too short for a full meal, and a light lunch was preferred to a heavy one, as the employees had to return to physical labor after lunch. A vendor created this dish using items or parts of other dishes available on the menu. Roti or rice was replaced with pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were amalgamated into just one spicy concoction-the 'bhaji'"

Today, Pav Bhaji is regarded as a staple at any Mumbai fast food joint. Try it and you will know why this is an instant classic.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium Potatoes peeled and diced
• 1/2 Cauliflower diced
• 3 Carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 Capsicum chopped
• 1 Cup fresh green beans chopped
• 1/2 Cup frozen peas
• 8 roma tomatoes pureed
• 1 medium Onion chopped fine
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 3 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tblsp Oil
• 1/2 stick salted Butter
• 6 Tblsp pav Bhaji masala
• 2 Cups water

First, add all the vegetables - except the onions, garlic and tomatoes - into a pressure cooker with 2 Tsp salt and 2 Cups water. Cook on high until the first whistle and then bring down the heat to medium low. Let the vegetables cook for another 15 minutes. After that, turn off the heat and keep the cooker aside for the steam to release. Once you can open the cooker, mash the vegetables well.

On a separate stove top, heat the oil in a saucepan. Throw in the garlic and the onions, and fry them until the onions have turned transparent. Add the tomato puree and 1 Tsp salt to this pan and cook on medium heat, until you see the mixture releasing oil on the sides.

Finally, add the tomatoes to the mashed vegetables and mix well. Add the pav bhaji masala and the butter to this mixture and blend them well. That's it, just garnish the bhaji with some cilantro and you're good to go.

Although you can substitute the pav with a burger bun, I find the water rolls or french hamburger buns are a very close substitute. You can find them at your local grocery store's bakery section

Carrot & Peas medley

Carrot & Peas medley

First thing first, this recipe comes from the wifey - rest assured it won't be the last one and pretty soon she will take this over. A nice entree that's not too heavy or spicy, this is best enjoyed on those days when you just want a light meal without much ado.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 1.5 Cups frozen peas
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tsp garam masala
• 1/2 Tsp dried mango powder (Aamchoor powder)
• 1/2 Cup water
• 2 Tblsp Oil

This is fairly simple - start with heating the oil in a plan and add the cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds begin to crackle, add the turmeric and stir the mix. Now add the veggies, add salt and mix well. You don't need to fry this mixture a whole lot. Just add the water, cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. You know the medley is well cooked when the carrot is tender to bite.

Once done, add the garam masala and the dried mango powder and mix the spices in well. Cook for a couple more minutes and turn the heat off. Done - you're all set. Serve with chapatis and curd.

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

If you come from the same part of the world as me, the heading of this blog post probably doesn't make sense. Why specify "spicy" with "chili"? Traditionally to us, Chili is just this spicy hot pepper that is an essential part of out cooking. Chili, whose actual name comes from Spanish Chili con carne meaning peppers with meat, is a very popular food in America. Usually, meat, tomatoes and beans are the norm with other ingredients being the basis for variation.

Here is a recipe I tried out to create a spicy vegetarian version of Chili. it turned out great, and since I used canned ingredients this first time, it was also real simple. In fact, it was actually so good that I have decided to stick to the canned goods :)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cans of Del Monte diced tomatoes - Zesty Chili style
• 1 Can of Great Value Chili beans (Walmart brand)
• 4 Cloves garlic minced
• 1 Red onion chopped fine
• 1/2 Spanish onion chopped fine
• 1 Cup green, yellow and red bell pepper diced
• 2 Habanero peppers seeded and chopped fine
• 1/2 Cup sweet corn
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 2 Tblsp Italian spices
• 3 Tblsp sugar
• 3 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 1 Tsp red chilli powder
• 3 Sprigs of green onion chopped
• 1/4 Cup of cilantro chopped

You begin with a large enough saucepan and start with heating the olive oil on medium heat. Once heated, add the garlic and the Italian seasoning and fry these for about 30 second. Then, add the onions to the mix and cook until you can see the onions begin to lose their color. This should  take around 3-4 minutes; keep the heat on medium all through this.

Now, add the peppers - habanero and the bell peppers, corn and all the spices except sugar. Cook these well until the bell peppers have lost their crunch and yet are not completely squishy - allow for some texture. While the peppers are cooking, puree the tomatoes. This step is optional. Like I have mentioned before, I just dislike chunks of tomatoes in  my food, so I puree them.

Once the peppers are done, add in the tomatoes and mix everything well. Bring the mix to a boil, and then add the sugar. The sugar helps tackle the tomatoes' tangy flavor which can sometimes overpower the other flavors. Simmer this for 8 minues and then add in the beans. Mix well again, and cook for another 5 minutes. At this time, you can taste and adjust spices, if you so wish.

Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro on top.

You can eat a bowl of chili on its own, but we prefer it with Chicago Italian bread slices toasted with olive oil and spices...

Toor (Arhar) daal / Yellow lentils

This daal / lentils is known by various names - Toor daal, Tuvar daal, Arhar daal or simply yellow lentils. The yellow lentils part can be confusing because I know of at least 2 more types of lentils that are of very similar color, yet very different in taste and preparation. In any case, while most lentils usually carry an earthy flavor, this recipe makes this daal carry unusual tones of tang and sweetness making it delectable.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Toor daal
• 3 Cups water
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 tblsp tamarind paste
• 1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
• 1.5 Tsp salt
• 2 tblsp Oil
• 1/2 Tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 Tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
• A pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1 dried whole red chilli
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 Tsp sugar

Wash the daal well twice and put it in the pressure cooker with 3 cups water, salt and the turmeric powder. Stir well and pressure cook on medium high heat for up to the first whistle and then turn off the heat. You want to allow the pressure cooker to release the steam on its own, so just set it aside for about 15 minutes.

Dice the tomatoes and puree them. Making a puree is optional - I just don't like tomatoes pieces in the daal personally. Now, In a small saucepan heat 1Tsp of oil and add the tomatoes to it. Cook them on medium heat, stirring occasionally. you want to cook them until you see oil oozing from the sides - that when they are done. That is step 2 complete.

For step 3, you basically want to just mix the tamarind paste, sugar and 2 Tblsp of water in a cup. As long as you have clean hands, you can use your fingers to do this. Just ensure that the paste is converted into a brown liquid with clean consistency. Step 3 - complete.

By now, the cooker should have released the steam. Open it and place the open cooker on medium-low heat, stirring the daal well. Cook for about 5 minutes - if you feel the water is less, add some more. Add the tomatoes and the tamarind juice from steps 2 and 3 above to the daal and mix them in. Cook for a couple more minutes, while you complete the last step - step 4.

In step 4, we can reuse the pan we used for the tomatoes. Heat the remaining 1 Tblsp oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds to it. Once they begin to splutter add the cumin seeds as well. Once those start to crackle, add the curry leaves, red chilli, asafetida and red chilli powder and fry for about 30 seconds. Then quickly add this to the daal in the cooker. Once again mix well, and cook the daal for another few minutes. The daal should have the desired consistency and taste by now. Adjust water or salt as desired at this time.

That's it. Serve hot over rice or with chapati.

Jeera Aaloo

Jeera Aaloo is one of our all time favorite comfort food choices served with lentils and rice. Jeera aaloo is translates to cumin spiced potatoes in English. Remember, cumin seeds are known for their digestive properties, so this is always a good pick for a light dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium red potatoes - boiled
• 2 Tsp cumin seeds
• 1 green chilli chopped fine
• 2 Tblsp corn oil (vegetable oil will do)
• 1 Tsp garam masala
• 1 Tsp cumin powder
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Tsp red chilli powder
• 3-4 sprigs of cilantro for garnishing

All right, so we begin with chopping the potatoes into small chunks. Keep these aside. Now heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds to it. Once the seeds begin to splutter, add the green chilli to the pan and fry for about 30 seconds. Then, add the garam masala and cumin powder to this mix and mix well. Cook this on low-medium heat for another 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes, salt and the red chilli powder to the pan, stir well to coat the potatoes evenly with the spices and cook uncovered for 5 minutes on medium heat. Once cooked turn the heat off, and sprinkle the cilantro on top. Serve either with chapati or with daal / rice.