Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 medium sized Tomatoes

1 strand of Celery

Small piece of Capsicum / Bell Pepper

3-4 leaves of Basil or Tulasi

1/4 small Onion

Small piece of Ginger

1-2 pods of Garlic

1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp All Purpose flour

4-5 toasted or fried Bread pieces

1/4 cup Whipping Cream or Milk

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Butter

Recipe:

Chop tomatoes, capsicum, celery, onion, ginger, garlic into medium sized pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put 1 tsp butter in a pan and heat. Add cumin seeds and fry. Once it starts spluttering, add ginger, garlic pieces and fry them for about 1 min in medium flame. Add chopped onion, celery, capsicum and fry them for about 2-3 mins in medium flame. Add chopped tomatoes, basil/tulasi, salt, pepper powder and saute them for about 1 min.

Add around half cup of water and cook them well by covering a lid.

Once the tomato mixture is cooked, put them in a blender and grind them into smooth paste. Strain the ground mixture to get rid of the pulp ingredients.

Put 1 tsp butter, around 1 tsp all purpose flour and fry them in low flame until it turns light golden in color. Add strained tomato puree slowly and mix them well. Bring them to boil. Add the sugar and keep the soup in low flame for about 10 mins. (Add salt if required). Add whipping cream and mix them well. Transfer this to a soup bowl, add 4-5 pieces of fried bread and serve. I tried this recipe from vahrehvah. Thanks Sanjay for the recipe.

Gobi Burji

Ingredients:

2.5 cups grated Cauliflower /Gobi

1 medium sized Onion

2-3 Green Chillies

Pinch of Pepper powder

Pinch of Garam Masala powder

1/4 tsp Chilly powder

Salt to taste

Pinch of Turmeric powder

4-5 Curry leaves

4-5 strands of Coriander leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 tsp Oil

Recipe:

Grate the cauliflower and chop the onion, green chillies, coriander leaves into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and oil in a thick bottomed vessel/pan. Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves, green chillies, chopped onion, pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Fry them for about 3-4 minutes in medium flame until onion turns golden in color.

Add chopped grated cauliflower, chilly powder, garam masala, salt and fry them in medium flame for around 20-25 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. It goes well with Rice/Chapathis.

Hagalakayi Chutney / Bitter Gourd Chutney

Ingredients:

1.5 cups finely chopped Bitter Guard / Hagalakayi

1.5 cups grated Coconut

1 tsp Sesame seeds / Ellu

10-12 Curry leaves

5-6 Red Chillies

Large grape sized Tamarind

3-4 tsp Jaggary

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

Oil

Recipe:

Cut bitter guard into two pieces and remove the seeds. Chop bitter guard into small pieces and put it in a vessel containing salted water for about 1 hour. Remove chopped bitter guard from salted water and spread it over the tissue or clean cotton cloth to dry for about 10-15 mins.

Put grated coconut in a pan and saute them in medium flame until they turn light golden in color. Transfer this to another bowl /plate. Add 1 tsp oil, 5-6 red chillies and fry them in medium flame for about 1 min. Add sesame seeds, 7-8 Curry leaves and fry them for about 1-2 mins.

Keep oil in a thick bottomed vessel and heat it. Add the chopped bitter guard and fry them in oil until they turn golden in color.

Put fried coconut, bitter gourd, red chillies, tamarind, salt, jaggary in a mixer/blender and grind them to smooth paste by adding little amount of water.

Add mustard seeds, 1/2 red chilly and 1 tsp oil in a pan. Once it starts spluttering, add 3-4 curry leaves and add it to Chutney. Mix well before serving. It goes well with rice & ghee, dosas, etc.