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.