Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts

Instant Tomato Rasam


        There are so few numbers of people who truly believe in being simple rather than showing off themselves. Well, simplicity falls in so many ways - some dress up so much but simple and down to earth in their character , but some totally be simple in their outward looks , and follow just the same in their lives too. There are foods that mean the same too, just so simple in looks, but it would turn out to be the best comfort food.


Everyone has their own comfort food, it may be a  rice - curd, rice - dal , roti - dal , rice - rasam , it just differs from person to person. Well today's post is so very simple , and i know, i have been using the word ' SIMPLE ' from the very beginning onwards. So today its about a super simple Tomato Rasam. Its rare that i make rasam at home, but this is something i wish to make on a lazy day. It so simple to make and a tasting one too.

Instant Tomato Rasam 

Ingredients:
2 Tomatoes ( diced)
4 Shallots / Pearl Onion ( sliced )
6 Garlic cloves ( sliced )
1 -2 Green chili ( slit )
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Oil
Salt to taste

Tamarind a small gooseberry sized ( soaked in warm water , and juice extracted )
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric pwder
1/4 tsp Fenu greek powder
2 pinches Asafoetida

Coriander leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a Kadai and pop Mustard seeds , add in shallots , garlic , green chili and saute until the shallots turn soft.
Now add in the tomatoes and saute until soft and mushy.
Mean while , pour in 3  to 3 1/2  cups of water to the  tamarind extract and add in the masala powders , and enough salt to taste and mix well.
Once the tomatoes turn soft and mushy pour in the masala + tamarind water and bring it to a boil.
Once it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for a few mins.
Take off from heat , add in the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.


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Chicken and Corn Chowder Soup


           Stirring out a soup is my ever favorite way of making a dinner meal for the three of us. We all three truly love steaming hot soup bowls, well there are exceptional days for Little Cuppy Cake. She mostly loves to dunk in a bread slice into her soup and eat the soup soaked bread. I try to make things simple food for most of our dinner nights. I always wanted to taste the famous Chowder Soup,  but never got to taste it, nor never did we place an order when we dined out.


Searching on homemade Chowder Soup , and seeing N number of recipes, i decided to mix and match recipes to create the one which i have in my kitty right now. So , i landed up on the Chicken & Corn Combo and i should say it was yum yum yum !!!! I had some Cooked Shredded Chicken in my freezer and so everything happened like a breeze.I served the soup with a sandwich for each one of us.

Chicken and Corn Chowder Soup


Ingredients:
1 cup Cooked Shredded Chicken ( in chunky pieces )
1 cup Corn Kernels ( i used the frozen ones )

1 Potato ( cubed in small pieces )
1/2 cup Carrot ( cubed )
1/2 cup Celery ( cubed )
1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper / Capsicum
3 - 4 Spinach Leaves  chopped ( opt, i used it)
1/2 cup Onion ( diced )
3 -4 Garlic ( chopped )
2 cups of Chicken broth ( i used water + 1 Chicken Bouillon cube )

2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Cream ( Heavy cream )
1 tsp Cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp of Cold water ( opt )

Salt
Pepper

Method :

Heat a large pot and  melt butter.
Add in onions, garlic , potatoes and saute for about 5 mins.
Move the vegetables to one side of the pot ; add in 1 tbsp of butter , melt it and add in flour , stir with butter for few mins , make sure no lumps is formed.
Pour in Chicken Broth / Water and let it simmer on medium heat until the potatoes are cooked.
Now add in the rest of the vegetables, chicken and corn kernels, and let it simmer for a about 10 - 15 mins.
Pour in milk and cream , add in pepper and salt as needed.
The Soup should be thick , if you feel it watery add in the the cornstarch mix.
Serve hot with a bread.



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Lentil Vegetable Soup - One Pot Soup

   Now a days the climate in here is really cool, with the temperature still down with the slight rains coming on and off. And obviously means No Play yard for the little girl and it also means a very bad cold and a flu on the way. My sweetheart goes to the play school and most of the time comes home having a cold or slight fever, its cold this time and was getting really worse for the past two days. Its hard to make her eat during theses days.


A slight sneeze and i'm all set to make soup , i really do not need a reason to make soup, apart from the matter that we all love it. Again this is a recipe from my friend Uma, from her kitchen to mine. Its like now i make this every now and then. My little girl is all happy when i serve her a very own soup bowl rather than feeding her. She is more happy to dip i  a big piece of bread into her soup and with a full glee chomps it up :) , i love watching her eat.
This soup is loved by all of us and a better reason to make this soup other than cold and flu is;  its Winter Season!!!

 Lentil Vegetable Soup - One Pot Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup Brown Lentils
1 Onion ( small, chopped )
4 - 5 Garlic (chopped )
2 Green chilies ( slit )
1/2 cube Chicken Bouiilion ( opt )

1/2 cup Carrot ( diced )
1/2 cup Beans ( chopped )
1/2 cup Bell pepper / Capsicum ( diced )
1 stalk Celery ( diced )
1/4 cup Green Peas ( i used frozen )
1/4 cup Corn  ( i used frozen )
7 - 8 Mushroom ( diced )

1 tsp Pepper Powder
Salt as needed
Few Coriander Sprigs
Bean Sprouts ( i didnt have any )
Half a Lemon ( opt )
1 tbsp Oil / Butter

Method:
Pressure cook Lentils,  i usually pressure cook them on high for 2 whistles, keep under running cold water and release the pressure then open the lid , do not over cook them, or you can cook on pot, it should hold its shape.
In a soup pot heat Oil and add in Onions + Garlic + Green Chili + Chicken boullion and saute for 2 mins.
Add in Veggies and saute for 2 - 3mins.
Pour in the cooked lentils, and add in salt + pepper + coriander leaves as needed.
Let in cook for some mins.
Serve hot topping with bean sprouts, a dash of lemon juice siding with croutons or any bread of your choice.
I served my soup with Steamed Chicken Bun .
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Fried Tofu Noodle Soup



    Thai food can be a lot related to Indian Food i guess , may be a lot more to Kerala Cuisine for using Coconut milk in almost all the Curries they prepare and yeah having rice too . Its not so recent that we have visited a Thai Restaurant in any time near. But we are so crazy about Thai food, that every time we want to dine out Thai would be the first preference for sure. Well this Soup can or cannot be mentioned Thai , but it is so similar to the Thai Soup and it tasted almost the same, because i haven't used anything authentic Thai.


As i have earlier mentioned in my previous posts we enjoy most of our winter dinners having hot steaming soup. When i was starting to make soup on this particular " Soup Day " i was sure to add in Rice Noodles to it, i had very little Rice Noodles with me which was not enough to make some Spicy Noodles which i was actually planning to make and made way to end up here. I did keep Thai Soup in mind while making this, and i am actually very happy with the out come.
Our little one was just searching for carrots and noodles in her soup , but after a while she was seen happily asking for more :)


Fried Tofu Noodle Soup


Ingredients:
2 cups Firm Tofu ( cut in squares )
2 cups Cooked Rice Noodles ( refer notes )
1- 1 1/2 cups Thick Coconut milk ( i used canned )
1 Carrot sliced
6 - 7 Green Beans
1/2 Green Bell Pepper Sliced ( any color )
1 -2 Tender Bamboo Shoot Sliced ( opt , i didn't use this )
1 - 2  Bok Choy ( chopped )
8 -9 Spinach Leaves
8 -9 Basil Leaves

3 Shallots ( sliced )
3 Green Chilies
2 tbsp Garlic chopped
2 tbsp Ginger chopped

1/2 cube Knorr Chicken Boullion
1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Paprika / Kashmiri Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin / Jeera Powder
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
Water
Salt as needed

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry tofu until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Heat oil in a pot add Garlic + Ginger + Shallots + Green Chilies and saute.
Add in the Vegetables (expect the leaves) +  Chicken Cube + the Spice pwdrs and saute for 1 min .
Pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and let the water boil check for salt, add in the leaves and Mushroom .
Lower the heat and let the water to a simmer and pour the coconut milk, sprinkle red chili flakes let it simmer again for a few mins.
Add in Tofu , Noodles and Basil leaves. Serve hot.

Notes: I used Rice Noodles here, i just over cooked mine, you may cook by the package directions. If you want you can add Chicken before sauteing the veggies and rest all the same and make it into a Non - Veg Version. You can use Veg / Chicken Stock instead of Water.
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Roasted Red Chili Rasam


My little princess has started pre-school ; as any other mom i too was excited , terrified, horrified , scared and even i had butterflies fluttering in my tummy. The day before the D -day i was all keen in making Adya understand that she's going to have a great day at school with new friends , toys and more fun.  It was like, i never ever felt all these emotions on a single day just for a few instances re-winded back to school day exam days now im sure someone would side me on that.
 So on the D-day morning i was all set with a new dress, a pair of new shoes, bags etc for little princess, and both of us set off happily for the SCHOOL, i talked to the teacher said bubbye to little one....but she was all set into the new world and i was upset; tears almost filled my eyes; my little girl she never said bye on her first day at school nor she cared to turn and look back at me. While coming back i felt all alone... back at home i felt a void and hated it....i felt like crying. Our little ones grows so fast we just need to know that they are growing , and i guess we parents we need to enjoy each and every single moment of there childhood. 

And now apart from stories this pure bliss of a recipe is one from your grandmother, and  Rasam / Spiced Tamarind Soup . Its after all these years that i  yearned so many times for my Ammama's ( my Grand mother / Mom's mother ) special Rasam. I just dont't remember any such instance of her making this kind of Rasam, but now this is the rasam for us; Just the perfect one for those heavy Winter Seasons, a day with Running nose or a flu, or just even a simple Lazy Day. A very  simple Rasam, a very Tangy one with not much ingredients of a usual recipe and really easy to put together  , we love it with Rice and some scrambled eggs on a very very Lazy day or if you are on the next level to cook something special then even go for the Unakka Chemmen Roast/ Chemeen Karuvadu / Dry shrimp Roast.

Roasted Red Chili Rasam 
Recipe Source: Ammama

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lemon sized Tamarind
4 Dry Red Chilies
4 -5 Shallots ( sliced)
1/4 tsp Turmeric  Powder
Oil ( preferably ) Coconut Oil
Water
Salt

Method:
 Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 mins and extract juice and discard the pulp.Add 2 cups Water to it and set aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and roast the chillies,and set aside ; crush it coarsely with a motar and pestle ( let it have big and small pieces).
In the same pan saute the shallots until tender, set aside and also give it  JUST a crush ( do not cursh it too much).
In the same pan, heat oil and splutter mustard following curry leaves, add in the crushed Chilies and shallots.
Add in turmeric powder , salt and pour in the Tamarind water, cook till on low heat until lightly foamy.
Serve hot with rice and Dry Prawns Roast

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Spiced Oat Meal Porridge


Weekday mornings really make me go crazy thinking of different breakfast that wouldn't make us feel having the samething every single morning. i really dont feel happy stacking up my pantry with the different cereal boxes, and having them every day. We were a huge fan of the flavoured oat meal packets but then too we got fed up with them so now trying on new different ways to have breakfast in the same healthy manner.


This is again a yummy  food recipe shared by my friend U, i have shared recipes before here & here. Right now this is a yummy easy version how we have our Oats porridge on a busy Weekday mornings. Do give this a try & Im sure you will love this.

Spiced Oat Meal Porridge
Ingredients:
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
Salt

For Grinding:
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 Green Chili
1 inch Ginger
6-7 sprigs of Corriander leaves

Method:
Heat water adding oats to it and cook until done and remove from heat.
Grind together coriander, green chili, ginger and yogurt.
Add the ground paste to the still warm oats and mix well ; add salt as needed.
Serve warm.


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Cream of Mushroom Soup


   There was a time when i used to drink only mushroom soup and thought these can be got only in restaurants,and thats when shops started selling Packaged Soup Mix,  i used to buy it every time possible , until we got to drink it from one of my dad's friends home, it was rich thick and creamy, and from then on Amma used to make this for us. Now our sweet little darling just loved this soup and kept on asking me for   "Amma ..... mushshooom" :)
           Now you might find a slow down in my little space in here and this is going to continue for the next 2 months, im visiting Home Sweet Home ( Kerala, India )!!! Im sure to enjoy some of my mom's very good food for sure :) , will try to upload some pictures

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:
10 - 12 White Button Mushrooms ( stems removed )
3 tbsp Garlic ( chopped)
2 cups Mushroom Broth (  recipe follows)
1 cup Milk ( whole milk) / half & half / Cream( i used milk )
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Pepper ( adjust )
2 tsp Cornflour  ( dissolved in  2 tbsp water )
Salt to taste


Method:
  • Wipe the mushrooms clean and slice the caps.
  • Heat butter in a pot , add in garlic, saute for 2mins.
  • Add in mushrooms and saute and until tender and cooked.
  • Scoop out half of the mushroom quantity and blend it smooth in a blender and add back into the pot. ( This step is optional)
  • Add in Veg broth, pepper & salt, and let it boil.
  • Add in Milk and cornflour, and let it thicken up.
  • Serve hot with crountons.

Mushroom Broth
Ingredients:
10 -12 Stems of Mushroom ( cut in half )
1  Big Onion ( cut in half )
1/2 Carrot ( cut in chunks )
1 Scallion / Spring Onion ( cut in 3 )
1 Green Chili
1 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste
2 - 21/2 cups water

Method:

  • Mix everything together and boil it.
  • Lower the flame and let it simmer on low for about 20- 30 mins. ( vegetable broth is usually simmered for an hour or so on medium heat, but i didn't do this )



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Broccoli in a Cream Sauce


We were far from trying broccoli until i had a stir fry from my friends home, it was so good, i never felt i was eating something  i would have never ever tried, and felt bad to have kept away from such a great vegetable. From then on we bought lots and lots, and made different dishes.
This dish would come under the categories soup and a Side dish, whatever, this is one delicious food.
I want my little precious one to have some healthy stuffs, so broccoli is that kind of thing.  Little kids taste buds change every now and then, and i too try hard in getting hold of new new recipes.I wrote down this recipe long back from our family friends cook book, and im happy that i have this yummy recipe in hand. .

Broccoli in a Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 medium bunch Broccoli
1 cup Mushroom (sliced)
1/2 Onion ( sliced)
4 tbsp Garlic ( chopped )
1/2 cube Veg Flavour Bouillion ( i used Knorr Veg flavour )
3 tbsp All Purpose Flour / Maida
1/2 tsp Paprika powder / Red Chili powder
2 tsp Mustard Paste
1/2 cup Milk
3/4 cup Water
1 cup Thin Cream
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

  • Cut broccoli in medium florets. Put these in hot water with 1 tsp salt for 3 mins and wipe dry.
  • Heat butter saute garlic, onions until translucent.
  • Add Veg Bouillion, mushrooms and saute , add in all purpose flour, paprika, stir in continuously for 3-4 mins.
  • Add in milk, water, mustard paste, broccoli, pepper, salt and mix, cook until the sauce thickens
  • Add in Cream and remove from heat.
  • Serve hot with Croutons.
Notes: You can totally avoid cream and add in milk instead.

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Pasta Bowl Soup




Who wouldn't want a bowl of steaming yummy soup on a cold rainy day, its not that its raining in our place , but i would say its still cold in here.!! At the same time i feel lazy to make a full fledged meal on these kinda days, and for a quick meal light meal, soup and some crackers would be my first option, easy, tasty at the same time filling too.Winter season reminds its time to get our soup bowls ready, and at home we are sure to have soups on most of the days.


Pasta Bowl Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups Vegetables ( i used Carrots, Beans, Green Peas, Broccoli, Mushrooms & Corn )
1/2 cup Macaroni Pasta ( boiled)
1/2 cup Onion ( chopped)
1/2 tsp Herbs De Provence
1 cube Veg Flavour Bouillion ( i used Knorr Veg flavour )
2 Green chilies slit
5 tbsp Garlic Chopped
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup water
Pepper  ( adjust as per your heat level )
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:
  • Heat oil in a pot, add in Garlic, Green chilies and Onion, saute until tender.
  • Add in the Bouillon and the Vegetables, saute for 5-6 mins.
  • Add in the pasta, milk, water, pepper and salt to taste, let it simmer for few mins.
  • Check for the salt , add cream and remove from heat, Serve hot.



Notes:  You can add Veg Broth instead of the Veg Bouillion Cube. You also can, omit Heavy Cream and add milk instead. 'Herbs De Provence' is a mixture of dried herbs, you can substitute with any of your choice.

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