Preparation Time :30 minutesminutes

Cooking Time :10 minutes

Servings :4

Tomato saar

Ingredients

Tomatoes, chopped , ripe and large 5-6
Coconut, scraped 1 cup
Garlic 6 cloves
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
Ghee 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry leaves 8-10
Green chillies, slit 3-4
Sugar 2-3 tablespoons
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 cup

Method

Grind coconut, garlic and cumin seeds into a paste. Add salt and red chilli powder to tomatoes. Transfer into a pan, add three cups of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes and puree when it is a little cool. Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add pureed tomato and slit green chillies and bring it to a boil and add sugar. Add coconut and spice paste. Cook on low heat for ten minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

Preparation Time :10 minutes

Cooking Time :10-15 minutes

Servings :4

spinach soup

Ingredients

Spinach 2 bunches
Oil 2 tablespoons
Bay leaves 2
Cinnamon 1 inch stick
Black cardamoms 2
Cloves 3-4
Black peppercorns 4-5
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Onion , chopped 1 medium
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Refined flour (maida) 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Fresh cream 2 tablespoons

Method

Break the stems of the spinach leaves and blanch in plenty of water. Drain and refresh in cold water.Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, black cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns and sauté for a minute. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour, add onion and sauté for two minutes. Put the blanched spinach leaves in a blender and blend with some water. Add ginger to the pan and sauté. Add some refined flour and stir. Add spinach puree and enough water to correct the consistency. Add salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Add garam masala powder and lemon juice. Mix and strain. Serve piping hot. You can also serve with a dash of cream.

Preparation Time :15 minutes

Cooking Time :10-15 minutes

Servings :4

MINTED GREEN PEAS SOUP

Ingredients

Fresh mint leaves 10-12
Green peas, shelled 1 cup
Sweet corn niblets 1/4 cup
Vegetable stock 3 cups
Butter 1 tablespoon
Garlic, finely chopped 2-3 cloves
Onion , finely chopped 1 small
Salt to taste
White pepper powder 1/4 teaspoon
Milk 1 cup

Method

Put green peas in a mixer jar. Add fresh mint leaves and a little vegetable stock and blend till smooth.Heat butter in a pan, add garlic and onion and sauté for two minutes. Add the green pea puree, salt and white pepper powder and stir. Bring it to a boil. Heat another pan, add sweet corn niblets, half a cup of water and salt and boil. Cool the pea mixture a little and blend again. Transfer into a pan and add the remaining stock. Heat. Add milk and stir and bring to a boil. Divide the boiled sweet corn into individual soup bowls and then pour over the pea soup. Serve piping hot.

Preparation Time :15 minutes

Cooking Time :10-15 minutes

Servings :4

Matar ka shorba

Ingredients

Green peas, shelled 500 grams
Ginger 2 one-inch pieces
Garlic 8-10 cloves
Green chillies 2
Ghee 3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Onion , finely chopped 1 medium
Bay leaves 2
Salt to taste
Fresh cream 1/4 cup

Method

Wash and boil green peas in two cups of water. Blend in a blender to make a smooth puree. Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies to a paste. Heat ghee or oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and bay leaves, stir-fry for half a minute. Add onion and sauté till it turns a light pink. Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste. Sauté for one to two minutes. Add green peas puree. Cook for five minutes, stirring continuously. Add three cups of water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and stir. Remove bay leaves and discard. Reduce heat and cook further for five minutes. This soup is of thick consistency, however you may make it of the consistency of your liking, by varying the quantity of water used. Stir in fresh cream and serve hot garnished with a swirl of cream.

Preparation Time :30 minutes

Macaroni cheese

Servings :4

Ingredients

Macaroni 300 grams
Processed cheese, grated 1 cup
Butter 2 tablespoons
Refined flour (maida) 2 tablespoons
Milk 2 cups
Salt to taste
White pepper powder to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon

Method

Boil macaroni in sufficient water till al dente. Drain and refresh under running water. Drain and set aside. Heat butter in a pan. Add maida and sauté lightly, taking care that it does not change colour. Add milk, gradually, stirring continuously so that there are no lumps formed. Add grated cheese and keep stirring. After adding cheese the sauce will thicken further, so add more milk to adjust the consistency. Add salt, white pepper powder and mix. Heat some butter in another pan. Add macaroni. Toss. Strain the sauce into this pan and mix gently. Add some more cheese. At this stage if you want to bake you can do so till the cheese at the top becomes a light golden. Or serve it just like that. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Preparation Time :20 minutes

Cooking Time :20 minutes

ACHARI SHALGAM AUR GAJAR KA SHAAG

Servings :4

Ingredients

Turnips (shalgam), sliced 2
Carrots, cut into batons 2
Mustard oil 2 tablespoons
Asafoetida a pinch
Split mustard seeds (rai ki dal) 2 teaspoons
Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ginger paste 2 teaspoons
Garlic paste 2 teaspoons
Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh red chillies, slit 6 big
Green chillies, slit 6 big
Malt vinegar 4 teaspoons
Jaggery (gur), grated 2 teaspoons


Method

Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Then cool it slightly.Add asafoetida, split mustard seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds and when they splutter add sliced turnip, carrot batons and salt. Stir well and add one-fourth cup of water. Cover and cook on high heat for five minutes. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Add the slit green chillies and red chillies and stir. Add half a cup of water, stir and cover. Cook for ten to twelve minutes on medium heat till the turnips and carrots have become tender. Add malt vinegar and grated jaggery and mix well. Take off the heat and serve.

Preparation Time :15 minutes

Cooking Time :10-15 minutes

lemongrass chicken soup

Servings :4

Ingredients

Lemon grass, sliced 2 inch stalk
Chicken, 1/2 inch pieces 400 grams
Cilantro, roughly chopped 3 tablespoons
Chicken stock 4 cups
Button mushrooms, sliced 3
Ginger, sliced 2 inch piece
Onion , roughly chopped 1 medium
Kaffir lime leaves, torn 2-3
Red capsicum, seeded and sliced 1 medium
Salt to taste
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Fresh red chillies, diagonally sliced 2

Method

Pour chicken stock into a pan and heat. Add mushrooms, ginger, onion, bruised Kaffir lime leaves and red capsicum and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cook. Add lemon grass, half the coriander leaves, salt, lemon juice and fresh red chillies. Cook till chicken is done. Pour into a soup bowl. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves and serve piping hot.

Preparation Time :15-20 minutes

Cooking Time :20-30 minutes

Servings :4

GAJAR SHORBA

Ingredients

Carrots, grated 5 medium
Fresh spinach leaves (palak), shredded 2 cups
Sesame seeds (til), toasted 4 teaspoons
Butter 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Garlic, chopped 4 cloves
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Vegetable stock 4 cups
Potato, boiled and mashed 1
Black peppercorns, crushed 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

Heat the butter in a pan, add cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour add garlic, ginger and carrots. Add one cup stock and cook till the carrots are soft. Remove from heat, cool and puree.Pour the puree into a pan and add the mashed potato, remaining stock, crushed peppercorns and salt. Cook, stirring continuously, till soup comes to a boil and is well blended. Pass the soup through a strainer. For crisp spinach, heat sufficient oil in a wok, add the spinach and deep fry till crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Pour the soup into individual bowls, garnish with crisp spinach and sprinkle sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Preparation Time :1 minutes

Cooking Time :15 minutes

Servings :4

Dal shorba

Ingredients

Split green gram skinless (dhuli moong dal) 1/2 cup
Onion , chopped 1/4 medium
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Garlic, chopped 2 cloves
Green chillies, chopped 2
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Butter 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons

Method

Mix together moong dal, chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt. Add five cups of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes. Remove scum from the top from time to time. Cook until dal is very soft. Pass a through a soup strainer. Set aside. Heat butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Sauté on low heat so that the butter is not burnt but at the same time full flavour and aroma of cumin seeds comes out. Add pureed dal, add water to correct consistency, if required. Bring it to a boil. Add lemon juice. Serve piping hot garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves

Preparation Time :10 minutes

Cooking Time :15 minutes

Servings :4

Dahi shorba

Yogurt 1 cup
Gram flour (besan) 2 teaspoons
Green chillies, chopped 1-2
Ginger 1 inch piece
Sugar 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Pure ghee 2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Carrot, chopped 1 medium
French beans, chopped 4-6
Green capsicum, chopped 1 medium
Cauliflower, chopped 5-6 florets
Green peas, shelled 2 tablespoons

Method

Grind green chillies and ginger to a fine paste. Whisk yogurt with three cups water. Add besan, green chilli-ginger paste, sugar and salt and blend well. Heat desi ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel, add cumin seeds and stir-fry until it changes colour. Add chopped carrot, French beans, capsicum, cauliflower and green peas. Stir well and sauté vegetables for two to three minutes. Stir in the yogurt mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for eight to ten minutes or until it thickens to a soup consistency. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.