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 :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 :2 minutes

Cooking Time :10 minutes

Servings :4

CHILLED CUCUMBER & BUTTERMILK SOUP

Ingredients

Cucumbers, chopped 2 peeled medium
Buttermilk 3 cups
Ginger, chopped 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies, chopped 1-2
Salt to taste
White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh mint leaves 6-8 leaves
Fresh mint leaves to garnish
Lemon juice 2 teaspoons

Method

Take chopped cucumber in a blender. Add ginger, green chilli, salt, white pepper powder and mint leaves and blend till smooth.Add buttermilk, lemon juice and blend again. Transfer into a serving bowl and chill. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Recipe Tip

Buttermilk should be lump free. If you do not have buttermilk, you can mix equal quantities of curd and water and whisk till smooth.

Preparation Time :20-30 minutes

Cooking Time :15-20 minutes

DAL SOUP WITH TOMATO

Ingredients

Ripe red tomatoes, quartered 6 medium
Split green gram skinless (dhuli moong dal) , soaked 1/2 cup
Oil 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Onion , sliced 1 small
Ginger, sliced 1 inch piece
Garlic, sliced 2 cloves
Salt to taste
White pepper powder to taste
Brown bread 4 slices
Fresh coriander leaves 4 sprigs

Method

Heat oil in a deep pan. Add cumin seeds, onion, ginger and garlic and sauté till lightly browned. Add moong dal and sauté for a minute. Add three cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Add salt and pepper powder and stir. Add tomatoes and mix. Cover and cook till the dal is completely cooked.Cut the brown bread slices into heart shaped pieces with a cookie cutter. Heat a pan and toast the bread hearts till golden and crisp. Strain the dal mixture and blend the solids into a smooth puree. Pass the puree through a sieve into a deep pan. Add the strained stock and mix. Bring the mixture to a boil. Adjust seasoning. Pour the soup into individual soup bowls, garnish with the toasted bread hearts and coriander sprigs and serve hot.

Preparation Time :1 minutes

Apple & Pumpkin Soup

Cooking Time :15 minutes

Servings :4

Ingredients

Golden apples, cubed 2
Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu), cubed 250 grams
Orange juice 1 cup
Salt to taste
Bay leaf 1
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Black peppercorns, crushed 1/2 teaspoon
Cream 1/2 cup
Fresh coriander leaves a few sprigs

Method

Take cubed pumpkin and apples in a panAdd orange juice, salt, bay leaf and cook on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer till completely cooked and mashed. Let the mixture cool. Remove the bay leaf and then blend to make a puree. Strain the puree and transfer into a pan. Add two cups of water and turmeric powder, mix well and bring to a boil. Adjust salt and add freshly crushed peppercorns and mix well. Reduce heat and add fresh cream. Serving piping hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Ingredients

Carrot-Coconut

Carrots, chopped 650 grams
Fresh coriander leaves 1 medium bunch
Butter 2 tablespoons
Bay leaves 2
Black peppercorns 1 teaspoon
Onion , chopped 1 medium
Garlic, chopped 6-8 cloves
White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method

Chop fresh coriander leaves finely and reserve the stems.Heat butter in a deep pan, add bay leaves, black peppercorns, onion, garlic and sauté for two minutes. Add carrots, coriander stems and five cups of water and bring to a boil. When the carrots are completely cooked, remove them and put in a blender to make a fine puree. Boil and reduce the stock slightly and strain. Take the puree in a deep pan and add strained stock to reach the desired consistency. Bring to a boil again. Add white pepper powder dissolved in a little water. Add salt to taste. Stir in finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve piping hot.