Creamy Tomato Basil soup

Tomato Basil Soup

The secret to a delicious tasting Tomato Basil soup is in the freshness of the ingredients since this is a very simple soup prepared with very few spices .

Ingredients :

4 vine ripened red tomatoes chopped

1 can of organic tomato sauce ( not ketchup )

1/2 cup carrot puree/juice

3 tbsp heavy cream

1/4 th cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup  vegetable stock.

1 shallot

2 cloves of garlic finely grated

salt to taste

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley (to garnish)

Italian Basil growing in  my backyard

Fresh tomatoes from my backyard

Directions :

Heat olive oil in a non- stick pan .Add the finely sliced shallot and sautee till transluscent.Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes ,salt  and pepper and roast for 5-7 mins.Add the tomato sauce ,vegetable stock and  carrot puree (this helps to cut down the sourness of the tomatoes and also adds a delicious flavor and nutrition to the soup) and simmer on a low flame for 10 mins till soup starts bubbling.Add the fresh  cream and chopped basil leaves .Simmer for another 2 mins. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley. Serve hot with grilled cheese toast.

Mexican -Black bean and Corn Tortilla Soup

This hearty one pot meal is as delicious and nutritious as it can get .Mexican flavors are quite close to Indian ones because they also use tomatoes,chilis,coriander leaves,cumin etc in their foods.Addition of crispy tortillas (similar to papads but made of cornflour) adds a nice crunch to the soup.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 chopped ripe tomato
1cup  corn kernels
1 can organic tender cooked  black beans
1 clove  grated fresh garlic
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili pwdr
1/2 tsp cumin pwdr

1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp lime juice
1tsp pepper pwdr
salt to taste
Handful of crispy tortilla chips
chopped cilantro for garnish

Note :  Add the tortilla chips just before serving or they'll get soggy.Also cut the avocado and add to the soup just before eating or it'll turn dark.

Directions :
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add the grated garlic ,let it sizzle for a  few seconds then add the chopped tomato,corn kernels and black beans .Add ,salt ,pepper,cumin ,chili pwdr,lemon -pepper seasoning and oregano.Cook for 5 -7 mins .Add the tomato sauce and vegetable  broth  and simmer on a medium flame for another 10 mins.Turn off the heat and add sour cream and blend in .Serve hot with sliced avocados and tortilla chips crushed on top .Squeeze  lime juice as per taste and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Yogurt based Sweet n Spicy Okra Curry- Gujarati bhinda ane dahi ni kadhi

http://happyhealthyfuncooking.blogspot.com/2010/08/ongoing-events-csn-giveaways.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FsxFKK+%28Happy%2CHealthy%2CFun+Cooking%29http://simplysensationalfood.blogspot.com/2010/08/announcing-event-flavours-of-gujarat.html

Gujarati Kadhi

Okra Kadhi with corn khichdi

Another classic time tested Gujarati dish from my mom's kitchen !!I absolutely love this kadhi which has a sweet ,sour and spicy  flavor .It is super simple to prepare , takes less than 10 mins from start to finish but tastes like you worked  hours making it. I love it hot with Corn Khichdi and pickle on  days when I eat and cook only vegetarian or when I'm running late but still want a delicious home cooked hot meal!.The same kadhi can be made plain without the okra/ladyfingers.
If you are making it for the first time prepare a small quantity as shown  below and strictly follow directions for a very authentic flavor and texture.Gujarati kadhis are  sweeter and thinner than the North Indian ones .



Ingredients:

3/4th  cup yogurt(dahi)
3/4th  cup water
1 tbsp besan(chickpea flour)

8-10 whole baby okra/ladyfingers[crisp pan fried seperately with a lilttle salt and pepper]
1 finely chopped small green chili

1/4th inch grated ginger

1 tbsp sugar

salt to taste

coriander leaves(cilantro)

                                                              Spices tempered in hot ghee

Tempering spices ( Tadka/baghaar/chauk ):
2 tsp pure ghee(clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 fresh curry leaves
1/2  whole dry red chili without seeds

less than a pinch of Asafoetida(hing)

Important notes: Heat the kadhi on a LOW flame all the time stirring occasionally to prevent the curds and whey from seperating.Keep all the tempering spices ready   because you have to add them quickly one after the other .They should swell up and lightly brown but not burn If they burn the yogurt will pick up the burnt flavors and not taste good.

Asafoetida(hing) is extremely pungent and can quickly overpower a dish so be very careful while adding it especially to a yogurt dish.The slightest pinch is enough for the quantity below otherwise you can omit it.


Directions :

Whisk the yogurt and besan (chickpea flour) with a fork in a steel pot till no lumps remain .Add the whole okra,chopped chili,grated ginger,sugar,salt and water and mix well.Simmer on a LOW  flame stirring till it comes to a boil.

Pour the hot ghee and spices over the hot kadhi

In another  small tempering bowl, heat the ghee.To the hot ghee add the mustard seeds,cumin seeds,dry red chili,hing and curry leaves in that order.Let the spices crackle and swell but not burn for  around 10-15 secs .Add the hot temepered ghee and spices  to the  kadhi mixture .Mix well ,simmer for 30 seconds on the lowest heat .Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves.Serve hot with Corn Khichdi (recipe to be posted soon)

This recipe is being sent to Flavors of Gujarat -event

This recipe is being sent to Divya's -Show me your curry Event

This recipe also goes to Kiran's veggie/fruit a month -Okra

Italian Chicken Tortellini soup

Tortellini pasta(dry)

Tortellini are ring shaped   pasta stuffed with different ingredients.I have used Pesto (basil leaves & pine nuts  paste) stuffed Tortellinis in this soup you can use any of your choice .This soup eats like a meal. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread for a healthy Italian meal.Replace chicken with Mozzarella cheese balls and chicken stock with Vegetable stock for a veggie version of this soup.

Note:  If using fresh Tortellini pasta cook  them for only 5-7mins in the soup  .If using dry pasta boil them for 10 mins or till tender seperately in boiling water as you would with regular pasta .. I have used dry Tortellini here.


Ingredients :

1/2 lb Tortelllini pasta
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 small white onion
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup diced carrots , corn and red bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked chicken  peices
2 cups Organic low sodium chicken stock
1/2 tsp dry parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper pwdr
1/2 tsp garlic pwdr
1 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning
8-10 chopped fresh Basil leaves.
Salt to tasteDirections :

In a stockpot bring 10 cups of water to a rolling boil .Add the dry  tortellini pasta and cook for 10 mins till they are tender. Drain and keep aside.
In a  saucepan ,heat olive oil.Add the sliced onions and cook till they are transluscent.Add the garlic pwdr and chopped spinach,carrots,corn and red peppers.Add  pepper pwdr,lemon -pepper seasoning and salt .Stir and cook on a medium flame for 10 mins.Add the cooked chicken and chicken stock and bring to a boil once and then simmer. Add the cooked Tortellini or the fresh Tortellini at this point.Add the parsley flakes and chopped basil leaves and simmer for another 5 mins.Serve hot with salad or garlic bread.

Tadka dal (Split lentils tempered with whole spices)

Dals  are a staple in Indian everyday meals .They are normally eaten as a side dish with rice and chapatis

and any main veg or non-veg dish of choice.There are various methods of making dals .This is one of them.

 

Note : Tempering  (Tadka) is a technique in which whole spices are flash fried in hot oil or ghee to release their flavors  .They are then added to the dal.The oil has to be hot before you add the spices .If you add the
 spices to cold oil and then heat both  together they will not give the desired effect

Ingredients :

1 cup toor dal

1 small red onion sliced

1 medium tomato chopped

1/2 inch ginger grated

1 whole green chili slit

1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr

1/2 tsp pepper pwdr

1 tsp coriander pwdr

5-6 curry leaves

Tempering spices :

1 tsp cumin seeds

1tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp white urad dal
3-4 cloves

Directions :
Wash and boil the dal with turmeric and salt till it is soft .Mash and keep aside.
In a seperate pot ,heat oil add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,cloves and urad dal to it.They'll immediately swell and crackle and turn light brown in around 10 seconds .Add curry leaves,whole green chili , onion and salt to taste .Cook till onion is transluscent .Add grated ginger and saute for 30 secs .Add the chopped tomato, coriander pwdr and pepper pwdr.Saute for 5 more mins then add the dal to this mixture.Add 1/2 cup water if it's too thick .Simmer on a medium flame for 2-3 mins .Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with rice and other main dishes of your choice.