Daal Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup green mung daal, 1/4 cup toor daal, 1/4 cup chana daal, 1/4 cup split moong daal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
5 cups water
1 tbsp vegetable oil & 1tsp ghee/butter
finely chopped coriander leavesor cilantro for garnish
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 large tomato chopped

1tsp ginger garlic paste or minced

Directions:
Wash & soak the lentils all together.
In a pressure cooker add oil, ghee & add the onion, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes & fry them for a minute.
Add all the dry masala, salt & lentils & 5 cups of water & pressure cook the lentil for 1 whistle.
If its thick add some more water & boil for 5mins.
Garnish with cilantro & serve hot anytime.

Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a South Indian soup prepared with tamarind water and spices. This aromatic and healthy soup is native to South India & very light. Rasam making wasn’t very impressive during the first few times. After many trials & numerous tries to replicate the flavor that my mom made, I am yet to master the perfect ‘rasam’ but I think I am almost there. I always look forward to drinking rasam than eating with rice. Each home has its own version of rasam. Today’s recipe is the very basic rasam using Tomatoes & garlic. It is served with rice & papadams.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup toor dal/yellow split dal (pressure cook well)
11/2 large tomatoes chopped
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
2tsp Rasam powder
1tsp tamarind extract (dilute in half a cup of water)
11/2 tsp salt or to taste
¼ tsp black pepper powder
3 cups water
For tadka/seasoning
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 dry red chilli broken
2 to 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
4 to 5 fresh curry leaves
1tsp ghee/oil (tastes better in ghee)
Method:
• Pressure cook the toor dal, mash the dal & keep it aside.
• Boil 3 cups of water and add chopped tomatoes & let it boil for 5 mins. Later add the tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and rasam powder, black pepper powder and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 2-3 mts. Add the mashed dal to this mixture.
• Heat ghee/oil in a separate pan, add mustards seeds, asafoetida/hing & as they splutter, add dry red chillis, curry leaves & crushed garlic and stir fry for a few seconds until the garlic becomes soft and a nice aroma comes.
• Add this tadka/seasoning to the Rasam & boil for 2 mins. Don’t over boil it.
• Turn off heat and close with a lid.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with white rice and papadams.

Sweet Potato soup

Ingredients
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
½ cup milk
Salt as per taste
Sour cream & chives for garnish
Method:
• In a pot cook the flour and butter, on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture gets a light caramel color.
• Add little water and brown sugar, bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer.
• Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes & the ginger, and cook for 5 mins more.
• Puree the soup in a blender & return to pour it back in the pot.
• Add the milk as needed, and reheat soup.
• Season with salt & pepper.
• Pour into soup bowls and garnish with chives or spring onions.

Spinach Soup

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup medium chopped onion
2 medium potatoes cut in cubes
1 1/2 Cups water
1/4 cup butter
1 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
METHOD
1 In a large saucepan or pressure cooker over medium heat, sauté onion in butter for 3 minutes. Add potatoes, water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are medium tender. Add spinach and pressure cook for on medium heat for 3 whistles minutes.
2 Purée soup mixture in a blender. Return to saucepan. Whisk in milk, salt and pepper.
3 Over low heat, bring the soup to simmering. Whisk in the sour cream.
Soup can be served hot. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.