Kala Chana and Ragi Soup

 Kala Chana and Ragi Soup (Desi Style)

This soup is wholesome, healthy and delicious .. 

I have added coconut milk for enhancing the flavour (optional). Ragi is added not only to thicken  up the soup, but it is also  healthy and has high nutritional values. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup boiled Kala Chana / Black Chickpeas 

3 tbsp Ragi / Nachni flour 

1 small Onion finely chopped 

1 small Tomato finely chopped 

1 Green Chilli finely chopped 

5 to 6 Garlic cloves finely chopped 

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves 

1 tsp Roasted Cumin powder 

Lemon wedges for serving 

Salt to taste 

3/4 cup Coconut Milk (optional)

1 tbsp Ghee 

Method 

Coarsely grind the Kala chana without water. Take out a tbsp of the coarsely grounded Kala Chana and keep it aside for garnishing. Add 2 cups of water In the rest of the ground Chana. Take a pot, add ghee, once the ghee melts, add the garlic and onion. Sauté until translucent, add the tomato and green chilli, sauté for a minute, add the ragi flour and continue to sauté for another minute. Add salt and roasted cumin powder. Stir all the ingredients. Now add the ground Chana with water and constantly stir the soup as no lumps should form. On a low heat let the soup cook, until the soup has thickened up a bit. Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Garnish with some coarsely ground chana, coriander leaves and serve the soup hot, squeeze some lime juice before having the soup. 

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Vegetable Soup with Crispy Rice

Vegetable  Soup with Crispy Rice

A hot bowl of soup is always welcomed on any day. Tried, sick or dieting. In this recipe I have made a very simple vegetable soup which is delectable and easy to make. It is a soul food. I have attached a video to show the steps. Please do encourage me as this is my first self made video.... Thank you....
Ingredients
2 tbsps of each Vegetable minced
Onion
Garlic
Capsicum
Cabbage
Carrot
Broccoli
French Beans
Spring Onion
1 tsp Ginger minced
1/2 tsp Green chilli minced
2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Lemongrass sauce
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Corn flour
2 tbsp Sesame seed oil 

Method 

Take a deep bottom pan, add oil. Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli. Saute it for a minute, add the onion and capsicum, saute it for a minute. Add rest of the vegetables one after the other, saute it for 2 minutes. Add the salt, rice wine vinegar,  light soya sauce and lemongrass sauce, stir it. Add 4 cups of water and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of water in the corn flour, mix it. Add the corn flour into the soup. Let it simmer till it thickens. Serve the hot soup with some chopped spring onions and  crispy rice. 

To make Crispy Rice
Take cooked rice, add in hot oil and fry it. 

Roasted Combination Soup

How about some festive winter soup....
Very easy to make, healthy and tasty too.. An experiment for my kitchen.....

Roasted Combination Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup Pumpkin cubes
1/4 cup Ripe Papaya
1/2 Yellow Capsicum
1/2 cup Red Cabbage cubes
1/2 Red Capsicum
1/4 cup Strawberries
1 Tomato cut into half
1 Garlic pod cleaned
1 Star Anise
1 stick Cinnamon
2 Cloves
6 Pepper corn
3 Bay leaves
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Olive oil
Coconut milk

Method
In a baking tray, spread all the above ingredients but keep the same colour vegetables and fruit together on the same side. Garlic and spice can be spread allover. Sprinkle salt and drizzle olive oil. Roast it in a pre heated oven at 250 degrees celcius for 20 minutes. Take out the bay leaves and star anise.  Blend the same colour vegetables and fruit together and pour it in a pot. Similarly repeat the same for the other colour vegetables and fruit, pour  it in another pot. Add water to liquidise the pulp in both the pots. Add salt to taste. Simmer it for 5  to 10 minutes. While serving, take a soup  bowl... Pour red colour soup and fill up 1/4 of the soup bowl... Next pour in yellow colour soup and fill up more 1/4 of the bowl.. Repeat till the bowl is fillied up.  Garnish with coconut milk.... And create an art work with both the colour soups to pep up your creativity and serve it hot...

Ripe Papaya and Carrot Soup

Ripe Papaya and Carrot Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup  Papaya peeled and chopped
1 Carrot peeled and chopped
1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic Clove chopped
1 small stick Cinnamon
2 Cloves
4 Pepper corn
1/4 cup Milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tsp Olive oil

Method:
Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onion, garlic, cloves, pepper corn and cinnamon,  saute it for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Papaya and carrot and saute for 2 more minutes. Add 2 to 3 cups of water. Cook for 10 minutes until the carrot and papaya are tender. Let it cool. Add the mixture into a  blender and puree until it is smooth. Pour the soup back to the pot. Add milk and salt,  stir well to combine, and simmer on  low flame for  5 minutes. Garnish with pepper powder and a spoon of milk. Serve immediately.

Broccoli and Almond Soup

Broccoli and Almond Soup
Ingredients
1 Broccoli cut into small pieces
1/4 cup  Almonds blanched
1 small Onion finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves minced
3 cups Vegetable Stock
1 cup Skimmed Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp Butter

Method
In a large pot, add the butter, melt it. Add the onion and garlic and sauté it for a 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for  5 minutes more. Add the stock and 1/2 cup skimmed milk, bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer until the broccoli  becomes  tender. Add the almonds leaving few for garnishing the soup. Puree the soup in a blender. Add salt and pepper. Add the remaining milk and simmer it for 2 minutes. Chop the remaining almonds and garnish it before serving the soup.

Methi or Mix Dal Shorba ( Fenugreek Leaves and Mix Pulses Shorba)

Methi or Mix Dal  Shorba ( Fenugreek Leaves and Mix Pulses  Shorba)
Ingredients
1/2 cup Mix Pulses soaked in water for 2 hours
( Equal portions of  Whole Moong dal, Tur dal, Masoor Dal, whole Urid dal, Chana)
1 cup Fenugreek Leaves
1 Tomato chopped
1 small Onion chopped
2 green Chilli crushed
6 Garlic cloves crushed
1 small Piece Ginger Grated
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Ghee
2 tbsp Milk or Cream

Method
Pressure cook the pulses, 1 1/2 cup water, fenugreek leaves, adding salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder to the pulses. Cook till the pulses are tender. After the pressure releases , open the cooker. Add 4 cups of water to the pulses. Blend it with a blender. Take a pan, add 1/2 tsp ghee. Heat it. Add onion, tomato, crushed garlic and chillies. Sauté it till onions are brown in colour. Add the onion and tomato to the Shorba. Simmer it, for 10 minutes. Add remaining ghee, grated ginger and milk or cream. Serve it hot.

Polish Tomato Soup

Polish Tomato Soup
Ingredients
4 Large Tomatoes roughly chopped
2 Carrots diced
1 large  Onion, sliced
1 Celery Stalk chopped
1 tbsp of Butter
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp Flour
Salt to taste
1 tsp Pepper powder
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup Fresh Cream
1 cup Croutons

Method
Add the tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery stalk, butter and 1 cup water in a sauce pan and cook until the vegetables are cooked. Blend the vegetables in the blender and strain it. Take a pot. Add the soup and 4 cups of vegetable stock. Combine flour and 1/4 cup cold water and add to the soup.Add salt, pepper and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add fresh cream. Serve with croutons.

Moong Dal and Palak Shorba

Moong Dal and Palak Shorba
Yellow Dal and Spinach Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup Moong dal / Yellow dal
1 Onion chopped
1 small cup Spinach chopped
1 tsp Ginger grated
1 tsp Garlic chopped
1 Green chilli chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp  Melted Butter
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Reduce Butter if on a Diet

Method
Take a pot. Mix together moong dal, chopped onion, ginger, green chilies, turmeric powder, salt and chopped garlic. Add 3 cups of water and cook till the dal has become pulpy. Take a strainer, strain the dal. Add 2 cups water little at a time while straining. Take a pot. Add the dal water back in the pot. Add the spinach, simmer for 10 minutes. Take a pan. Add butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add the seasoning to the soup.  Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup with Almonds

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup with Almonds
Ingredients
6 Mushrooms cleaned and sliced
2 Garlic cloves minced
1 tsp Fresh ground Pepper
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup Almonds soaked and ground into fine paste. Add 3 cups more water after grinding
Few Almond flakes

Method
In a pot, heat 1/4 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook it till tender. Take the mushrooms and grind it into paste. Keep it aside. Add the 1 tbsp  oil and heat it, add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir it occasionally till the raw flavour of the flour has gone. Add 1/2 tsp ground pepper and salt. Add 1 cup of the almond milk little at a time whisking it so that lumps don't form. Cook it till it becomes a smooth paste.   Now add the mushrooms paste to the almond sauce. Add the remaining almond milk. Whisk the soup till smooth. Let it simmer on low heat till it becomes thick and creamer. Serve it hot, sprinkle ground pepper, add some almond flakes and drizzle with few drops of Olive oil before serving......

Rustic clear soup

Rustic  clear soup
Winters have set in and my throat has gone for a toss...  This is a very rustic quick clear soup with what ever ingredients available in your kitchen. I used lots of pepper powder and garlic as both are useful for cough and cold.
Ingredients
1/2 cup spinach leaves chopped
1 ripe tomato  pulp
1 carrot grated
2 tsp garlic crushed
1 tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Cheddar cheese powder
5 cups of water
1/2 tsp butter
Method
Take a pot and add all the ingredients to it and boil the soup on a low flame  for 15 to 20 minutes till the texture of the soup  changes and has reduce a bit blending all the ingredients together. Serve it hot. Optional butter and cheese powder can be add for garnishing.