Pumpkin and Tomato Soup

When I started blogging, I don't think I had even tasted Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin was best used in sambar or vathal kuzhambu. I didn't think very much of this vegetable. Amma used to make a typical upkari with finely chopped pumpkin, but I didn't miss it if she didn't make it for a decade. I loved making (and eating) Pumpkin Pie. In the past couple of years, I have used this vegetable extensively in soups, side dishes and even used it in a cake. And I've been expermenting quite a bit.

The latest experiment was with a soup. I started out making the traditional tomato soup, but decided to use of the bag of cubed pumpkin that was stashed away in the freezer. I quite enjoyed the soup. It was rather filling and all I needed to go with it was a couple of cream crackers.

1 cup Pumpkin, cubed

4 Tomatoes, diced
1 Onion, diced
2 pods Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pressure cook the vegetables and the garlic with 2cups of water. When cool, blend in a liquidizer and strain. Bring the liquid to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

If you're like me, there, dinner's on the table!

Tomato, Basil and Macaroni Soup

I can't remember where I tasted this soup first. But I do remember having loved it at first slurp! I made this on a day that I had a lot of tomatoes and a whole bunch of fresh basil. I know that tomato and basil are truly made for each other. I threw in some boiled macaroni and made a meal out of this soup.

6 Tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup Basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Macaroni, prepared according to instructions on pack

1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pressure cooker, cook the tomatoes, chilli flakes and basil along with 2 cups of water. Blend in a liquidizer and strain. Bring this mixture to a boil. Add the cooked macaroni and season with salt and pepper.

Perfect for those times when you want a hot, comforting, yet quick meal. Off this goes to the Think Spice Think Red Chillies event over at Kitchen Chronicles.

Pumpkin and Mixed Vegetable Soup

Every once in a while, I find that I have to cook for just myself. Either S isn't home for dinner or he's traveling. I don't like to cook up a storm on those days unless I have friends coming over. Soups come to my rescue at such times. I don't believe in there being the "right weather" for soup. There isn't a right weather for rice or rotis, so why single out soups.

I had some chopped yellow pumpkin in the freezer. I decided to make pumpkin soup with that. But I also noticed some mixed vegetables. It was too small a quantity to be used anywhere else, so I decided to add them to the soup.

1 cup Pumpkin, diced

1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables, chopped (Carrots, Beans, Peas)

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 tsp Parsley
1/4 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes

1/4 tsp Garlic, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan and add the onion. Fry till the pieces turn translucent. Add the pumpkin pieces and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the chilli flakes, basil, parsley, and garlic. Add the mixed vegetables along with some salt and a little water. Cover and cook for 2-3 whistles.

When cool, blend the vegetable mixture in a liquidizer with a little milk. Transfer this to a vessel and add the remaining milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy this soup as it is, or with some toast to make it a complete meal!

Leek and Celery Soup

I know what you're thinking. This is probably the saddest looking bowl of soup you've ever seen. I didn't have enough time to dress the soup up. And considering "So between them both, you see, they licked the platter clean", I didn't have any leftovers. So it's not even like I could have dressed it up later for the photo shoot!

This was one hearty bowl of soup that came together in a very short time. I am sure I will make this very often. (Provided leek and celery prices remain within the "affordable" range!)

1 cup Leeks, chopped

1/2 cup Celery stalks, chopped

1 tsp Mixed Herbs (Parsley, Basil)

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Garlic, chopped

1 cup Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pressure pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the leeks and celery and fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the mixed herbs and 1 cup of water and cook for 2-3 whistles.

Cool the vegetable mixture and blend in a liquidizer. Transfer the contents back to a pan and add the milk. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Milk Vegetable Soup

This soup is one of the staples at my parents' place. Since we had soup for dinner almost every night, Amma had to ensure that there was enough variety. What I love about this particular soup is that Amma always put in alphabet pasta. I made this soup minus the pasta as I don't even know where to look for alphabet or soup pasta here. But I've figured that this soup tastes divine even without the pasta. Since I have chopped vegetables in the freezer, this soup comes together in a jiffy.

1 cup Mixed Vegetables, finely chopped (I used carrot, beans and peas)

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp Chilli flakes

1 tsp Basil

1 tsp Parsley

2 tbsp Alphabet Pasta (optional)

2 tbsp Cheese, grated

1 cup Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsp Oil

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the garlic and the onions. Fry for a minute or two. Add the chopped vegetables and pasta, if using, along with the chilli flakes, basil and parsley. Add the salt and fry for a minute. Add about 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles (approx. ten minutes).

Add the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the cheese, season with salt and pepper and enjoy your meal. This soup tastes great with some garlic bread or mushroom melts. I like to have it as it is.

Zucchini Tomato Soup

This may not look like the most appetizing of soups. Especially, given the lovely colour of most soups I've made this winter. But since I tried it out and since it was a nice nourishing soup which we really liked, I had to share it with all of you. This is a nice way to use up zucchini after making all those lasagne and stir fries.

2 Zucchinis, diced

4 Tomatoes, chopped

2 Onions, chopped

1 tsp Garlic, chopped

1 tsp Oil

1 tbsp Mixed Herbs (Parsley, Basil, Oregano)

1/4 tsp Nutmeg Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and zucchini and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the herbs and the nutmeg powder. Add 2-3 cups of water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

Blend in a liquidizer and pour the contents into a pan. Bring the soup to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Close your eyes and enjoy the soup while it is still hot.

Carrot Dal Soup

In an attempt to make different soups, I keep looking for new combinations. I came across this recipe in the book I've made famous on this blog: Favorite Vegetarian Dishes. I adapted the recipe based on what I had available that night. This is one soup that I am certain I will make again.

2 cups Carrots, sliced

1/2 cup Toor Dal

2 Onions, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp Garlic, chopped

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Cumin-Coriander Powder

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

Juice of 1 Lime

1 cup Milk

Salt to taste

Chopped Coriander for garnish

Pressure cook the toor dal, carrots, onions, tomatoes and garlic with 4 cups of water for 3-4 whistles. Blend in a liquidizer when cool.

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the chilli paste, cumin-coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute on a low flame. Take off the flame and add the lime juice and salt.

In a vessel, add the blended carrot-dal mixture and the milk. Add a cup of water and the spice mixture. Simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with the chopped coriander.

Don't get completely lost in the colour of the soup. Remember to enjoy it while hot. Off this goes to dear Aparna as she hosts this month's edition of FIC-Orange.

Pumpkin Walnut Soup

At one time, I only knew how to make a few basic soups. The summer of ’92 changed all that. I had 14 weeks of vacation and nothing to do. I started trying out new soups. Many years and many cookbooks later, I must say that this is now what I’d consider an “area of expertise”.


Since I make soups almost every night, I find that all the pictures look the same. Or do they? To add to this, we seem to drink the soup from the same bowls. And since I take a picture just before we eat it, I even forget to dress the coup up before taking a picture.


Without further ado, I present this foreign soup with very Indian flavours.


2 cups Pumpkin, cubed
1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
1 Onion, diced
1 tbsp Oil
¼ tsp Chilli Powder
1/3 cup Milk
A pinch Garam Masala
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the onion and fry for a minute. Add the chilli powder and garam masala and fry for another minute. Add the pumpkin and walnuts along with 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.


Drain the liquid and pour it into a pan. Blend the pumpkin-walnut mixture in a liquidizer and pour the contents back into the reserved liquid. Bring the soup to a boil over a low flame. Add the milk, salt and pepper and serve hot.

P.S. I used the yellow pumpkin (kaddu/parangikkai) in this recipe.

Beetroot-Carrot Soup

Cooking for one person isn’t always fun! But there are times when it can be interesting. I make stuff that I want to try out. It is nice to make something without thinking about whether the other person will like it or not. Less pressure!


I made this soup one night when I wasn’t expecting S home for dinner. My carpool mate suggested adding bottle gourd to the vegetable mixture. I was a little skeptical, but as it turned out, it was a very good suggestion. This recipe makes enough soup for one person.


1 Beetroot, peeled and diced
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
½ cup Bottle Gourd, peeled and diced
1 Onion, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste


Pressure cook the vegetables with a cup of water. Blend this mixture in a liquidizer and bring it to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

I have already gone on and on about how I love winter, the vegetables, the chaat. I also love the prices of vegetables in winter. So when the local vendor starts selling broccoli at about a fourth of the price he sells it as for the rest of the year, I have to stop and take notice. While I’ve used broccoli a lot in stir fries and salads, I haven’t used it that much in soups. I tried this combination of cauliflower and broccoli in this hearty soup that the two of us thoroughly enjoyed.


1 cup Broccoli florets
1 cup Cauliflower florets
1 tsp Butter
1 tsp Flour
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
½ tsp Basil
½ tsp Parsley
Salt to taste


Cook the broccoli and cauliflower florets until soft. Blend in a liquidizer.


Heat the butter in a pan. Add the flour and fry for a couple of minutes without browning the flour. Add the milk and mix well. Bring to a boil over a low flame, stirring continuously. Add the broccoli-cauliflower puree and mix well. Season with the chilli flakes, basil and parsley. Add salt to taste. Bring the entire soup to a gentle boil and enjoy it when hot.

Coriander Saar

The first recipe I posted on this blog was for my favourite tomato saar. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve made it. I don’t think it goes very well with rice, but it is great as a soup. When I hosted the MBP Soups and Salads, I tried out Nupur’s Tomato Red pepper Saar. That was a hit too.


When I posted the recipe for tomato saar as part of a discussion thread on food, Mo responded to it and asked me to try a similar recipe. I didn’t know her at all, but as it turns out, we know several people in common and her mother even met my mother, albeit many years ago. While I didn’t know her when she first responded, we have since become friends. I promised that I’d try out her version of saar as soon as I could.


Now that coriander leaves are very much in season, I couldn’t postpone making this any longer. This recipe was enough for just me. I ate nothing else. But otherwise, it would suffice as an appetizer for two.


1 cup Coriander Leaves, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp Coconut, scraped
1 Green Chilli, slit
1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste


For the Tempering:


1 tsp Oil
¼ tsp Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
A good pinch Asafoetida
1 Red Chilli, broken into bits
7-8 Curry Leaves


Pressure cook the coriander leaves with the coconut, chilli, tamarind, salt and about 2/3 cup water. Blend in a liquidizer and bring the liquid to boil over a low flame.


In a frying ladle, heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard. When the mustard splutters, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and the red chilli. When the chilli turns bright red, add the tempering to the saar.


The flavours of this saar are familiar yet different. I know that I will make it again before vendors start rationing out coriander leaves. This saar was perfect for a very cold and gloomy afternoon. I am certain this will be a hit at any party. Thanks for a keeper recipe Mo.

Merry Christmas all of you!

Cream of Beetroot Soup

Pretty Pink! Those were my first thoughts when I poured this soup into our cups. The lighting at home is not the best suited to take pictures. As a result, any pictures I take at night are just about average. This is one of the simplest soups I've made, but it had such a lovely hue that I almost felt a little bad drinking it up.

3 medium Beetroots, peeled and diced

2 medium Carrots, peeled and diced

1 Onion, diced

1/2 cup Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pressure cook the beetroots, carrots and the onion together with about 2 cups of water. Liquidize when cool. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

We enjoyed this soup with some toast. I am certain this would taste great with crackers or even just by itself. I must admit that I was rather happy just looking at it.

Tomato Soup

I've talked often about "memory food". When I start cooking, my thoughts drift to the place I called home for two decades. All of Amma's vessels were part of the RevereWare collection. On a wintry night (like the ones we have every day this time of the year), I cannot help but think of Amma's large copper bottomed RevereWare Dutch Oven filled with her signature tomato soup simmering away. We'd lay the table with cups for Appa and Amma. H and I got large opalware bowls. Amma would make croutons, the fried way of course. (And she would ration them out to us.) Then she'd bring the hot pot of soup to the table. During the rains, all we ever wanted was a bowl of soup with a small blob of home made butter and loads of croutons. And then the race to see who'd get to seconds fastest. Somehow, even today, it seems like the most comforting dish in the whole world.

My picture does the soup no justice whatsoever. I still think the fried croutons and the butter give the soup part of its character, I must admit that the soup does have its own stand out on its own. Is it the soup? Is it the memory? I haven't the faintest which it is. But it doesn't matter really, does it?

1/2 kg Tomatoes, diced

2 small Carrots, peeled and diced

1 Onion, diced

2 pods Garlic

1/4 Milk, optional

1 Potato, peeled and diced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pressure cook the vegetables and the garlic with 4 cups of water. When cool, blend in a liquidizer and strain. Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the milk, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with croutons.

To me, this is a complete meal. Others, S included, beg to differ. Maybe it is the memories that make this simple soup such a family legacy. And on this day, I am happy to have those memories. Memories of our dining table, of our home, of our family spending time with each other over dinner, of Amma dishing out one delicacy after another, before and after work, and making it seem like no work at all. To the lady who taught me so much of what I know today, about just about everything; the lady who is a phone call away when I am faced with a problem at work, an issue with my in-laws, or a major task in the kitchen; the one I have come to consider one of the best cooks there is or ever was; the one about whom Appa says, "There's some magic in her hands for sure"; to the one who is my friend first and then my mother: Happy Birthday Amma!

Mixed Bean Soup

I've talked about how I'm on my way to soon becoming Ms. Bean! One of the things that I made recently was this: Bean Cutlets. I had some mixed beans leftover from this exercise and decided to try out this soup. It tasted more like a not-so-spicy Indian bean dish than a soup. But we had it with some toast and it felt like a full meal for S and like a soup for me!

1 1/2 cups Mixed Beans, soaked and cooked

1 tbsp Oil

1 Onion, sliced

1/2 cup Potato, diced

1 Carrot, chopped

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Chilli Powder

3 cups Water

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan. add the onion, potato and carrot and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chilli and garlic pastes and cook for another minute. Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and the water. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the mixed beans and season with salt and pepper.

My beans were mashed earlier and I think this soup is likely to taste much better with the cooked beans left whole.

Vegetable and Corn Chowder

I love soups. At my parents' place, soup and crackers or soup and toast was a dinner staple. My friends and colleagues have mde fun of me endlessly for eating a bowl of soup for dinner. I make soups very rarely here as S is also not for soup alone for dinner. So this is an occasional indulgence. This soup sort of walks the middle path. It is soup, but it is chunky. It pleases both of us.

I found this recipe in the same book (Favorite Vegetarian Dishes) that I found Grilled Garlic Potato Wedges, Garlic And Sage Bread, Pumpkin Soup, Middle Eastern Salad, Potato Mushroom Cakes and Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda. I had to modify it as I didn't have everything the recipe called for.

1 tbsp Oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 Red Pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves Garlic, crushed

1 Potato, diced

2 tbsp Flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup Water

8-10 Broccoli florets

1 cup Corn

1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, red pepper, garlic and potato. Saute for 2-3 minutes over a low flame. Add the flour and fry for about a minute. Add he milk and water along with the broccoli and corn. Bring this mixture to a boil and then coninue to cook for aout 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

I served this with some chunky garlic bread. Recipe coming up very soon.

The A to Z of Soups and Salads

The Monthly Blog Patrol did quite well this hot summer month. I received 26 entries. That's why I decided to call this the A to Z. I added my own and it became 27, but I didn't email my entry to myself, so it doesn't count! In keeping with the A to Z, the entries in alphabetical order. (This round up also starts with an A to Z salad and ends with A to Z soup. Read on to find out how!)

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen sent me the A to Z Pasta Salad from Susan's Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

Arul of FoodNTaste dished out this lovely Carrot - Tomato Soup from Vineela's Cooking.

Arundathi of My Food Blog made this really pretty and refreshing Watermelon Gazpacho. She hunted and hunted and found a recipe at Married With Dinner.

Asha sent me this entire meal of Kanji with Cherupayar Mezhukkupuratti very early on this month. Her inspiration was this dish from Shn's Kitchen Mishmash.

Bhags of Crazy Curry sent me Sorisha's version of Tomato Shorba.

When Richa posted this soup, I was fairly certain someone would make it. Cham of Spice Club proved me right with this Carrot Orange Soup.

My dear friend Chitra who is another HUGE inspiration for recipes on my blog made this Penne And Fusilli Salad from my Macaroni Salad. She doesn't have a blog yet, but this is the picture she took of the salad.

Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen made a Spicy Bean Salad and Cucumber Soup from Ashwini's Bean Salad and Cucumber Soup recipes.

Divya Vikram of Dil Se was inspired by this creamy soup from Pearls of East. Her Asparagus Soup looks very hearty to me.

Easy Crafts of Simple Indian Food made this very Indian salad, my favourite Carrot Kosumbari, from Suma's Veggie Platter.

JZ of Tasty Treats made this lovely Hot 'n' Sour Soup from a recipe at Mansi's FunnFud. (It started raining in Gurgaon just now and I would love to have a bowl of this soup.)

Meera of Enjoy Indian Food made this Kosambari from Archy's recipe. Perfect with a simple Indian meal.

Namratha of Finger Licking Food made this wholesome Minestrone Soup from Sia's Monsoon Spice.

Nandita of Saffron Trail went on a junk food trail and then made this Green Bean and Tomato Salad from Smitten Kitchen to aid her rehab efforts.

Rajitha of Hunger Pangs sent in one of my favourite soups, Mushroom Soup, from a blog whose recipes fill my bookmarks: Cookery Corner.

Ranjani of Wake Up And Smell The Masala made this Greek Salad from Janet's recipe.

Revathi, my friend from school, sent in this Pineapple Rasam which has me confused. She has linked it to my recipe but says she made it from the recipe of another friend. (Since I am hosting this event, I have to allow this, haven't I? I mean, the guy who owns the cricket bat doesn't ever get out, does he?)

Shubha of Chuki Bhar Pyar made this very pretty Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup from this recipe at Vegetarian Medley.

Sig of Live to Eat made this Salad Lyonnaise from Elise's blog which called for poached eggs. Sig cheated a wee bit (with the event's support and permission) and made her Fried Egg version.

Siri of Siri's made this (and forgot to send it to me). I remembered just now that someone had an MBP entry in their Recipe Marathon entries and tracked this down. Cucumber Kosambari from Asha's Foodie's Hope.

Srimathi of Few Minute Wonders revisits the old favourite, Tomato Soup, after inspiration from Mythreyee's recipe.

Sujatha of Spicy Khazana makes this 13 Bean Soup from the "first couple" in the Food Blogosphere, Jugalbandi.

Swetha of Our Cherished World made this light and flavourful Onion & Coriander Soup from Shilpa's blog.

TBC a.k.a. The Budding Cook sends in her "bursting with colour" Pinto Bean Salad adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen.

Trupti of Recipe Center sent me this Healthy Mix Vegetable Soup which she made from Mansi's recipe.

Vandy of Vandy's Culinary Adventures was inspired by the Recipe Factory to make this Moth beans /Matki Salad.

Last on this list is my entry, Tomato Red Pepper Saar, a tasty, flavourful, almost Konkani Saar with a twist. I'd been eyeing this recipe at Nupur's blog ever since she posted the round up titled T is for Tomato Red Pepper Saar as part of her A-Z of Indian Vegetables.

If I have missed out any entries, please do drop me a line. I am sorry I have been unable to visit your blogs and leave comments on your entry posts. I have to thank each of you for sending across your entries. This round up will be referred to very often by me in the coming months. Thanks Coffee, for giving me this opportunity to host one of my favourite events. Over now to dear Sia of Monsoon Spice for her edition of MBP: Street Foods.

Tomato Red Pepper Saar

Soups and I have had a long lasting affair. So, it is really no wonder that I picked Soups and Salads as a theme for this month's MBP. Given that summer was upon us, I thought I'd pick a cold soup or a salad as spending even a few minutes over a pot of soup didn't seem very exciting. It was something I could have done without. But then the weather changed. All of a sudden, it was a pleasure to slave in front of the stove. The storm that we've been having for this past week has given us a wonderful respite from the heat. And so, all I wanted was to get my hands around a bowl of soup and feel warm. Since S was out most of the week before last and I was out on a camping trip later, we were out of vegetables. I had just what it took to dish out Nupur's Tomato Red Pepper Saar. I know for a fact that this will be made often. The addition of onions and red pepper to my ordinary Tomato Saar took it to a different level.

I modified Nupur's recipe a wee bit and we had it with some Pulao and Egg Curry.

4 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Onion, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 tsp Oil

3 pods Garlic, chopped

2 Green Chillies, sliced

100 ml Coconut Milk (about 2/3 cup)

1 tbsp Jaggery

Salt to Taste

Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, chillies and red pepper. After 3-4 minutes, add the tomatoes along with 1/2 a cup of water. Cook until soft. (Alternatively, you could do this in a pressure pan and pressure cook for 1 whistle.) When cool, blend in a liquidizer and strain. Add the coconut milk, jaggery and salt and bring to a boil.

I skipped the seasoning that evening, but will make it as a traditional saar the next time. Thanks Nupur for a simple and fantastic recipe.

Today is the last day for this month's MBP: Soups and Salads. If you haven't already sent in your entries, now is the time to do so.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Year after year, my summer vacation was a 50 day affair. Starting on the first Sunday in May and ending on the last Sunday in June. The routine never changed. Except for the summer of '92. I had just taken my Class 10 exams and was free from the 14th of March. And school was not to resume until July. Three and a half months. It was the summer of several firsts. I attended shorthand classes that summer. I learnt tailoring from my aunt. I discovered a very different world that existed only for me. One that I entered everyday almost as soon as Amma left for work. The world of exotic and ordinary cooking. The world of Tarla Dalal.

Amma is one of ten children and the youngest of eight sisters. Her eldest sister had come to spend the summer with us. This aunt was married even before Amma was born. Many of my friends mistook her to be my grandmother and my aunt and I always joked that she was old enough to be my mother's mother and so there was nothing wrong if people thought she was my grandmother. This aunt was my partner in crime that summer. The very first day of my vacation, I wanted to make soup. She tried to tell me that it would be a waste as Amma had already made lunch. (As an IIT campus family, we all came home for lunch from school, work etc. and then went right back.) She also told me that when someone comes home on such a tight schedule, it is hard enough to eat a three course meal, let alone have soup first.

After much convincing, I agreed to make soup on a Saturday. It was a hit. After that, I started making a different soup each night for dinner. In between sessions of Rummy and endless TV watching (without any cable), I'd start making soup for dinner. My aunt was extremely fond of food. And I, of cooking. So we made a great pair and I think that was one of the factors that led to the summer of '92 being as enjoyable as it was. I learnt to make pakodas and some other amchi food. I also tried my hand at pani puri and bhel puri and made her the guinea pig. She wasn't the type who'd say something was good if it wasn't. So, if she said something was good, then you could bet all your money that it would be. She put up with my first attempt at handmade lasagne, navaratan korma and even enjoyed my black forest cake.

It was during this time that I learnt to make Carrot soup. I have modified the recipe over the years, but each time I make it, it turns out just fine. The recipe (found in one of Tarla Dalal's initial books) calls for English carrots, but I love the colour that the local carrots impart. And with most of my recipes, this one has also been tweaked.

6 large Carrots, chopped

2 Onions, diced

4 cloves Garlic

1 Potato, diced

1 cup Milk

Salt, Pepper and Mixed Herbs to taste

Pressure cook the carrots, onions, potato and garlic with about 2-3 cups of water. Cool and blend in a liquidizer. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and stir in the milk. Add the salt, pepper and herbs and simmer for five minutes. Serve with warm toasted bread.

The 12th of January would have been my aunt's 90th birthday had she been with us. She departed last Saturday night. I will miss her for sure. But I think I had already started missing her over the past few years as she slipped into the illnesses that old age often brings. Her love for food, people and gossip is something I will fondly remember. Her affair with the "good things" in life took her all over the world, into the homes and hearts of many. Her generosity is something that has ensured she will be remembered for a long time. Not many people give away what they have with abandon.

Dearest Ramapachi: For touching lives in a way that only you could have, for love given unconditionally, for a life fully lived, I will always remember you.

Broccoli Mushroom Soup

In some attempt to make our meals healthier, at one point, we were on a soup and salad diet. We don't do it on an everyday basis now, but we intend to in the new year. Salads form a big part of our meals on days when we are not hardpressed for time. Soups make for easy dinners. I don't like to look at soup as an appetizer, I look at it as a meal in itself. Most dinners at my parents' place would be some vegetable soup and crackers.

I remember seeing Nupur's post on Broccoli Soup made in the microwave. I couldn't access her blog to follow the recipe, but decided to try my hand at this. I had a packet of mushrooms at hand and wanted to use the two together. Along with some flavoured crackers, this soup made a wonderful weekday dinner.

1 cup Broccoli florets

1 cup Mushrooms

1 cup Milk

1 tsp Basil

1 tsp Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cook the broccoli and mushrooms in a covered microwave dish with a little water for 5 minutes on high. Cool a little and blend to a paste.

Heat the milk and blend in the broccoli mushroom paste. Add the salt, pepper, basil and parsley and bring to a boil. Serve with toast or crackers.

This soup is ready in less than half an hour and is capable of filling you up. This is a lifesaver on days when you get home late and still want a hearty home cooked meal. Since both these vegetables are in season, I plan to make this more often.

Vegetable Lemon Coriander Soup

I lived in Hyderabad for a couple of years. At the time, I steered clear of multi-cuisine restaurants. In fact, I probably still do. Any place that serves Indian, Chinese and Continental probably is a jack of all and master of none. But this place was different. It was called 36 Jubilee Hills because it was located on the popular Road No. 36 of Jubilee Hills. A mere five streets away from where I lived, it was one of the few decent restaurants close to Hi-tech City in those days. So, several of our office lunches were organized there. Their north indian dishes were superb, but the two items that stood out were the Vegetable Biryani and the Lemon Coriander Soup. (I went back last year after I got married and the management of the place has changed and so has, sadly, their food!)

I found a great recipe for the Lemon Coriander Soup in a Tarla Dalal book. That recipe calls for Lemon Grass and I didn't have any. (I used up whatever I had for my kashay to help my cold.) The soup at 36 Jubilee Hills had freshly squeezed lime juice and that is what I did yesterday. I wanted a filling soup that would soothe my throat.

1 Carrot, thinly sliced
8-10 French beans, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Cabbage, finely chopped
3 Button Mushrooms, sliced
3 Spring Onions, leaves chopped and bulb sliced
3 Broccoli florets, sliced
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Green Chilli Sauce
1/4 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic, finely sliced
2 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oil
1 tbsp Lime Juice

Heat the oil in a vessel. Add the spring onion whites and fry for a minute. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few minutes. Add the vegetables including the spring onion greens and saute for a minute or two. Add the soy and chilli sauces along with the salt. Add 4 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Take off the flame and stir in the lime juice.

I really enjoyed this soup and will make it even when I get better. Try it, I'm sure you'll love it too.