Rasams- the tongue ticklers !

Cold Cucumber Soup - Ideal soup on a hot summer day !

Peel & cut cucumber into cubes.

Cucumber cubes - 2 cups

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Finely chopped capsicum pieces - 2-3 tbsp

Fresh curds - ½ - 1 cup

Salt, pepper

Butter - ½ tsp

Boil cucumber & coriander with 1 cup of water till soft.

Cool & liquidize.

Add salt, pepper & churned curds.

Adjust to required consistency.

Chill & serve topped with capsicum pieces lightly fried in ½ tsp butter.

 

Re: Ginger-Garlic Rasam - Very jiffy, very tasty & ofcourse very easy !

Dear Manju,
As you say, ginger & garlic are independantly good on their own; but in combination they just "creae havoc" !!
Love,
Chithra.

 

Mint Rasam - Good particularly for better digestion !

Pudina leaves (pinched by hand) - 3-4 tbsp

Boiled tur dhal - 2 tbsp (blend with 2 cups of water)

Lime juice - 1-2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Tomatoes - 1 or 2 small

Salt, haldi

To fry in 2-3 drops of ghee & powder:

Red chillies - 3,4

Pepper - 1 tsp

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Hing - ¼ tsp

To temper:

Ghee – ½ + ½ tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Boil tamarind paste with salt, haldi, chopped tomatoes & 1 cup of water.

Liquidise if you prefer so.

Now, add the pudina leaves fried in ½ tsp ghee, made powder & dhal water.

Put on fire again & remove when it froths.

Temper as given.

Add lime juice to taste.

 

Lauki (bottle gourd) Soup - yet another Dieter’s Soup!

Select fresh, tender lauki (bottle-gourd), peel & cut into cubes.
Insert a scewer through a green capsicum & roast over the flame till skin chars.
Do the same with a big onion.
Cool the latter two, peel & cut into cubes.

Lauki pieces - 3 cups

Onion pieces - ½ cup (or a little more)

Capsicum pieces - ½ cup (or a little more)

Potato, peeled & cubed - ½ cup (optional)

Boil all the above with just enough water to immerse completely in a pressure cooker or pan.

Simmer after the first whistle & cook for 5 mts.

Cool completely & blend.

Add salt, pepper & milk to get the required consistency.

Serve hot, topped with grated paneer.

 

Beetroot Soup - Care for a rendez vous with the pink beauties??

Prepare the basic white stock thus:

Boi together 2 potatoes, 2 onions, 1 cup copped cabbage & 1 cup chopped bottlegourd or white pumpkin with enough water to immerse them well. Cook till soft, cool & liquidise. This can be used as the basic stock for any soup.

Stock - 2 cups

Beetroot, finely grated - 1 cup

Butter - 2 tsp

Salt, pepper

To garnish - grated cheese or paneer

Heat ghee & sauté beetroot on a low flame for 5 mts.

Remove & reserve 2-3 tbsp for topping.

Add ½ cup of water & cook the sauted vegetabletill soft.

Blend in a liquidiser with the stock.

Add milk to get the required consistency.

Garnish with reserved beetroot & paneer.

Add salt & pepper bfopre serving.

 

Noodle soup - light & refreshing!!

Vegetable stock - 1 cup

Chopped palak leaves - 2 tbsp

Boiled noodles - 1/2 cup

Cornflour - 1 tsp

Salt, pepper

Saute palak leaves & add stock.

When it starts boiling, add cornflour mixed with 1/2 cup of water, stirring to prevent lumps.

Add noodles & cook together for 2-3 mtes.

Remove, add salt & pepper.

Garnish with grated cheese.

 

Lettuce Soup - it is now my top favourite.

Iceberg lettuce is available & I use it for soup.

Chopped lettuce - 2-3 cups

Chopped onions - 4-5 tbsp

Milk, salt, pepper

Butter or oil - 1 tsp

Heat butter or oil & fry onions lightly.

Next add lettuce pieces, fry & add very little water to cook.

Cook till soft (one whistle).

Open, lightly blend & add milk.

Serve adding salt & pepper.

 

Masoor Dhal Soup - drink it in chilly weather!!


Masoor dhal (split) - ¾ cup

Onions - 2, chopped

Tomatoes - 2 big, chopped

Garlic pieces - 3,4 crushed

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Oil - 2 tsp

Soak dhal for 2 hrs & drain.

In a pressure pan, heat 2 tsp oil.

Saute onions till glossy & then add tomatoes.

Fry for a few mts & add garlic.

After 3-4 mts, add dhal, 3 cups of water, red chilli powder & salt.

Close the cooker & keep the weight.

When the firsat whistle comes, simmer & cook for 10 mts.

Cool & allow the prssure to drop.

Open, blend the mixture & serve steaming hot with croutons.

 

Italian Potato Soup - very delicious, lip-smacking!

Medium potatoes - 3, ppeeled & cubed

Milk & water - 1 cup, each

Small carrot, cubed - ½ cup

Celery chopped - 2-3 tbsp

Onions chopped - 2-3 tbsp

Minced garlic - 1 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt, pepper

Croutons & grated cheese - to garnish

Boil potato cubes in milk-water mixture till soft.

Break roughly with potato-masher.

Heat butter In a kadai & sauté onions, garlic,carrot and celery.

Add the potato mixture & simmer to blend.

Add salt & pepper.

Serve topped with croutons & cheese.