Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons

Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons

I am Crazy about Tomato Soup, I’m always fond of Tomato soup at any time of the year but particularly in winter.. There's nothing like a quick soup that can be filling, comforting and nutritious There are so many  versions on how to make tomato soup; this is my version of making tomato soup.. So today's recipe is tomato soup which is one of my favorite and the home made croutons. There is nothing better than hot soup with a few scrumptious croutons floating on top make it extra special!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes   -8 to 10             

Onion -1    finely chopped                     

Carrot -1 finely chopped                    

Garlic - 2 finely chopped

Butter   2 tsp                  

Salt     -as per taste

Dalchini- ½ inch

 Bay leaf   -1                            

Black Pepper powder    - ½ tsp    

Sugar- ½ tsp

Croutons for garnishing

For the Croutons:

Bread slices -2            

Olive oil /Butter   -2 tbsp

Salt-   as per taste

Mixed Herbs- ½ tsp 

Method:     

Cut the bread into 3/4 to 1 inch sized cubes. Drizzle the bread cubes with 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil. The bread slices will be fried evenly in all sides. tossing to evenly coat. Seasonit with mixed herbs.

 

Method for Tomato Soup:

1.Wash and chop the tomatoes into chunks.

2.In a deep pan, heat the butter and add the bay leaf. When it begins to sizzle, add the chopped garlic , dalchini and onions. Saute for 2 minutes. 

3.Now add the chopped carrots.Cook on medium heat until the carrots are soft. Now add the tomatoes andsmall amount of water  cover the pan with a lid. 

4.Cook for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and all the veggies are done. Remove the bay leaf and make it cool.

5.Blend the cooled mixture until smooth. Use as little water as possible. I didn’t have to use any. 6.Return the blended soup to the same pan and turn heat to medium. if it feels too thick add little water. It should have a pourable consistency.

7.Add sugar and Season with salt and pepper powder. . Garnish with fried bread croutons and serve hot.

*Due to healthy part I didn’t add cream .

Kara Boondi

Kara Boondi is a simple savory .I prepared for Diwali.. It is a crunchy snack. The method for making ladoo and boondi is the same. 

Ingredients:

Gram flour – 1 cup

Rice flour – 2 tbsps

Ghee/clarified butter -2 tsp

 Salt – to taste

Chili powder – 1 tsp + ½ tsp( adjust according to taste)

Asafetida – ¼ tsp

Oil – for deep frying

Cashews – broken (as required)

Ground nuts -2 tbslp

 Curry leaves –as required

Method:

  1.  Mix gram flour, rice flour, salt, ghee / clarified butter ,chilli powder, hing .Then add the baking soda and mix well

2.   Add little water and mix it well without lumps. Then add more water little by little and make a slightly thin batter. The batter should neither be very thin nor thick.

3.   Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. When the oil becomes hot, to check take the boondi ladle and pour a little batter on the ladle. The batter will fall through the holes into the hot oil. f it drops as perfect rounds then the batter is perfect.

4.   Fry the balls till golden brown till the oil sound subsides to get crispy boondis.

5.  Take it out from oil and drain in tissue. Repeat this for rest of the batter.

6.   When it is done transfer everything to a wide bowl.

7.    Finally fry peanuts, cashews and curry leaves until crisp and Mix the boondis, Toss them to combine. Store in an airtight container

Okkarai

Okkarai is a famous traditional & one of the mandatory sweet dish is very popular among in Tirunelveli - Shenkottai /Trivandrum Brahmin families. This is so quick to make with minimum ingredients like Chana Dal (Kadilai Paruppu) and Jaggery and does not require much ghee. These sweets dish is my family’s favorite.

Ingredients:

Channa Dal/Kadalai Paruppu-     2 Cup

Grated Jaggery -2 Cup

Cardamom powder-1/4 Tsp

Cashew Nuts-    Few

Ghee     -3 tbsp

Method:

Roast the chana dal well in a dry pan till it turns reddish brown.

Soak it in water for 2 to 3 hours and then Drain the water and grind this into a smooth paste .While grinding just add 1 tbsp water.

Grease a small bowl with ghee and transfer the ground channa dal to this and steam this for 10 mins

After steaming, break it into pieces and once it is cool, and then crumbles it nicely.

In a pan put the jaggery and add water, Let the jaggery melt and comes to 1 string consistency add crumbled dal mixture to this and mix it nicely.

Add a tblsp of ghee to this and mix well, and cook in medium flame till it leaves the sides of the pan and it becomes soft and reaches a puttu consistency.

Then add cardamom powder,and mix well . Garnish it with ghee fried cashews. Now delicious okkarai is ready!

Butter Badusha

Wishing you all a very Happy, Prosperous & Safe Diwali!

Badusha is a south Indian famous sweet dish and mainly prepared during diwali and few other festivals and weddings. It has a layered texture and is coated with sugar syrup. Pretty easy to make and tastes great. My daughter loved it very much.For this diwali I made Badhusha and Jangri.

Ingredients:

 All Purpose Flour/Maida-2 cups

Cooking Soda-2 pinch

Kesari Color-1/4 tsp   

Sugar powder  -1 tbsp                       

Saffron strands -Little

 Cardamom Powder-1/2 tsp

 Butter - 1/2 cup

 Oil-To fry

Water-As required

Edible camphor- Pinch

For Sugar Syrup:

  Sugar-1 1/2cup

  Water- 1 1/2 cup

For Garnishing:

    Almonds and Pistachio Grated (Optional)

 

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and cooking soda in a mixing bowl.

 2.Take a wider bowl, put Maida Add Kesari color,Saffron,Cardamom powder and Add 1tbsp sugar powder to it and mix till well combined. Finally put the butter and mix well in hands.

3.Sprinkle little water at a time and make soft tight dough.

4.Make a small ball and while making balls, dont allow it get cracks in out sides.

5.Flat the balls in palm & press a little in middle, using our thumb and deep fry them in very low heat.

6.Flip them and cook both the sides.The badusha should turn golden very slowly.

7.Take a wider Kadai, Boil sugar with 3/4 cup of water in a pan to a syrup of single string consistency.Addsaffron string and edible camphor in sugar syrup.

8.Then put fried Badusha in to the sugar syrup, dip gently and let them soak in the sugar syrup for few minutes

9.Once it coated in all sides, transfer in to plates and Garnish the badusha with saffron strands, nuts or coconut before the sugar syrup dries. Delicious Badusha is ready.

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