Tomato Soup

Ingredients :

• Red ripe tomatoes - 500 gms.
• Onions - 2 medium sized
• Carrot - 1
• Potato - 1 small size
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - as required
• Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves - little [ for garnishing ]
• Fresh cream - 1 tsp [ for garnishing ]
• Bread toast - little

Method :

Scrape the carrot, peel onions, potato and cut them into 4. Then pressure cook tomatoes, onions, carrot and potato along with salt. When it is done, pour them into a blender to make a smooth mixture. Strain this through a coarse sieve. Then boil the soup for 5 minutes more in low flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream. Bread toast can be added.

To make bread toast :- Take 1-2 day old bread, remove edges, cut each slice into four vertically and horizontally. You will get small cubes. Deep fry in hot oil or ghee. Drain and keep aside.

P.S. :- Instead of potato, corn flour can also be added to make the soup thick. Dissolve 2 tbsp of corn flour in 2 tbsp of water and add to the soup while boiling.

Beet soup

                                             Beet Soup


Ingredients :

• Beet root - 2
• Onions - 1 chopped
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Carrot - 1 chopped
• Parsley - 1 spring
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Cream - for garnishing

Method :

Peel the beetroots and cook them till tender and grate them. In a large pan, heat 1/2 litre water. Add chopped onions, carrot and parsley. Boil it. Keep in low flame and cover and cook  for 1/2 an hour till vegetable are soft. Now strain this mixture and add the strained water to the grated beetroot and mix well. Take another pan, and heat this mixture, adding salt and sugar. Boil again for 10 minutes in low flame. Strain and discard the beetroot pulp. Serve chilled with cream.

Onion - Garlic Masala

                                              Onion - Garlic Masala



Ingredients :

• Onion - 4 to 5  [ medium sized thinly sliced ]
• Garlic - 2 pods [ full ] peeled and crushed
• Desiccated coconut - 1 cup
• Red chilled powder = 6 tsp
• Salt - as required 
• Oil - 7 to 8 tsp

Method :

Saute onion and garlic till light brown. Add the coconut and saute for  a few minutes. Then add chilli powder and salt and saute on slow heat for about ten minutes.  This mixture can be used as it is or finely ground. [ maharashtrian people use this masala for making gravies. ]

South Indian Curry Powder

                                             South Indian Curry Powder



Ingredients :

• 1tsp each of channa dal, urad dal, toor dal and rice grains
• 1 tsp each of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds  black pepper and turmeric powder
• Coriander seeds - 1 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1/4 cup
• Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Dry roast the dals and rice grains till light brown. Add the other ingredients. Saute curry leaves and chillies in a little oil. Grind all together in mixer. Store in air- tight container and use . You can keep this for 15 days.  [ keep this in fridge. ]

Curry Powders

                                          Curry Powders [ Maharashtrian Type Masala Powders ]



Ingredients :

• Coriander seeds - 1 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 5 to 6
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

Method :

This masala should be prepared fresh. It cannot be stored. Mix all ingredients and grind in mixer. If desired, one onion, 4 to 5 garlic flakes, cloves, and green or red dry  chillies can be added while grinding. Use this masalas and make yummy subji. [ for wet pulses subji ]

Pudalangai Thayir Pachadi [ snake gourd in yoghurt ]

                                                        Pudalangai [ snake gourd ] thayir Pachadi




Ingredients :

• Snake gourd - 200gm.
• Yoghurt - 2 cups [ beaten ]
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - as required

For paste :

• Ginger - small piece
• Fresh coconut - 2 table spoon

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Prepare a coarse paste of the ginger and coconut and keep aside. Wash and chop the vegetable in to small semi- circles. Heat a cup of water with salt in a deep pan and add the chopped vegetable. Saute lightly with a spoon till rich green in colour. Close and simmer over a medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes till the vegetable cook and soft. Remove from the gas. Heat oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the prepared mustard, blended paste and the vegetable to the yoghurt. Mix well.

Note :  Use less salt for this vegetable. Remove the seeded middle portion if not tender.

Bhindi Masala [ my mom's preparation ]

Ingredients :

• Ladies finger [ bhindi ] - 1/2 kg
• Big onion - 1/2 kg [ peeled and chopped finely ]
• Grated fresh coconut - 2 to 3 tbl.sps. [ grind without water ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Dhaniya, jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for deep frying

Method :

Wash and cut the bhindi into 1/2 inch pieces. Then keep kadai on the gas, pour oil. When the oil become hot fry the bhindi till it change in colour. Remove from the oil and keep aside. In the same kadai add 2 to 3 table of oil, and fry the chopped onion into brown colour. Then add the masalas one by one. [ salt, turmeric, red chilli, dhaniya jeera powder, tamarind paste.] Mix well and add the bhindi along with ground coconut. When the subji completely coated to the masalas remove from the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with roti, and rasam rice.