Monday, December 3, 2012

Warm up on a cold day






For a variety of soups this winter



Soups offer a tasty meal, packed with nutrition and flavour. There’s a soup for every occasion and every taste. But a warm bowl of rich and healthy soup on a cold day is most satisfying.


Though readymade soups and canned versions abound, it’s always healthy to make your own. And, you can get adventurous in the kitchen. The best ingredients for winter soups are seasonal fall vegetables with combinations of other or leftover ingredients.


Add a beautiful presentation to each bowl by garnishing the soup with thinly sliced fruits, vegetables, pepper, toasted pumpkin seeds.


Cauliflower Meat Soup


Ingredients


One medium cauliflower (florets)


Two small onions (minced)


Three cups meat stock


One cup milk


Two tbsp butter


One spring parsley (minced)


Two egg yolks well-beaten


Salt and pepper to taste


Method


Heat butter and sauté onion. Add cauliflower, meat stock, salt, pepper and cook until cauliflower turns tender. Mash and pass through a sieve. To this, add milk and egg yolks. Cook for three minutes. You can also add water instead of meat stock if you are a vegetarian and one teaspoon cornflour mixed with melted butter in place of egg yolks. Serve garnished with parsley.


Peas Cream Soup


Ingredients


Half kg shelled green peas


Four cups water


Half cup milk


Half cup cream


Small pieces of crisp toast (fried)


Salt and pepper to taste


Method


Boil green peas in four cups of water until they turn tender. Mash and pass through sieve. Add milk, season and boil for three minutes. Serve garnished with cream and small pieces of crisp toast.


Mixed Vegetable Soup With Cheese Balls


Ingredients


Two onions


Two turnips


Four carrots


Two beetroot


250 gm of tomatoes


One cup milk


One cup fresh cream


Two tbsp butter


Cheese balls


One spring of chopped parsley


Salt and pepper to taste


For Preparing Cheese Balls


Ingredients


Two tbsp cooked rice


Two tbsp grated cheese


Two tbsp chopped parsley


Two tbsp plain flour


One tsp chilli powder


Ghee for frying


Salt to taste


Method


Mix all ingredients. Shape into small rounds balls. Deep fry in ghee. Serve hot with the soup.


Method (for soup)


Cut vegetables into big pieces, add eight cups of water and put to cook in a pressure cooker. Blend the mixture in a liquidiser and strain the soup. Add butter and boil for 10 minutes. Warm the milk. When you want to serve, add warm milk, cream, salt and pepper. Add cheese balls and decorate with chopped parsley. Serve hot.


Chicken Soup


Ingredients


Four cups chicken stock


One lemon


One egg


Three tbsp water


Salt and pepper to taste


Method


Bring the stock to boil and add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Beat together egg and water and slowly pour into the boiling stock stirring rapidly. Serve immediately.


Spicy Tamarind Soup


Ingredients


Half cup mix dal (toor, moong, masoor)


Half cup tamarind water


Two tomatoes (blanched and diced)


Half cup finely chopped coriander leaves


Ten to 12 curry leaves


Five cups water


Salt to taste


For masala


Roast and grind to paste half-piece ginger, half-piece turmeric, two red chillies, four pepper corns, one tsp cumin seeds, one tsp coriander seeds and one bay leaf.


Method


Boil dal in little water, mash, pass through sieve and set aside. Take tamarind water, add salt, ground masala paste, curry leaves, tomatoes, water and boil for 10 minutes.


Add dal, coriander leaves and boil for another five to 10 minutes. Serve very hot garnished with coriander leaves.


Carrot Ginger Soup


Ingredients


Six red carrots (thinly sliced)


One onion (minced)


One stalk celery (minced)


Half ginger (minced)


Four tbsp butter


One tbsp flour


One cup water


Two cups milk


One tbsp parsley (minced)


Salt and pepper to taste


Method


Cook onion, ginger, carrot, celery in butter over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in flour slowly add water and salt, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and add milk.


Cook until milk is heated through. Garnish with parsley and pepper.










via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/warm-up-on-a-cold-day/article4160224.ece

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