Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups. Show all posts

Beetroot Rasam

By    5:10 PM // No comments
As a kid I would grab cooked beets from my mom's kitchen not for eating it but tinting lips with a gorgeous pink color. It was a fun activity those days with this natural lipstick. Being a grown-up and mom to 2 kids there has been shift in this kind of thinking, now I adore beets for its distinctive flavor and nutritional status. This powerhouse root bursting with phytonutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals is why I always look for ways to incorporate it into my diet. Are you also trying to add beets into your diet? then try this simple Beetroot Rasam recipe.

Beetroot rasam is a twist to regular rasam recipe. This vibrant rasam goes well with some steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. Alternately you may drink it like warm soup. 


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Daali Saaru

By    4:51 PM // 2 comments
I got up early morning in search of vicks bottle. Arrgh ... Stuffy nose, hurting throat and severe headache. All this at same time meant I was unwell with flu virus. Yes its mid September and with temperatures fluctuating the weather is humid some days, hinting that winters will be here soon. Humidity as well as sandstorms in Kuwait, both point to seasonal changes but sadly this all is associated with flu/ viral illness as it carries dusty water droplets that contains all sort of viruses ... 

 The throbbing pain did not allow me to sleep after that. I pulled myself up from the bed in order to try some home remedies and get some symptomatic relief. It is always better to try out home remedies in the initial days of illness especially in such flu cases and wait for the nature to take its course before taking any medicines or antibiotics. Steam inhalation gave me some instant relief for my nose block . Next was to try something that would soothe the throat pain. Some of the options were drinking ginger tea, turmeric milk. Saaru/ Rasams also turn out to be great home remedy. Daali saaru was what came to my mind since preparing it was easy as well as quick. I usually have excess boiled dal stored in the fridge and in emergency situations when I have to cook in shortest time possible [situation like today] this dal came to my rescue. With a plan to cook simple menu for lunch as well as dinner, I entered my kitchen and prepared some rice and this saaru. I enjoyed drinking it like warm soup that helped relieve the discomfort caused by pain while swallowing.

 The below recipe has been adapted from the book "Rasachandrika"




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Tomato Saaru (with freshly ground spices)/ Soup

By    4:31 PM // 19 comments

Before coming to today's recipe, I would like to show my work that was done this weekend.
I am always in love with these painted wooden planks been used as background for food photography and have been fascinated by so many DIY ideas floating on net for painting these boards. Somehow didn't know how to go about doing it myself , as I was sure I will not be comfortable picking those planks from garbage pile out on the road. Buying them from hardware shop is always an option but the price tag on them just meant it to be an expensive project in the place where I stay and since this was only for photography purpose I decided not to spend so much. Then I came across a reasonably doable not so expensive DIY option/idea. For many days the project got postponed for known and unknown reasons, until this weekend while driving back home I took a halt at hardware shop picked up some colours, brushes and decided to do it. Below is the pic of the finished work - painted boards and painted spoons. Now all eager to click food pics on these backgrounds and you hope to see them soon in future posts ! 


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Raw Mango Kadhi / Kairichi Kadhi

By    10:51 AM // 3 comments
Today, its drizzling a little which means winter's here. Yes, during the transition from summer season to winter it drizzles at my place. With the temperatures dropping down, I was longing for some warm saar/ kadhi/soup kind of drink just to slurp on. This is what I prepared, a tangy kadhi from raw mango. 


Recipe adapted from book "Annapurna" by Mangala Barve

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Karbeva saaru

By    2:15 PM // No comments
In Konkani cuisine, saaru is a preparation having the consistency of soup. There are variety of saarus prepared by amchi people. The main ingredient used to prepare this dish highlights the flavor and mostly it is named after this main ingredient itself like tomato saaru, kultha saaru, birinda saaru, etc



Karbevu is a konkani word for curry leaves [popularly known as kadipatta] and by now you must have guessed the main ingredient of today's post. 



Curry leaves are known to add unique flavour to the dish and has been mainly used as seasoning ingredient. Fresh leaves have a short shelf life [they tend to blacken and lose the flavor soon] and so should be stored properly in airtight containers. They have many health benefits which you can read here. Despite all these benefits, many of us choose to keep them aside in plate and not eat it.

Below recipe is a healthy way to incorporate these leaves in our diet instead of allowing them to dry or keeping them aside on the plate. Thanks to Vidya Nayak Shenoy for sharing this recipe. I reduced the chilies as per my family requirements.



Ingredients

5 sprigs of curry leaves
Asafoetida [hard resin - small piece ]
2 tbsp chana dal
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 red chillies [byadgi variety] [original recipes calls for extra 4 chilis which I excluded]
2 tbsp fresh coconut
Marble sized tamarind
1 tbsp jaggery
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves.
2 tsp ghee /oil
1/2 mustard seeds
Few curry leaves

 Method:

 Take 1 tsp oil roast asafoetida. Remove and keep it aside. In the same oil roast one by one chana daal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, byadgi red chilies, grated coconut, and curry leaves. Keep the roasted ingredients on a plate and allow it to cool. Grind roasted ingredients with tamarind to a smooth paste. 

Transfer the paste to a vessel and add water to adjust its consistency as per your preference. Add salt to taste, jaggery and bring it to boil. After 5 minutes, switch off the flame. Prepare seasoning with mustard and curry leaves in oil and add it to the saaru. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and close the lid. Serve it hot with rice or you could just drink it as soup.

Happy cooking !!!

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