Tomato and potato soup

A popular recipe, simple and healthy, tomato and potato soup needs no special introduction. We felt it will make an ideal post-Diwali evening menu, especially after the heavy Diwali feasts.

Preparation time: 30-35 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Tomatoes 5
Potato (Aloo) 1
Onion 1
Fresh and chopped coriander 1 bunch
Pepper 2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Oregano ½ tsp
Basil ½ tsp
Thyme ½ tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and peel the potato and onion. A medium sized potato and a small onion will do. Dice the tomatoes.

Boil the potato, onion and tomatoes together for around 10-15 mins until soft. Alternatively, the vegetables can also be pressure- cooked up to 3 whistles. Set aside to cool.

Once at room temperature, drain the veggies and add just the vegetables and a little of the drained water (if required only) to the blender jar and blend thick.

Pour into a cooking pot/vessel the blended mix, add coriander powder, oregano, basil, thyme, pepper powder/crushed pepper and salt to taste. Add fresh and chopped coriander and boil on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the remaining drained water, if you want your soup very thin.

Garnish with fresh cream and serve with toasted bread/sandwiches or just any salad.

Light on the tummy and good for digestion, tomato and potato soup is quick to make like any of the readymade soups that the market stores but much more nutritious, healthier, and creamier.

Jalebi

A very Happy Deepavali to all our blog readers and fellow bloggers. Hope the diyas light up your life with happiness and success.

On a personal note, we wish Neeharika and Manoj, a bright and beautiful first Deepavali.

Diwali is the most popular Indian festival and Jalebi is the most popular Indian sweet. The perfect sweet for the auspicious occasion.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (Maida)
Sugar
Refined cooking oil
Cardamom
Kesar food colour

Method:

Mix flour (maida) with water to a batter (of pakora batter consistency) and set aside to ferment for a day (around 20 hrs).

When the batter ferments, there is a tangy smell that comes from it indicating that the batter is properly fermented.

Add a little more flour to the batter to thicken it (a vada batter consistency). The batter should be able to flow freely yet slightly thick. Add kesar food colour while mixing.

To 1 cup water add 2 cups sugar and keep stirring on medium heat to make the sugar syrup. Add cardamoms for flavor.

Take a thick white cloth, make a hole in the center, add the batter and wrap it like a goody-bag. A ketchup bottle is another option.

Hold the bag and pour the batter over pre-heated oil in concentric circles and fry until crisp and golden in colour. Ensure they don't get brown.

Remove and dip in the sugar syrup and serve hot with rabdi or fresh cream.

Jalebi is one of the most popular Indian dessert. Crisp and light with the right dosage of sweetness they are an instant hit with every desi at heart.

Enjoy a dhamakedar Diwali with family, friends, diyas, sweets and of course fireworks.

Kobbari Annam/Kaayituppada anna/Coconut rice

Kobbari annam is probably the simplest rice item ever. A regular inclusion in the rather long festival menus.

Preparation time: 10-15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Cooked rice 1 cup
Fresh and grated coconut (Pachi kobbari) 3/4th cup
Ghee 1½ tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera/Jeelakarra) 1 tsp
Black gram (Uddipappu/Urad dal) 1 tsp
Powdered pepper (Miryalu) 1 tsp
Groundnuts 1 tsp
Red/Green chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Chopped coriander 1 tsp
Pinch of turmeric (haldi)
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and as they pop add cumin seeds, red/green chillies, black gram, groundnuts, curry leaves, coriander, pinch of turmeric and crushed/powdered pepper.

When the seasoning is done remove from heat and add the fresh and grated coconut. Sauté once for around a minute (Do not fry the coconut for long. It’ll be burnt).

Add this coconut mixture and salt to taste to the cooked hot rice and mix well.

Serve coconut rice or kobbari annam with yummy chutneys. A great one to include in your Diwali menu.

Kothimeera Allam Pachadi/Coriander ginger chutney

Kothimeera allam pachadi is spicy chutney, a great one for ginger chutney lovers. An Andhra recipe.

Thank you Satyavathi garu (Neeharika’s Grandmother-in-law) for the great recipe.

Preparation time: 25-30 mins





Ingredients:

Ginger (Adrak/Allam) 100 gms
Fresh coriander (Dhania/Kothimeera) ½ bunch
Green chillies 2-4
Red chillies 5
Tamarind (Imli/Chintapandu) 50 gms
Mustard seeds (Rai seeds/Aavalu) 1 tsp
Black gram (Uraddal/Uddipappu) 1 tsp
Refined cooking oil 1 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida (Hing/Inguva)
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and clean dry the ginger, coriander and green chillies. Chop them all fine.

Soak the tamarind in ¼ cup of water for around 10 mins.

Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as they pop add the red chillies, black gram and asafoetida. Set aside to cool.

Blend the chopped coriander, ginger, green chillies, red chilies’ seasoning, salt and soaked tamarind with its water. Blend until soft and fine.

Garnish with chopped coriander (optional) and serve. The chutney can be stored for 2-3 days if kept in the refrigerator.

Kothimeera allam pachadi is a great rice/dosa/idli/pesarattu /pongal and vada supplement. In short, an ideal breakfast menu inclusion.

Corn flour dosas

It is Atla taddi tomorrow. A popular telugu festival where all the women and young girls celebrate a dosa festival at home. Attlu in telugu mean dosas and the festival falls on the third day or tadiya of Ashweyuja month’s bahula paksham. The festival is similar to the North Indian karva chauth where young girls pray for a good husband while married women pray for the well-being of their husband and family. Here is an instant dosa recipe for a quick attla tadde menu.

Ingredients:

Corn flour 1 cup
Rice flour (Biyyampindi) 3/4th cup
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Finely chopped ginger 2 tsp
Sour buttermilk (Curd/ pullati majjiga) ½ cup
Refined cooking oil ½ cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Finely chop the green chillies and ginger. (Onion can also be added but not during festivals)

The buttermilk need not be very sour. Keep it in the open for around 15-20 mins and that will do.

In a bowl add the corn flour, rice flour, cumin seeds, salt to taste, finely chopped ginger(or ginger paste as available) and chopped green chillies. Keep adding the buttermilk as required and mix to make a batter of normal dosai batter consistency (milkshake consistency, easy to spread on the pan and bake dosas). Cover and set aside for 10-15 mins.

Heat the pan, spread a cup of the batter in circular motion on the pan and sprinkle oil on the circumference make round dosas. Flip the dosa to bake on both sides. Continue the process to make more dosas.

Serve hot dosas as is or with spicy ginger chutney/coconut chutney or tomato chutney or just chutney podi. Attla tadde or otherwise dosa in itself is a reason to celebrate. Just enjoy!