Tomato, carrot and parsley soup

Winter vegetables like carrot and  tomato is best for making delicious soup.  Choose ripe tomatoes for making soup.


Tomato, carrot and parsley  leaves soup.

Ingredients

Tomato -  10 medium sized

Carrot -  1

Ginger a large piece

Ajwain leaves a few

Parsley y leaves a few

Basil a few

Crushed pepper a few

Salt as required

Method of preparation

Wash and slit tomatoes and carrots, grate ginger,  wash basil,  ajwain and parsley  leaves,  put everything together in a large pressure cooker. Add about 5 cups of water.  Add salt and pepper. Close the lid of pressure cooker and cook for two whistles.  Once it cools down open the lid and use a strainer to remove only cooked vegetables.  Preserve the vegetable stock. Allow it to cool. Grind it in a mixer. Add vegetable stock and little more hot water if the soup is too thick. Adjust salt and pepper.  Serve with bread toast. It's very healthy and nutritious.

Raw banana (vazhakkai) and potato bajji

Evening snacks are my children's favourite .  Both love crispy pakodas and yummy Indian snacks .  Today I made raw banana bajji(pakoda)  with just one raw banana and potato the whole family can munch on delicious snack.

Vazhakkai and Aloo bajji

Ingredients

Raw banana - 1 cut into thin slices.
Potato  - 1cut into thin slices.
Red chilli powder  - 1 tsp
Garam masala  - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain a little
Hing a pinch
Salt as required
Jeera and coriander powder a little each
A few pudina and palak leaves finely chopped .
Ginger powder a little
Basan one large cup

Method of preparation

In a large bowl add besan , salt, red chilli powder , ajwain , ginger powder , jeera coriander powder , hing and garam masala powder .  Mix well by adding  water and make a thick batter out of it.  Add chopped pudina and palak leaves.  Mix well.  Keep oil for deep frying in an iron pan.  When the oil is medium hot dip each pieces of raw banana into the prepared batter and slowly drop it into oil.  Fry till raw banana/potato bajji turns into golden brown . Once done remove the backing using perforated ladle into kitchen absorbent towel spread on a bowl or plate.  Enjoy the delicious snack with green chutney or tomato ketchup . 

Cauliflower masala in coconut milk

Winter season slowly setting and we are getting fresh cauliflower, peas and french beans .  I tried a simple dish today with cauliflower , green peas, bell pepper and tomatoes .

Gobi masala in coconut milk

Ingredients

Cauliflower (gobi)  -  1 large , remove florets

Tomatoes - 4 small home grown slit into pieces .

Bell pepper - Tricolour ,  green , yellow and red chopped into small cubes.

Green peas - a few

Chopped coriander leaves a little

Green chilli 1

Ginger  a small  piece

Potato 1 cut into small cubes
Coconut milk - 1 cup

Turmeric , garam masala,  Red chilli , coriander and jeera powder -1/2 tsp each

Method of preparation

* wash and remove florets from cauliflower .  Immerse the florets in warm water with a pinch of salt .

* Peel and chop potato into large cubes.

* cut tomatoes into small pieces . I just slit them into four as they were too tiny.

Heat a pan pour a little oil,  add cauliflower and potato .  Cook in high flame by tossing it occasionally .  Once both the vegetables are soft add turmeric red chilli, coriander and jeera powder .  Mix well .  Add peas and  bell pepper .  Mix gently .  Now add coconut milk.  Simmer the stove.  Adjust salt,  add garam masala .  Mix well and finally garnish with coriander leaves,  green chilli and  ginger jullian.   Serve hot with phulka or enjoy this delicious gravy with rice.