Indian Inspired Vegetable Soup/Stew

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ajwain seeds

15 baby carrots finely sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
2 cups diced green, red and/or orange peppers

Salt/pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

1 tbspn Cumin powder

2 tbspn Corriander powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

½ tbspn red chili powder

1 cup orzo pasta (or rice that doesn’t fluff up in soup)

6 cups vegetable broth

1 15-16 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried basil

1 ½ cup small beans or lentils (not black beans)

Method:

Step 1:

Heat olive oil, add ajwain seeds, onions and garlic on high heat for 3-5 minutes (don’t burn).

Step 2:

Turn heat to medium, add carrots, celery, and peppers. Stir it up. Fry for 10 minutes stirring every two minutes.

Step 3:

Add all the spices. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes more on low heat. During this 5 minutes heat the water and start to make the pasta.

Step 4:

Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, parsley (if using dried, use 1 tbspn) and basil into the soup. Stir it up on high heat. When it boils, turn heat to medium, cover it up.

Step 5:

After 10 minutes add in the beans/lentils. Cover it again and let boil.

Step 6:

Heat for another 10-20 minutes to get firmness/softness of carrots and other veggies you prefer.

Step 7:

When veggies are almost the right firmness, add cooked orzo or rice. Turn off heat, let sit about 10 minutes and serve.

Will serve 4-6. Adapted from http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/1712

Originally posted on my other blog in 2007.

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Thank you for reading and spending your time here! Bon Appétit!

Keera Molagootal – Flavorful Spinach/Mixed Greens and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

10-16 oz bag spinach or mixed greens (keera)
¾ cup Toor dal

1 ½ cup water
1 tspn turmeric

1 pinch asofotedia (ing) (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

¼-1/2 cup grated coconut (per taste)
1 tbspn (or more) oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp urad dal

1 dried red chilli, broken
½ tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

Photo right: Krishna Kumar
In the photo, the dish being prepared in this post is the green pastey side dish. The other dishes are a potato stew (isthu) to the right of the keera molagootal, chapati, the flat bread on the plate, and yogurt soup/curry (mor kozhumbu) in the small bowl.

Method:

Step 1:

Drop greens in boiling water. Wilt greens. Drain and cool.

Step 2:

While spinach is cooling, place dhal, water, turmeric, asofotedia and salt in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for three whistles.

Step 3:

Put 1 tbspn oil in a pan, heat pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dhal, and red chili. Fry until mustard seeds pop. Add cooked dhal and fry it until it turns color (pinkish). Cool dhal.

Step 4:

Place spinach, dhal, grated coconut all in a blender and blend into a paste.

Step 5:

Rewarm and eat with rice or chapati.

Could be eaten like a curry or a thick, eccentric soup!

Adapted from: Ammupatti's recipe found at her blog.


Original Post- 21st Post on Alaivani

Thank you for reading my blog!

Indian Inspired Vegetable Soup/Stew

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ajwain seeds

15 baby carrots finely sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
2 cups diced green, red and/or orange peppers

Salt/pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

1 tbspn Cumin powder

2 tbspn Coriander powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

½ tbspn red chili powder

1 cup orzo pasta (or rice that doesn’t fluff up in soup)

6 cups vegetable broth

1 15-16 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried basil

1 ½ cup small beans or lentils (not black beans)

Method:

Step 1:

Heat olive oil, add ajwain seeds, onions and garlic on high heat for 3-5 minutes (don’t burn).

Step 2:

Turn heat to medium, add carrots, celery, and peppers. Stir it up. Fry for 10 minutes stirring every two minutes.

Step 3:

Add all the spices. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes more on low heat. During this 5 minutes heat the water and start to make the pasta.

Step 4:

Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, parsley (if using dried, use 1 tbspn) and basil into the soup. Stir it up on high heat. When it boils, turn heat to medium, cover it up.

Step 5:

After 10 minutes add in the beans/lentils. Cover it again and let boil.

Step 6:

Heat for another 10-20 minutes to get firmness/softness of carrots and other veggies you prefer.

Step 7:

When veggies are almost the right firmness, add cooked orzo or rice. Turn off heat, let sit about 10 minutes and serve.

Will serve 4-6. Adapted from http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/1712

Original Post - 12th post on Alaivani

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:

6 Green Chillies
4 small pieces of about 1/8 inch cubes- ginger
Asafoetida (Ing) pinch
1/8 cup juice from fresh lemon
12 curry leaves
1/8 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dhal
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
I tsp ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop ginger and slit green chillies.
2. Boil them in water for 30 minutes with salt and 3 cups of water. Add more water if water evaporates. Boiling for 30 minutes really brings out the ginger and green chilies taste. Water should have a nice aroma from these ingredients, and may slightly yellow from ginger. Then you know it's ready for the seasonings.
3. Add asafotida and lemon juice when you turn off the heat.
4. While #2 is getting ready, heat ghee in another pan, when ghee is hot, add cumin seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Add this to the water pan when it has completed it's boil.


Another version of Lemon Rasam.
Tasty Tidbits: Rasam (Cultural Facts about this tasty broth!)