TOMATO SOUP - RESTAURANT STYLE

 My family is not a big fan of toup, so I rarely make soup. If at all I am  making one, its definitely the tomato soup. I tried different methods, but this one fits our taste bud more than others. I have followed this recipe from a tamil magazine and had some alteration to suit our style. Lets see how to proceed with the procedure. 

 

 

STEP 1 INGREDIENTS:

 

 

Tomato - - 5 nos (medium sized RIPED RED)

Garlic - 3 pods

Green chilli - 1 slitted

Big onion - 1 (small size)

Beetroot - 1 small piece.

 

 

 

STAGE 2 TEMPERING

 

 

Butter - 3 tbsp.

Clove - 2

Cinnamon - 1 "

 

 

STAGE 3 COOKING

 

Take a pressure pan add butter.When the butter gets melted add cinnamon stick, cloves, green chilli, onion, finally tomato. Add 4 cups of water to it.

 

Let the cooker on for 3 whistles. After cools down and the pressure releases, slowly open the cooker lid and let the mixes cools down completely.

 

 

STAGE 4 GRINDING

 

 

 

STEP 4 ASSEMBLING

 

 

The final process needs the requirement for

 

corn flour -  1 tbsp.

tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp.

garam masala - 1 tsp.

salt 3/4 tsp

pepper powder.(adjust to your taste)

 

 

Add water (1 tbsp.)to corn flour and make a paste.

Take a spoonful of tomato ketchup.

 

Now take the ground soup mixe in a pressure pan and slowly add corn flour, ketchup and garam masala one by one without letting it to make lumps. Let the whole process be in medium and when it starts boiling switch it off. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper powder at the end. Approximately it takes 8 mins in medium. Now you get a thick creamy restaurant style yummy tomato soup like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESARATTU

 

 

Pesarattu is a  protein rich delicious Andhra dish which can be taken as dinner or breakfast. It is very ideal during weight loss due to the abundance of  protein. Its also very delicious and I try to make it atleast once a month . The flavour  of ginger makes this dosa a  more aromatic. Its very filling also. Now we can directly go into the method of making pesarattu.

 

 

STEP 1 INGREDIENTS:

 

 

Green mong dhal (pasi payaru) - 1 cup

Rice -1tbsp

Ginger - 1 "

green chilli-3-4

Coconut - 1 tbsp.(option)

Onion - 1 nos

coriander leaves - 2 tbsp.

 

 

 

Soak dal with rice for 8 - 10 hrs.

 

STEP 2 GRINDING:

 

 

Initially grind ginger and chilli.

 

 

 

 

Then add payaru/green gram dhal to the ground chilli ginger paste and grind it finely. If you are adding coconut you can add after 1 run. 

STEP 3 MAKING DOSA

 

 

 

 

Add onion and coriander leaves to it and make a thin dosa.

 

 

Goes well with any spicy chutneys. Have a bite and be healthy. Thanks.


 



PHOTO EDITING IN PICMONKEY

 

 

When I started blogging recently my intension is to post  mainly on  recipes but just in ten days I am realising  that blogging is not just posting the recipes but to add dimensions to it there are many add-ons to learn and adopt like photography, editors, html, css etc etc. I have added pages to share and record my learning process.One such is the photographic editors.

 

Till now for my pictures I have been using PICASA , PHOTOSCAPE now my new buddy has entered into this section PICMONKEY. Its a simple and free editor which turns our picture so bright and cheerful.

 

Here is the sample of a  picture done.

 

 

 

 

The four basic tools I used are

 

1. CROP
2. EXPOSURE
3. EFFECT- ORTON
4. SHARPEN

This is a quick and simple way to make everyday snaps without cost. It has some other cool functions like collage, adding borders, frames, which you can play around it.  Will come back with some other functions too.



WEIGHT LOSS QUOTES

 

 

 

DAY 1 DIET PLATE

Here is my diet plate. Chukka roti, capsicum raitha, pees sundal and onion chutney. When I eat this I remember the slogan "No gain, no pain".  But anyways im eating consciously right now. Thanks for being supportive.

NAVRATNA PULAO

 

 



Navaratna pulao is very tasty and rich vegetarian rice dish which is garnished with nuts and paneer. Its very nutritional as it contains all kinds of vegetables and nuts. It is very ideal for parties, get-together or such occasions. In our house we prefer to have this on week-ends. It over-rides fried rice in  its mouth watering taste. Lets have a look at the preparation method.

 

 

STEP 1 INGREDIENTS

 

Vegetables - 1 cup (cut into small cubes)

                      I added carrot, potato, green pees, beens.

                      Cauliflower can be added. (We wont use it much in our house)

                     Avoid capsicum for this recipe.

 

 

Nuts  - 1 cup

            I added cashew, badam, Raisin(kismis)

 

Paneer - 8-10 cubes

              I added amul paneer (cubed)

 

Basmati rice - 1 cup

 

Ghee - 3-4 tbsp

 

 

 

 

COOKING BASMATI RICE

 

Basmati Rice - 1cup

Water - Little less than 2 cups

Oil - 2 tbsp.

Cinnamon - 1 " (for flavour)

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

 

 

Soak Basmati rice for 1/2 an hour in water and drain ot completely.Let it stand in the drainer for 10 min.Shake the drainer in between so that the water gets stained completely.

 

Take water in a big bowl.The water ratio will be approximately lesser than 2 cups and more than 1 3/4.If the water is too less the rice will become grainy. So  don't make it very less.

Add a stick of cinnamon to the water, lemon juice (to enhance bright white for rice) ,add oil to it (to prevent stickiness) and add 1 tsp of salt.

 

 

Let the water boil until bubble is formed. Add the soaked,drained Rice in the boiling water and cover that vessel. Now reduce the flame to medium low.

 

Set the kitchen timer for 10 mins.  After 10 mins open the vessel and check the rice.By now the rice should have completely cooked without water in it.If it is not so leave it for 1-2 mins and check. (This is entirely depends on the rice you use and the gas you cook.)So you are the right judge to extend timer.

 

When it is properly cooked and no water left behind, open the vessel and let it rest for 10 mins.  Take a flat rice plate/bown and spread the rice with fork so that the rice will become fluffier due to aeration.  Aromatice basmati rice is ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lets start doing for Navratna pulao now.

 

Take a pan. Heat 2  tbsp of Ghee. Add cashew fry it until golden brown. Remove only cashew  and place it  in a plate. In the same ghee add Almonds(badam) fry it and add with cahew. Next add kismis and remove it. Add green peas, fry it until it splutters and remove it. Next add  paneer , wait until it gets brown and remove it. Add veggies one by one in the same way and remove it. This is the only work for navratna puloa. Now mix all the fried items.

 

 

Take  a big size pan for assembling. Add the rest of the ghee and put the above fried nuts and vegetables.Add required salt to the veggies (say 3/4 tsp) for the amount of veggies used here.

Add 1tspof garama masala to the veggies. Give a slow, nice stir for 2-3 mins in medium heat. Add boiled/cooked basmati rice slowly to incorporate with the vegetable mixture. Don't add any salt for this(Note - already added while cooking rice). Decorate it with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Goes really well with any raita.

 

DONT WAIT UNTIL IT GETS  TOO LATE!  EAT FAST !!!EAT HOT!!!!!

 

 

BYE.

 

 

 



CURD RICE/THAYIR SADAM


In our house we never end our food without curd rice. For daily use we just add curd/buttermilk to the rice. But for special occasions, hosting guests, lunch boxes, or even when I have lot of rice left over on previous day's  tempered flavorful curd rice will be present in our house. Though it doesn't need that much explanation since we cant live without this food variety I cant omit from posting in the recipe section. So lets have a quick recap of this favourite food.

 

 

CREEMY AND RICHER VERSION

INGREDIENTS:

Boiled rice (thin variety) - 1 cup
curd - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 tbps
Milk - 1/2 cup


TEMPERING

Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp.
hing - 1 pinch
Curry Leaves
Green chilly - 1
More milagai (optional) - 4 numbers.


GRINDING

Green chilli - 1
Ginger - 1/4"


DECORATION

curry leaves - 1 twig
coriander leaves - 2 tsp
Grated carrots - 1 tbsp.
Mango ginger/Mango - 1 tbsp.

Method:

Mash the cooked rice and let it cool. First start tempering one by one as given above.  Then add the ground paste and tempered things to the rice mixture. Add curd to the rice, then milk and mix without any lumps. If it is little thicker add water to it to get the right consistency. Little amount of hot/warm water will enhance the taste of curry leaves.


Now decorate the curd rice and Enjoy!!!!