Sol Kadhi

'Sol kadhi bhaat and bazlela masa' - 'sol kadhi' rice with fried fish, is a dream menu of mine. Needless to say, it a regular at my home. A must have when I visit my parents back home. 

'Sol kadhi' is a digestive drink with it's roots in coastal Maharashtra. Quick to make, 'sol kadhi' is a perfect appetizer for those hot summer days.

'Sol' refers to 'Kokum' or 'Amsool'. It comes from a fruit bearing tree called Garcinia indica. The fruit from this tree is dried in the sun to get 'kokum'. It is used as the primary souring agent in Maharashtrian coastal foods. Tamarind, though not so common even now, is a recent replacement.

You really have to taste an authentic 'sol kadhi' before you try this recipe out. You cannot jump in blind here as every ingredient is to taste and has different levels of flavor in different regions. 

It is easy to get your hands on fresh coconut and 'kokum' in India. Making 'sol kadhi' is always convenient there. But trust me you can make an almost authentic 'sol kadhi', even when you do not have access to a few fresh ingredients. Let me make this simpler.. If you get your hands on some dry 'kokum', you are good to go.

Before we start, even if you think the 'sol kadhi' that we make in India is a little more tedious and time consuming, remember that there is a reason why it tastes so great! So do take that little extra effort in straining fresh coconut milk. The color of the 'sol kadhi' depends on the 'kokum' quality. Poor quality will give you a fainter pink. Do not fuss too much over it. It will still taste the same. 

Let me share my secrets to making a great 'sol kadhi' in India and beyond!

Source: My family

Level: Easy

Serves: 2 - 3 people

Ingredients (When NOT in India):

250 ml coconut milk, details below

10 - 12 dry kokum, details below

1 cup water, or as required.

5 - 6 garlic cloves

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

Coriander for decoration

Method:

Step 1 - In a small pot, add 3/4 cup of water and the dry kokum. Start heating the pot and let this mixture boil for a good 5 - 6 mins. Turn off heat and leave it aside to cool. 

Step 2 - Drain the water and keep this water for later use. Also, grind the cooked kokums till they form a rough paste. Keep this aside too.

Step 3 - Grind together the garlic cloves and green chillies with a little water till it forms a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Step 4 -  Now we are all set. In a larger bowl, pour in the coconut milk. Pour in the kokum water from step 2, garlic-green chilly paste and salt. Mix well. Start tasting the kadhi. If you find your sol kadhi a little less sour, start adding the ground kokums from step 2. Keep adding and mixing till you get your desired sourness. Always remember that the kokums will keep making your kadhi more sour over time. So do not add too much if you plan to consume the sol kadhi at a later time.

Step 5 - Once all the flavor is adjusted, strain the sol kadhi. Decorate with chopped coriander and refrigerate till you want to serve it. If you plan to indulge with rice, I would suggest getting the sol kadhi down to room temparature.

Tips: 
Sol Kadhi is usually of a very thin watery consistency. So adjust water as desired.

Coconut milk - Usually we do not have access to freshly grated coconut outside India. Using frozen freshly grated coconut according to me, compromises the taste. I found Aroy-D to be the only brand from all those I have tried, which claims to be 100% pure coconut milk (no preservatives). You should easily find these in the Asian markets. That being said, I have made sol kadhi with canned coconut milk and also with coconut milk powder before I met Aroy-D. Small compromises on the taste.

Kokum - These quantities are for the not-so-great kokums we get in Indian stores in the US. 

Now, moving on to perfection...

Ingredients (When IN India):

1 small coconut, freshly grated

5 - 6 kokum, details below

Water as needed

5 - 6 garlic cloves

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

Coriander for decoration

Method:

Step 1 - In a large blender bowl, grind together the coconut, garlic and green chillies. Add 1.5 cups of warm water. Grind for a good 3 - 4 mins. Strain the coconut through a fine mesh and squeeze out the fresh coconut milk. Keep this thick coconut milk aside. This will be your first extract.

Step 2 - Now for the second extract, add back the squeezed out coconut into the blender bowl. Add 3/4 cup warm water and grind it for 2 - 3 mins. Strain the coconut again through a fine mesh to squeeze out the coconut milk. Add this to the thicker coconut milk from step 1.

Step 3 - To the coconut milk, add salt and decorate with coriander. Refrigerate till you want to serve. If you plan to indulge with rice, I would suggest getting the sol kadhi down to room temperature before you serve it.

Tips: 
Sol Kadhi is usually of a very thin watery consistency. So adjust water as desired.

The kokum used here is the good quality kokum that you get in India. 

Indulge by itself or with some hot steamed rice!
Hope you enjoy making this recipe.  Happy cooking everyone!

Notes:
I have heard of people giving a cumin seeds tadka to the prepared sol kadhi before serving. Feel free to try that, but that is not how any of my family members prepare this drink. Just sayin...

Adding a little food color into the sol kadhi to look glamorous..is according to me an absolute NO NO! Authentic sol kadhi has no ingredients that will make it look shocking pink like it does in restaurants!

Velvety Tomato Soup

Soup? Again? Hell yeah! The chilly weather demands it!

I am sure Tomato Soup is one of the most popular soups in the world. Unfortunately, people think tomato soups are best had off a can or from packets. I do not deny that having ready made soups is convenient. But unless you make some homemade tomato soup, you will never realize what flavors and freshness you are missing out on. And don't get me started on what actually goes into these cans. That post is for some other time.

Though simple, this recipe is not super quick. It is posted so you can enjoy some awesome Tomato Soup. I wouldn't say that it mimics the quality of the canned version of this soup. It is far far superior and delicious!

If you grew up in India like I did, you most probably have had your lifetime share of Cream of Tomato Soup. It would not surprise you if I told you that those soups rocked because of the cream and sugar added to them.
When going all out and making soups at home, you don't really want to make it unhealthy. It is no fun drinking bowls after bowls of this soup if you are going to end up feeling guilty and miserable.
So after a lot of experimenting and reading up different Indian recipe books for Cream of Tomato Soup, I have finally devised an amazing way of making this soup so delish, that you won't mind missing out on the cream.

Let's get cooking this Velvety Tomato Soup.

Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 people

Ingredients:
6 - 7 medium tomatoes, ripe and firm cut into halves
1 medium carrot, roughly cubed
1 small potato, roughly cubed
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 inch cinnamon stick
8 to 10 black peppercorns
1.5 tblsp butter
2 tblsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 cups water

Method:
Step 1 - Heat the butter in a pressure pan. Add the cinnamon stick and black peppercorns. Saute for a few seconds. Add the onions, carrot and the potato. Saute till onions turn transparent.

Step 2 - Add the halved tomatoes. Saute on medium high heat for 3 to 4 mins. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles or till every ingredient is thoroughly cooked. Open the pressure pan, once the pressure is released and it cools down.

Step 3 - Mash the ingredients in the pressure pan together and strain. Blend the ingredients that did not strain through, with a little water and strain again.

Step 4 - Heat the strained mixture in another pot. Adjust water till it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and sugar and adjust sweetness as per your taste. Bring to a boil for 2 mins.

Serve hot with some croutons and pepper.
If you are in a particularly indulgent mood, you could swirl some fresh cream on top, plop in some tiny cubed cheese or sprinkle some shredded cheese to get a richer flavor. I have also seen recipes that added tiny cubed paneer (cottage cheese) in their tomato soups.
So just go crazy with these suggestions or keep it as simple as we do!
A little sprinkle of pepper. That's it!

Tips:
The color of your soup will depend on your tomatoes. If they are in season, you will have a brighter soup, else it will be slightly orange. Whatever the color, the taste will still be great.

I generally store half of the strained mixture (after Step 3) in the freezer for later use. This stays great for a couple of weeks and you don't have to go through this entire process to enjoy your tomato soup again.

The quantity of sugar, will depend on the acidity of your tomatoes. So adjust sweetness as per your taste preferences.

Tomato, a nutritious fruit commonly used as a vegetable, is a wonderful gift from the Mayans. Interestingly, it has more health benefiting qualities than that in an apple!
Tomatoes are one of the low calorie vegetables, containing just 18 calories per 100 gms. They are also very low in any fat content and have zero cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, they are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins.
Because of their all-round qualities, dieticians and nutritionists often recommend them to be included in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
Need some more details? Head here.

Green Peas Soup for St. Patrick's Day

GOING GREEN....a vibrant comforting soup for all of you to enjoy on St. Patrick's day.

This soup is effortless which makes it a go-to candidate for those cold winter nights. The recipe involves minimal ingredients and chopping which makes it even more appealing.

The texture of this soup is really smooth and the smell and taste are oh so comforting.

So wrap yourself in a blanket with your loved ones, turn on some cheesy flick and sip away....

Without further delay, let us get to making some green peas soup.

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

2.5 cups green peas (I used frozen)

5 garlic pods, roughly chopped

0.5 medium onion, roughly chopped

8-10 black pepper corns

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

1.5 tsp butter

1/4 cup milk 

3 cups water or as required.

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cheese/Croutons for garnish (optional)

Method:

Step 1 - Heat the butter in a pressure pan. Add the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and garlic. Saute till the garlic turns light brown. 

Step 2 - Add the onions and saute till they turn slightly brown too.

Step 3 - Add the frozen green peas and saute for 4 to 5 mins till they start to sizzle. 

Step 4 - Add water till the peas are just soaked under water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or till the peas are totally cooked. Let the mixture cool down and then blend it with a little water to form a smooth paste. Strain.

Step 5 - Put the strained mixture in a pot. Add the milk and water. Adjust water till you get your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil for just a minute.

Serve hot with some bread. You can decorate the soup with some pepper, croutons or some shredded cheese. 

Tips:

I generally use the Vadilal brand frozen peas from Indian stores. They somehow are not as sweet as the green peas you get in the general supermarket freezer section. If you get hold of fresh peas, it would surely make your soup much better. That being said, any kind of frozen peas would work in this recipe. You might just have to add a little more pepper before indulging.

Peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetable, rich in health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

100 gms of peas provide only 81 calories and they contain a good amount of soluble and insoluble fibre.They do not contain cholesterol.

Fresh pea pods are an excellant source of folic acid. Peas are a good source of Vitamin C, A and K. 

Need some more information? Head here: Peas

Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup

A thick tomato soup with a mild Italian taste!

Great for cold nights. Quite filling! So makes a meal by itself.
According to me the BEST SOUP to dunk your tough bread in.

Roasting the ingredients gives this soup a heavenly smoky flavor which I am sure you will love.
Adding coriander and garlic and roasting these along with the tomatoes just gives it a punch!
The process is so simple that you wont mind making this soup every time you decide to be good to your body!

Basically, this recipe is for keeps!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 5 people

Adapted from: Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana

Ingredients:
7-8 medium tomatoes, cut in large cubes
2 bay leaves
10-12 black peppercorns
10-12 stalks of coriander leaves
12 garlic pods
3/4 tsp mixed dried herbs (optional)
2 -3 tblsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 Deg. F.

Step 2 - In a large baking pan, place the cubed tomatoes, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander leaves, garlic pods, sprinkle mixed herbs and pour in the olive oil. Try and cover a larger area while pouring in the olive oil. Sprinkle salt over the ingredients.

Step 3 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins, or till the coriander stocks wilt and the garlic starts to slightly brown.

Step 4 - Cool the ingredients when they are done baking and blend them all together. Boil and strain the mixture and adjust water and salt as per your personal preference.

Serve hot with some chunky bread!

HEAVEN!

Tips:
This soup is supposed to be on the thicker side. Diluting it a lot could compromise on the taste.

You could add or reduce the ingredients as per your liking.

If you do not want an Italian twist to this soup, do not add in the mixed herbs. The soup by itself also tastes great.

Spring Onion Soup

Spring Onion Soup is a very mild soup. It can soothe any soul!

Every sip gives you the fresh ginger and slight garlic taste and a nice crunch of spring onions. Personally I think this combination totally rocks!

I got this recipe online. You can also go to the site below to check out the soup in its original form, as I have tweaked it slightly to our liking. Am sure it tastes equally good both ways. The only change I have made is substantially reduced on the butter and added some dried herbs and chilly flakes. 

Here is how I made it.

Serves: 4 to 5 people

Level: Easy

Adapted from: http://treat4all.blogspot.com/

Ingredients: 

2 cups spring onions, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp fresh garlic, grated

3/4 tblsp butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp pepper

For white sauce:

1 tblsp butter

2 tblsp all purpose flour/maida

3 cups milk, I used 2%

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt as per taste

1 tsp red chilly flakes

1/2 tsp dried herb, I used oregano

Method:

Step 1 - Let us prep the spring onions first. In a medium sized pan, heat 3/4th tblsp butter. When it starts slightly bubbling, add in the grated ginger and garlic. Saute till they slightly change color. Do not let this burn. 

Step 2 - Add in the chopped spring onions and saute for 3 to 4 mins till they slightly wilt. We dont want to completely cook these. They have to retain their shape and crunch. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Keep aside in a plate.

Step 3 - Lets get to the white sauce now. Take a pot and heat 1 tblsp butter in it. As soon as it melts, lower the heat and add in the all purpose flour, stirring continuously till it slightly changes to a light brown color. Again, do not let this burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 4 - Add in the milk, slowly and steadily, stirring continuously. Make sure there are no lumps. Add in the sugar, red chilly flakes, oregano and the spring onions from step 1 and 2. Mix well. Adjust taste by adding salt and pepper.

Serve piping hot.
I served this soup with some rustic sourdough bread for dunking. A great combo deal!

Tips:

To avoid lumps in your white sauce, use a whisk and stir briskly when you add the milk. Add milk really slowly.

You can add green chillies in step 1 to spike the soup up a bit.

Dont keep boiling the soup for too long. The spring onions might just lose their texture.

Once the soup starts cooling, it will thicken because of the all purpose flour. Just add in some water to thin it and bring it to a boil. As fresh as new!

Spiced Carrot Tomato Soup

Continuing with our once a week soup diet, I exhausted almost all the soup recipes I had with me. This is when I started looking up easy soup recipes. Well, it has to be easy else it never gets made!
Have written down a couple of them, but the carrot and tomato soup just caught my eye. It looked beautiful, bright and appetizing. Unfortunately for my taste, it sounded quite bland. So I decided to give it my own twist.

So for all you thin and spicy soup lovers out there, this is for you!

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
Salt as per taste
Pepper as per taste
1 tsp oil
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 black peppers
1 bay leaf
Water as required

Method:
Step 1 - Place the chopped carrots and tomatoes in a pressure cooker. Add water till it is half way to the vegetables. Pressure cook for 2 whistles or till the vegetables are well done.

Step 2 - Once the vegetables cool down, blend them with the water they are in, to form a smooth paste. Strain this mixture.

Step 3 - In a pot, heat oil. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, bay leaf and salt. When the cumin seeds change color, pour in the strained carrot-tomato mixture. Add water till the soup reaches your preferred consistency.

Serve piping hot, with a sprinkle of pepper.

I served this with the tomato - mint bruschetta. Just perfect!

Tips:
If you are uncomfortable with consuming the whole spices in your soup, you can also strain the soup into soup bowls while serving. This will give it all the flavor and no spicy crunch in between sips.

The original recipe does not add the spices. So if you want to keep it nice and simple. Skip step 3. Just reheat the strained mixture with water and salt. Serve with a sprinkle of pepper. Done!

Happy cooking everyone!

Power packed soup

The origins of this soup, will always be a mystery to me...:)
My mother was visiting my brother, sis-in-law and niece in London last year, when she had a similar fresh soup out of a carton. She read the contents and tried to recreate this at home.
The final result was so very cool, that I dint care if this matched the original version...:)

So heres the mystery soup for all of you.

Level: Easy
Serves: 3 - 4 people

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, cubed
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 potato, cubed
1/2 tomato, cubed
3 inch pumpkin, cubed
1/2 small bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 carrot, cubed
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup split orange lentils / masoor dal
1/2 tsp butter
3/4 cup milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1: Pressure cook the cubed onions, potatoes, tomato, pumpkin, coriander leaves, carrot, garlic cloves and split orange lentils. Puree them and keep aside

Step 2: Take a vessel and heat the butter in it. Add in the chopped onions and saute on slightly high flame till they are brownish. Add in the pureed veggies and milk and let it boil. Add water to get the consistency you desire. Add in salt and pepper.

Serve hot.

You can have this soup with some nice toasted bread...or some really soft fresh bread. It tastes great either ways.
You need to cook the coriander leaves with the other veggies, this totally enhances the flavour of this soup. Try not to alter or avoid this step. Its quite strategically critical !! :)

Happy cooking!

Spicy Spinach Soup

I am always in search of some quick soup recipes.
Its quite boring to spend hours making a soup that finishes in a bowl or two..just not worth it!

Now that the pleasant weather comes to an end slowly...and steadily...my soup season is coming to an end. So I am trying my best to make sure it is in our diet as much as possible these days.

Spinach is one of the green leafy vegetable..i love avoiding in my diet. But when i found this spiced spinach soup recipe..i thought it was a great way to get spinach into everybody. One of the best positives about this one is that it absolutely KILLS the taste of spinach. :)

So heres the recipe,

Serves : 5 - 6 people
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
3 medium spinach bunches
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1.5 inch cinnamon sticks
2 green chillies, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 inch ginger, finely chopped
1 cup milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tblsp oil

Method:
Step 1 - Firstly, boil a huge pot of water. When it comes to a roaring boil plunge in the spinach leaves and push them under water. Let this boil for no more than 2 mins. Drain in a colander and pour cold water over it. This will help spinach retain its fresh green color.

Step 2 - Put this spinach in a mixer bowl, add in 1 cup of milk and puree it. Keep aside. With the above quantity and a normal sized mixer, I had to do this in 2 parts.

Step 3 - Take another vessel and heat oil in it. When warm, add in the cinnamon stick and saute for a min. Then add in the ginger, garlic and chillies and saute for 2 mins till garlic slightly changes color. Then add in onions, and saute till brownish.

Step 4 - Add in the spinach puree, salt, pepper and water till you reach the desired consistency and boil for 5 mins.

Serve hot.

I like this soup as it is. My husband takes immense efforts to make this soup unhealthy, by having it with cheese cubes!! but trust me, if weight is not an issue or you are someone that indulges once in a while, this tastes awesome!!! The cheese perfectly softens in the hot soup and its just gooily YUM!

Milk is added to give this soup a creamy texture. Try not to avoid it!

Rack your brains!
Spinach is a very nutrient- dense food.
It's low in calories yet very high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients.
This leafy green is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium and vitamin B6.
It's a great source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber and copper.
Plus, its a good source of selenium, niacin and omega-3 fatty acids.

but beware...
- The oxalates in spinach may interfere with the absorption of calcium.
- People who has kidney or gallbladder problems may want to be careful about eating this green.
- Its possible that it can interefere with proper thyroid gland functioning, although cooking may reduce the goitrogenic compounds.
- Gout-prone people may be affected by the purines in this food.
- Spinach is one of the high pesticide- containing foods, so it's important to eat organic spinach if you can.

Hot and Sour Soup

A hot favorite Chinese soup in almost every home. Never heard of anyone who doesnt like this soup on a cooolllldddd day...

The best part of any chinese soup is the variation you can have in it. any veggies..any broth...its just too convenient..:)

Heres the recipe...hot and sour soup..aai's style...

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Source: My Aai (Suchitra Thakur)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup french beans, finely chopped
1/2 cup cabbage, finely chopped
4 garlic pods, finely chopped
1.5 inch ginger, finely chopped
few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten (optional)
2.5 cups stock (i used chicken)
2 cups water (or as desired)
3 tblsp cornflour
1/4 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
3 tblsp vinegar
2.5 tblsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Place the stock in a pot, add water till the desired soup quantity is achieved and bring this to a roaring boil.

Step 2 - Add all the chopped veggies, ginger, garlic and parsley and boil again till the veggies are half cooked. You dont want it all mashed up in the soup.

Step 3 - Add the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ajinomoto, salt and pepper. Boil for 3 to 4 more mins.

Step 4 - Mix the cornflour in a few tblsps of water and form a thick paste. Add this to the soup.

Step 5 - While the soup is boiling, pour in the beaten egg, real slow and keep stirring the soup rigourously. This step needs to be real slow, as the egg cooks instantly when in contact with the soup. You dont want the soup to have lumps of eggs in it.

Serve this soup piping hot.

You can use any stock, be it chicken, vegetable, beef...I have actually tried this recipe with only water too. NBAA...

You can use as little or as many veggies as you like...
You can add shreds of boiled chicken to this soup too, to make it Chicken hot and sour soup.

If you want a vegetarian hot and sour soup, minus the eggs and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

Hope you enjoy making this super simple soup..and do let me know how it turns out..:)

Rack your brains:
Ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate/MSG/sodium glutamate), is a sodium salt of the naturally occurring non-essential amino acid glutamic acid.
It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavour enhancer.

MSG as a food ingredients has been the subject of health studies.
It is said to be safe for most people when "eaten at customary levels".

Golden Broth Soup

One of my favorite soups...a MUST TRY especially when its nice and cool outside and you desire a nice warm healthy cup of soup.

I first had this at my maternal aunt's place and was completely in love with it. My mom and I have been making it ever since. I dont wait for winters to make this one..its made all round the year at our place. Now its a hit even at my in laws place.

Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 people
Source: My Varsha Maushi (Varsha Khanolkar)

Ingredients:
4 carrots, diced
4 potatoes, diced
4 onions, diced
5 -6 leaves spinach, finely shredded
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tblsp butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1 - Boil the diced veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions), preferably in a pressure pan and puree it.

Step 2 - Heat butter in a pot and saute the finely chopped onions and spinach on a medium high flame to slightly brown it

Step 3 - Add the pureed veggies to the pot, season with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil for 2 to 3 mins.

Serve piping hot with some crusty bread or toast to dip in it.

This soup can be a meal in itself...which it usually is when my husband and I go on our so called diets !!...:)

Hope you try this one out..and do let me know how it turns out !