Yellow Pumpkin Soup

Before I got married, I would subsist on soup. Every. Single. Night. Many thanks to Kanchan who made me relive those days. The days where I didn't need to keep stressing on the importance of vegetables, because I would get enough. And to emphasize how awesome a simple bowl of colored goop can be, I start here a soup series.

Soups are the most innovative way to eat vegetables, according to me. They cook enough so that the texture is not a bother, while retaining all the essential components. And the possibilities of experimentation are virtually endless.

This is the easiest, most flavorful and tasty variant I have ever made.

Serves 3-4. Preparation/Cooking time - 20 mins

Ingredients

1) Yellow/Red Pumpkins - about half a kg, or 1 1/2 pounds (You can use any species that belongs to the colored pumpkin family - squash, butternut squash, anything, as long as it is fresh)

2) Salt

3) 2 Bay Leaves

4) Red Chilly flakes - 2 large pinches

5) Coarsely ground black pepper - 1 large pinch

6) Chopped parsley - 1 large tablespoon

7) Saffron strands - a pinch

8) Yogurt (plain) - beaten (optional) - 1/2 tablespoon per cup

9) Toasted pumpkin seeds - optional.

Procedure:

1) Take the skin off the pumpkin - easiest way to to this is to cut the pumpkin into 12-16 pieces, skin and all, and slash off the skin with a knife. Steam the pumpkin in a CLOSED container - a cooker makes the most sense. Add a little salt and the bay leaves to the cooker to steam.

2) Once the pumpkin is cooked, puree the pieces into a smooth paste (after discarding the bay leaves).

3) Dilute with vegetable stock/water, add the chilly flakes and pepper and bring to a boil (on a low flame).

4) Add the saffron when the soup starts boiling.

5) Add 3/4 of the parsley and turn off the heat 5 minutes after doing so.

6) Garnish with a pinch of fresh parsley, a yogurt swirl, and the pumpkin seeds.

I like eating this with a slice of toasted brown bread with olive oil dribbled over it. Yumm!!

Red Coconut Chutney

This is a nice variation and a break from the mundane coconut chutney. Goes well with the lighter south Indian stuff like rava dosa, rice dosa, etc.

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup coconut pieces
2) 1 and 1/2 tablespoons black gram (urad daal)
3) 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
4) salt to taste
5) 4-7 dried red chillies (depending on how spicy you like it)
6) 1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste OR 1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder
7) 10 curry leaves
8) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
9) a pinch of asafoetida
10) 1 teaspoon oil.

Ingredients:

1) Grind Ingredients 1-6 together to a dry powder
2) Add water at room temperature till it becomes a fine paste.
3) heat oil. Add Ingredients 7,8 and 9 till mustard seeds pop and curry leaves are crunchy.
4) Add the oil mixture to the chutney and serve hot!!

Stir Fry with White Sauce

I love any cream-based vegetables. It makes a wonderful accompaniment with bread, pasta, risotto, or a great side dish for an all-crouton salad. The ways to serve it are wonderful, and its a pleasure to eat.

Any vegetable available can be used here. My favorite happens to be zucchini, and a five vegetale mix (ive mentioned it in the recipe)

Stir-fry in white sauce.

Ingredients
1) 1 cup vegetables. Options:
a) Zucchini, cubed
b) mixed vegetables (tossed in boling water for 3 mins and parboiled - my personal favourite is a mixture of carrots, ring beans, sweet corn, peas, cauliflower florets and zucchini)
c) carrots, cubed
d) pumpkin or squash, cubed
2) 1 tablespoon cream (low fat cream, heavy cream, or half-and-half)
3) 1 teaspoon unflavored yogurt
4) 1 teaspoon butter
5) 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
6) 1/4 teaspoon thyme
7) 1/4 teaspoon fresh basil, OR fresh mint
8) salt

Procedure.
1) Heat the butter.
2) Add the vegatables and fry till bright in color.
3) Add salt, cover, and cook on low for 5 mins. Stir twice in these 5 mins.
4) Add the cream, the yougrt, a little water, and cook on high for a minute.
5) When the water evaporates and the sauce thickens, add the thyme and white pepper powder.
6) Add more salt if required, and turn off the heat.
7) Garnish with mint/basil and serve.

Footnotes:
1) Cream may be completely substituted with a think, unflavored, yougrt (even fat free yogurt may be used)
2) DO NOT USE OIL, USE ONLY BUTTER. Remember, always cook dairy with dairy for non-cheese bases (for cream, yogurt, etc, cook with butter, else the plant fat and animal fat can make you feel queasy)

Dal Fry

I know this sounds really simple, but I had to experiment for about two years to get it just right. Last night's was simply yummy so i thought I would share.

Ingredients:

1)Dal - 1 cup (I used the flat lentils here arhar dal but you can use just about any skinned lentils you have in your kitchen)
2)Tomato - 1 small, chopped finely
3)Onion - 1 small, chopped finely
4)Chilli - 1 medium to large, chopped into a long piece n then slit
5)cilantro - 1 teaspoon, chopped

Spices:
1)Mustard seeds - a pinch
2)Cumin seeds - 1/2 a teaspoon
3)turmeric - a pinch
4)all spice powder (garam masala) - a pinch
5)paprika / red chilli powder - a pinch
6)dry mango powder - a pinch (you can also substitute this with about 10 drops of lemon juice for the tang)
7)Salt to taste

Preparation:

1) Boil the dal with slightly excess water.
2) Heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they sputter, add onion. When onions start turning gold add the tomato and chillies.
3) Add the dal once the tomatoes start oozing oil.
4) Add the all spice, paprika, turmeric, dry mango and salt.
5) Add 1 tablespoon of water and boil for about 2 minutes. The dal should be medium watery.
6) Add cilantro before serving.

Peanut chutney

Another old-time favorite that I would love with bread. This too, is a great accompaniment to most Indian dishes.

Ingredients
1) 1 cup peanuts, dry roasted and skin removed (UNSALTED)
2) 2 green chillies
3) 1 clove garlic
4) a pinch dried mango powder OR tamarind juice (if you don't have any of these, use some sour yogurt - you may leave 2 tablespoons of yogurt out overnight to ferment it)
5) mustard seeds
6) curry leaf
7) 2 teaspoon oil
8) A pinch asafoetida (heeng)
9) salt.

Method:
1) Roast Ingredients 1,2,3 in one teaspoon of oil.
2) grind with salt and water and ingredient 4 till you get a smooth paste.
3) heat oil. Add ingredients 5,6,7 and add to chutney.
4) Serve with anything you like.

Apple-Yogurt salad

Healthy, tasty and light. You can throw in your own variations to it by adding spices, or other dried fruit. The basic recipe is what i have given below.

Ingredients:
1) 2 red apples, cored and diced
2) 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts.

Dressing Ingredients:
1) One cup curd/thick unsweetened non-flavored yogurt (if you are using home made 'curd', hand it in a cotton cloth for an hour.
2) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3) A pinch of brown sugar
4) 2 teaspoon sparkling apple juice
5) 1 teaspoon ginger juice (grate ginger and squeeze)

Method:
1) Mix all the dressing ingredients EXCEPT brown sugar
2) Add these to the salad ingredients and mix well.
3) Garnish with sprinkled brown sugar

Fruit Panzanella

Here's the sweet version of a panzanella. I have tried not to sweeten it too much so that it may be served as a course at a full meal. Something I don't see being very "desserty" and is hence not classified so.

This recipe again takes off the lemon juice. I prefer substituting that with a thicker juice, to hold in the fruit flavors.

Ingredients:
1) half a cored apple, diced into small cubes
2) 1/2 cup diced pineapple
3) 4 black olives, cut into very small pieces
4) 2 slices of bread (multigrain or whole wheat for a healthier option) cut into small croutons and dried till crunchy (either in microwave or the sun)
5) 1 tablespoon walnuts
6) 1 tablespoon pistachio or almonds (the latter tastes better with bread)
7) 7and 8 can be substituted with 2 tablespoon pine0nuts
8) 1 tablespoon raisins

Dressing:
1) 1/2 cup strawberry, cut into large chunks and mashed
2) 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3) 2 teaspoons brown sugar (can be substituted with 1 teaspoon honey)
4) One tablespoon red wine (optional, but very strongly recommended by me)
5) grated lemon rind.

Method:
1)In a bowl, mix all the salad ingredients you will be using.
2) In another bowl, take the mashed strawberries and stir. Some strawberry juice should separate.
3) Add the orange juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (quick tip - one sachet of the Barista brown sugar is perfect for these proportions :D ). Keep a pinch of brown sugar aside.
4) Add the lemon rind and red wine.
5) Pour over the salad ingredients
6) garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining brown sugar.

Footnotes:
1)Although the red wine is optional, I love the body it provides to the dressing. Also, the red wine prevents the other fruit from changing color.
2) It might be tempting to try, but please please emlimitae diary in this recipe. Makes it too heavy and adds too many elements in what is to be just a starter. Moreover, this would be a part of the meal and not the meal itself so its important to keep this dish a little disbalanced, ingredient wise.


Variation:
This is a little tricky but gives an amazing result.
Take 3 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 tablespoons water. When the sugar melts add the bread slices. stir till the bread is caramalized. And add it to the salad. Elimitae the brown sugar in the dressing. However, this is a sweeter version and something that cant be consumed in too much quantities at a meal.