Tomato Soup with Toasted Croutons

Such a red delicious tomato soup this is. This recipe is so easy, even a complete beginner cook could prepare this! It’s such a delicious soup that you will never want to buy canned soup again…Lets just get on to the recipe without any further delay

Tomatoes 10-12 medium quartered

Garlic 4 cloves finely chopped

Carrot 1/2 medium cut in roundels

Celery 2 inch stalk (optional)

Onion 1 medium sliced

Sugar 1 tsp

Oil 1/2 tsp

Butter 1 tbsp

Bay leaf 1

Peppercorns 4-6

Salt to taste

Peppercorns, crushed 1/2 tsp

Bread Slices 3-4 for croutons

1. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add bay leaf, peppercorn, sliced onions and sauté until translucent. 
2. Add the chopped garlic and stir-fry briefly. Add carrot roundels and tomatoes, stir-fry for a minute and add three cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes covered with a lid. 
3. Remove it from gas; remove bay leaf and all the other whole garam masala and let it cool down completely and then blend it into a fine puree. 
4. Strain the blended mixture through a strainer. Reserve the liquid. 
5. Add the reserved liquid to the pureed tomatoes and adjust the consistency. 
6. Put it back on gas. Add salt, freshly crushed peppercorns and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Just before serving, add the croutons and serve hot.

For Croutons:- Toast bread pieces into the oven till the time they get golden brown from both sides. No need to apply butter or oil; just toast them and they turn out as crispy as the fried ones.....
Well.....if you want you can always deep-fry them.

Sending this to my own event The Soup Event. 

Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup

I love Sweet Corn Soup period and used to have it many times whenever we used to go to the restaurant. Its such a Creamy, tasty vegetable soup. Why i said I used to have this soup because here in Germany you don't get this soup :-(. Some time back I wanted to have this soup badly, so I started searching for the Cream Style corn tin in a Chinese shop, but guess what; the so called Chinese shop also didn't have the Cream style corn tin.

One fine day my friend here in Germany told me that you can actually make cream style corn at home and use it to make the soup which I thought was not possible at all. But then she made it and showed it to me and that is when I realized that you can actually make it and don't have rely on the so called Chinese shops. Thank you my Friend and now I would like to share the recipe specifically the Cream style corn recipe with you all so that you all can have a Restaurant style Sweet corn Soup at home.

Sweet Corn , cream style150 grams (recipe given below)

Sweet corn kernels, boiled 1/2 cup

Vegetable stock/Water 4-5 cups

Cabbage, finely chopped 1/4 small

Carrot, finely chopped 1/4 medium
Green Peas 1/2 cup 
Garlic - 3-4 cloves finely chopped

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Sugar 1/2tbsp.

Salt to taste

White pepper powder 1/4 tsp.

Spring onion greens, chopped 1  

For Making Cream Style Corn:-

Whole corn- 2-3 

Sugar - 21/2 tbsp.

Salt 1/2 tsp.

Butter- 11/2 tbsp

Corn Flour dissolved in water- 4 tbsp.

1.Scrap the whole corns with the help of Knife along with its juices (Use it along with its juices).

2. Melt butter on a medium heat and and all the other ingredients at one go and keep stirring continuously on a medium heat.

3. It takes about 20 mins. and the mixture becomes thick. Make sure it does not get burned or even should not get brownish colour. Once the mixture become thick remove from Gas and let it cool down completely. The consistency should be same as shown in the picture below.

Cream Style corn is ready to make this delicious soup. You can also store this in the deep Freezer; Once the mixture cools down store it in air tight container and keep the deep Freezer ( not for a long time actually; I kept it for 20 days). So when next time want to make this soup just take the bowl of cream style corn out half n hour before you actually start making the soup.

1.  Heat pan, and saute chopped garlic and saute it till gets the burnt flavour. ( You can avoid this step, I like my soups with garlic flavour)
2. Add cream style sweetcorn, vegetable stock/water and stir. 

3. Add cabbage, carrot, boiled corn, green peas and stir to mix well. Cook for two to three minutes. 
4. Blend cornflour in a little vegetable stock or water and set aside. 
5. Add sugar and salt to the soup and continue to cook. Add white pepper powder and mix. Add the blended cornflour and cook till the soup thickens. 

6. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve piping hot. 

Sending this to my own event The Soup Event. Let me remind you all once again the deadline for this event has been increased upto 11th November 2011. Do rush in your entries.

Also sending this to Aipi's Bookmarked Recipes.

Baked Kofta Biryani

Biryani is one of the most famous rice dishes in the world. Not only the taste, it has lots of variety and different fragrances. In India itself, there are more than 25 to 30 different types of biryanis available.

Biryani comes from Persian word "biryan," which means "fried or roasted" before cooking. I believe the first ever biryani was made in Lucknow.

The best way to make perfect biryani is by "Dum" or "Cooking in steam". Vegetarian Biryani is called Tahiri Biryani.

In this dish, it has mixed vegetable koftas which are usually used in curry; other than that, its a regular method of cooking Biryani.

- For Kofta

2 medium Potato Boiled potatoes, mashed

1 medium Carrot Grated

1 medium Green Capsicum fine chopped

1 Cup Cabbage fine chopped

1 Green Chili, chopped

2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 tsp Chat Masala

1/2 Lemon Juice

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Rice Flour

Oil for Shallow frying

- For Gravy

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Tomatoes, pureed

1 tsp Ginger, grated

1 tbsp Garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chili powder

3/4 tsp Garam Masala

1 tbsp Biryani Masala (optional; if you dont have this increase the quantity of Garam Masala)

4 tbsp Curds

2 Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Bay Leave

2 tbsp Oil

2 tsp Cilantro and Mint, chopped

Salt and sugar to taste

-For Rice

1 cup Basmati Rice

2 Cloves

2 Bay leaves

Juice from half Lemon

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

-Other Ingredients

3 Big onions sliced and deep fried

2 tbsp Mint Leaves, chopped

1/3 Cup Milk

1 tbsp Ghee

1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

A few strands of Saffron (optional)

- Prepare Koftas

1. Combine all the vegetables except potatoes and cook them in the microwave for 4-5 mins (just the way we do it for Manchurian) so that their will be no water content.

2. Once it cools down; mix all the remaining ingredients and prepare medium size koalas.

3. Pre-heat the oven at 200 0 c and Bake the koftas for 25 mins or till they become golden brownish from both sides. Turn the koftas on the other side after 15 mins to make sure that the koftas become golden brown from all sides.

( You can shallow fry/Deep-fry  koftas in a non-stick pan at little oil over medium flame, till both sides are golden brown. Drain and keep aside.)

- Prepare Gravy

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion till they are translucent.

2. Add tomato puree, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and chili powder and cook till the oil

separates.

3. Add garam masala and biryani masala, and sauté for further 2 minutes.

4. Add curds, sugar and salt. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Garnish it with chopped cilantro and keep aside.

- Prepare Rice

1. Clean and wash the rice.

2. In a pan, heat a tsp. of oil add cloves, bay leaves. Just fry them for a min or two and remove from the gas. Keep it aside.

3. In a microwave bowl mix in the Rice and enough water. Add salt, oil, lemon juice and the Whole Garam Masala Tadka. Cook it on microwave high for about 10 mins or till the rice is cooked. Remove from the Microwave and keep aside.

-Assembling the Biryani

1. In a greased microwave bowl (Large), spread the half the rice to form one even layer.

2. Arrange half the Koftas over the rice.

3. Spoon the gravy on top and sprinkle the mint leaves, fried onions.

4. Spread another layer of rice and repeat Step 2 & 3. Again cover it with the last layer of rice.

5. In another pan, combine the milk, ghee, cardamom powder, and saffron, and bring

to a boil.

6. Pour over the layered biryani.

7. Microwave this uncovered for 10 mins on microwave high. After10 mins. remove from the microwave and keep it covered for atleast 5 mins.

8. Serve hot. For the best side dish with Biryani, is Onion raita or any raita. I served it along with Mixed fruit Raita.

Sending this For Complete My Thali Event  originally hosted by Jagruti and guest hosted by Priya.

 

also posting the following links for the above mentioned event:-

1. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/02/tawa-pulao-sanjeev-kapoor-style-street.html

2. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/02/corn-pulao.html

3. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/06/masoor-rice.html

Award Time again..........and announcement

Hi all ! 

I received this lovely awards from my 2 friends Akila and Preeti. Please check out their blogs as they have beautiful collection of dish outs.. Thank you once again....

 After celebration some Rules …..

  

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. 
2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers.  Please don't leave it general and just invite all your blogger friends to collect the Award.  It's always nice to be nominated so please do the favour and nominate 15 bloggers to share the Award with.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they’ve been chosen.
 
I am very much confused to select only 15 among so many blogs….  
Blogs , I have selected are having really wonderful  collection of recipes you must give a look ………

1. Aipi from US Masala 
2. Anjali from Anna ParaBrahma 
3. Siddhi from Cooked Dil se 
4. Sujana from Sujana's World 
5. Madhu from Sweet, Spicy and Sour 
6. Nayna From Simply Food 
7. Malar from Kitchen Tantra 
8. Sharmi from Sharmis Passion  
9. Jagruti from Joy of Cooking 
10.Ramya from Veg Delicacies 
11.Padhu from Padhu's Kitchen 
12.Ragini from Happy, Healthy, Fun cooking 
13.Sushma from Authentic Food Delights 
14.Aparna from Apy Cooking
15.Preeti from Ising Cakes 

and now its a announcement time.............

Hmmm ... I must say I was a bit disappointed to see the responce to my The Soup Event. But I am sure that many of you have read it and are also giving  a good thought to what you can make and send in . So do that people and send in as many entries as you like (Archived entries are absolutely ok). Let me tell you entries have actually started trickling in and  I can see light at the end of the tunnel. And sooo...I am increasing the deadline. Earlier the deadline was 1st November 10..but now its 11th November 10....so people do send in your entries as early as possible...

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/10/2nd-event-announcement_17.html is the link for the original post and other information regarding the event.

Palak Shorba

I bought a bunch of spinach a couple of days back, and I made this yummy low calorie soup (Oh! yes, many soups end up being fattening instead of just appetizing - consider the butter, cream and the cornflour that gets added to flavour and gives the soup a smooth texture!)

Spinach has always been amongst my favourite greens, and this simple soup turned out the perfect antidote for sore throat and cold. I made it for the evening (not dinner) as I really needed something hot to stop the itch in my throat! I have added a lot of pepper as it is comforting on a sore throat in my soup. So Read on for the recipe:-

500 g Spinach (palak), washed, finely chopped

2 tbsp Butter
1 big Onion roughly chopped
1/2 inch Ginger chopped
5-6 cloves Garlic chopped
Whole Garam Masala (Bayleaf, Cinnamon stick, Peppercorn, Clove, Cumin seeds, Black cardamom)Salt & Sugar to taste
a pinch Black pepper powder (freshly crushed)
6 cups Vegetable stock/Water

1. Melt 1 1/2 tbsp. butter in a pot; add whole garam masala and saute it for a minute.
2. Next Add ginger, garlic, and onion and again saute till onion becomes translucent.
3. Now add chopped spinach; saute for a few minutes. Add salt, and sugar. Let the whole thing get cooked for a min. or two.
4. Remove it from the gas and let this mixture cool down completely. Once its done; remove the bay leaf and blend this mixture to a fine puree.
5. Strain it and what you will get is a thick puree.
6. Now melt the remaining 1/2 tbsp. butter and add little bit cumin seed (just for extra flavour) and let them splutter.
7. Next add the strained spinach puree and also add the vegetable stock/ water to make it thin. (Always remember Shorba is never thick like other soups)
8. Adjust salt and add freshly crushed black pepper. Bring it to boil once and remove. Serve hot.

 

This is my 1st entry for my Event "The Soup Event".

Also I am re-posting 2 links for the lovely event "Festive food' hosted at Khaugiri originally announced by Pari.

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/08/narali-bhat-coconut-rice-and-awards.html

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post.html

2nd Event Announcement

The Soup Event

Hi to all my dear Bloggo-buddies. Here in Germany its getting cold . Although it is still Fall, it is slowly giving way to Winter. Back in India winter always means great vegetables . After a hot October, its November that brings with it the best of veg produce.The vegetable vendors have their stalls overfull with delicious red carrots, juicy and plump tomatoes, greenest of beans and the lushest of salad greens. Just looking at all the veggies always makes me go into overdrive and I normally end up buying all sorts of veggies sometimes even those with which I do not know what to do. I guess I still associate winter with fresh vegetables although here in Germany you don't really mark the difference that much.

Fall : The most colourful and vibrant season of the four. The air is cold and crisp and Nature shows off it's most flamboyant side. It fills me with joy. Makes me want to be a child again and go frolicking in the multi-coloured leaves scattered all over the walkways....reminds me of YRF films...  ;-)

The Soups you will see here is the perfect celebration of Autumn. It's the perfect food on a cold October night with warm crusty bread. So get ready for the event.....
 

Event is open to Bloggers and Non-bloggers. Send me your entries with photographs from 18^th October 2010  at chaitralipathak@gmail.com till 1st November 2010. Non-bloggers please do not hesitate to participate.  Mail me your entries with or without photographs.  Please also include your name, name of your dish and its URL, your blogname with bloglink.  In your posts feel free to use the picture above as a logo and link your post to this post on I-m-not-a Chef so that more and more people can participate.

I am waiting for your entries. Hurry up its only for 15 days....!!

Rules of the event are very simple:-

1. Soups could be Veg and Non-Veg both

2. I would appreciate if you could use the Logo in you post; as it will help me spread the word.

3. Send me your recipe with a photo on chaitralipathakatgmaildotcom

4. Also send me a link to the recipe from your blog

5. Link your post to this post.

6. Non -Bloggers are welcome too. Just type out your recipe and mail it to me on the above email- id. Send along a photograph too if you can.

   

Last date for sending in recipes is 1st November 2010. So you have a only 15 days to come up with your best recipe ever.

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/search/label/Soups - You can check out few of my archived post for Soups.

Roundup will be posted in November 1st week.

Mixed Fruit Raita

Fruit raita is a refreshing condiment which goes really well with any spicy gravy/curry dishes and with rice dishes. I had prepared this along with Shahi Paneer. You can use any fruits (Usually sweet and sour) like Pear, Mango, Pomegranate, Apple, Banana, Peach etc. or any other fruits of you choice.  It is a delicious, quick condiment which will make your food more palateble. 

I wouldn't be giving any proportions here as you can add any quantity of the fruit you like the most.  I had canned pineapple, mango slices, lychees; then I had some apples, some raspberries, some grapes lying in my refrigerator which I used to make this delicious raita. 

This one is very simple to prepare:-

First, chop these fruit into small pieces and then add them to beaten yogurt. To spice up the raita, add roasted cumin powder,  red chili flakes(optional), mint leaves, sugar and little salt . Garnish it with mint leaves and serve chilled.

Shahi Paneer (Restaurant Style) and Repost Links

Hello! friends... How about having a restaurant style Shahi Paneer in your dinner menu?? I always loved this dish very much so I treated myself with some Paneer in a creamy gravy tonight. The non-melting attribute and meat like texture of Paneer is favored by all vegetarians and is a very good substitute for meat in many dishes.
So here's a simple paneer recipe called "Shahi Paneer" that you can easily make at home!

Tastes great the following day too!

Cottage cheese (paneer) 400 grams

Onion , quartered 2 large

Oil 2 tbsp

Cloves 3

Black peppercorns 4-5

Cinnamon 2 one inch sticks

Bay leaf 1

Green chillies, slit 2

Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp

Cashewnut paste 1/4 cup

Yogurt 1/2 cup

Cream 1/2 cup

Saffron a pinch (optional)

Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp.

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Green cardamom powder 1/4 tsp.

1. Cut the paneer into half inch wide pieces. 

2. Boil the onions in quarter cup of water. Drain and allow to cool. Grind to a fine paste. 

3. Heat the oil, add all the khada garam masala and sauté till fragrant. 

4. Add the green chillies and boiled onion paste and sauté this for 3-4 minutes on low heat so it does not get coloured. 

5. Add ginger-garlic paste and continue to sauté for half a minute. Add the cashewnut paste and sauté for another 2 minutes. 

6. Add the yogurt and sauté till all the water from the yogurt gets absorbed. 

7. Stir in the cream, saffron(optional) and garam masala powder, sugar and salt to taste. 

8. Add the paneer and stir gently to mix. Sprinkle green cardamom powder and serve hot along with Roti/Naan/Rice.

Sending this into Pari's FLAVOURS OF PUNJAB Event originally hosted by Nayna at Nayna’s space.

Also re-posting 4 more links for Akila's Dish Name Starts with: C

1. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/03/coconut-cake-eggless.html

2. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/06/corn-flakes-chaat.html

3. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/09/cornflakes-chivda.html

4. http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/02/corn-pulao.html

"Combo Meal" Event Round-Up

OK People ! Thanks a ton for being ever so patient while I was rounding -up all the gorgeous and lip-smacking  that were sent by you all to make "Combo Meal" a super duper success. I was surprised to see different different versions of Chole-Bhature and I must admit here that I was not very happy about certain entries as they don't exactly fall under Combo meal category. Never mind, I just thought to let it go this time as this is my first event and I could not deny any of these yummy looking dishes. I have lined up all the recipes below. My contribution to the event is at the very end of this post. Hope you like it. Thanks once again for your very enthusiastic response. So without much further delay... njoy the Round up.
I will take the liberty of posting the round-up with my entries into this event as first and last. So here goes my first entry:-

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/09/thank-you-card-and-my-first-event.html


 Now njoy the round-up

1. http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/07/chhole-bhature.html

 2. http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/09/potato-jackfruit-aloo-kathal-curry-with.html
 

 3. http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/09/vada-pav.html

4. http://usmasala.blogspot.com/2010/10/shahi-paneer-with-cumin-rice.html


 

5.  http://hamareerasoi.blogspot.com/2010/09/jeera-rice-with-chole.html

 

 6.  http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/monsoon-special-chole-batura.html
 

 
7. http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/2010/08/bohri-paneer-and-stuffed-onion-kulcha.html
                                                      

8.  http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-oil-chana-masala-and-instant-whole.html

9. http://cooking-goodfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/sprouted-masoor-pilaf-and-restaurant.html

10. http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/gujarati-kichadi-with-kadhi.html
 

11. http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/creamy-cottage-cheese-curry-with.html
 

 12. http://eatvegetarianbehealthy.blogspot.com/2010/09/crunchy-quesadilla-with-beans-and.html

13. http://eatvegetarianbehealthy.blogspot.com/2010/09/paper-roast-masala-dosai-masala-crepe.html

14. http://santoshbangar.blogspot.com/2010/09/kidney-beans-rajma-and-rice-palve.html

15. http://akilaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/chicken-tikka.html

16.  http://akilaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/vegetable-briyani.html

17. http://leckerandyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/squid-manchurian.html

 18. http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/batata-nu-shaak-with-doodhi-thepla.html
 

19. http://superyummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/mushroom-in-hot-garlic-sauce-with-fried.html

20.  http://santoshbangar.blogspot.com/2010/08/kachori-aloo-ki-sabji-with-curd-dipped.html

21.  http://worldofsujana.blogspot.com/2010/10/mixed-vegetable-paratha-with-onion-mint.html
 

22.  http://riappyayan.blogspot.com/2010/09/peas-pulao-with-curry-leaves-and.html

 23.  http://riappyayan.blogspot.com/2010/09/combo-menu-balt-dhal-with-spring-onions.html

 24.  http://eatvegetarianbehealthy.blogspot.com/2010/09/pav-bhaji.html

 25. http://roshanscucina.blogspot.com/2010/10/tomato-pilaf-with-mughlai-chicken.html

26.  http://isingcakes.wordpress.com/category/sweet-n-savoury/vegetarian/


and now as I said earlier in this post...I will end up this with my post. so here it is...

http://i-m-not-a-chef.blogspot.com/2010/10/2nd-entry-in-combo-meal.html


All of you pls. accept this Thank you Card for participating and making this event successful.