Tomato Spagetti Soup

 The soup I am about to share is so easy to make. I avoided additives and even managed to control my urge to add some chicken. I am glad I didn’t add anything meaty to it, honestly, it tasted so good, just the way it is. Now for the recipe…

Ingredients

• 20ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 clove garlics, crushed
• 540ml (19fl oz) can diced  tomatoes
• 80ml (⅓ cup) crushed tomato or 3 tablespoons tomato paste blended with 2 tablespoons water
• 1000-1500ml (4-6 cups, 1-1½ quarts) vegetable broth (non-vegetarians can use chicken/beef broth)
• 1-2 cups cooked pasta (al dente), kept warm (I used Barilla 5-minute spaghettini, broken into thirds before cooking)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Hot sauce for serving or 2 teaspoons finely chopped chilies (optional)

1. Heat oil in a pan (pot) over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato puree or paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add  750ml (3 cups) broth, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add  cooked spaghetti and cook for a further 2-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and ladle soup into bowls topped with green onions (and chilies if using or some hot sauce). If the soup is too thick add more stock.

Clear Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Water • 6 Onions (large, peeled and sliced) • 2 tbsp Butter • 4 slices Bread (toasted, cut in halves) • Salt (to taste) • Pepper (to taste)

 

How to make Clear Onion Soup:

•	Take a frying pan and put butter in it. Let it melt.
•	Add onions and fry until they turn brown.
•	Add salt, pepper and water.
•	Cover the lid and let it boil for 15 minutes.
•	Take out the soup in bowls.
•	And add 2 pieces of toasted bread in each soup bowl. Serve hot!!

Broccoli Cream Soup

Broccoli Cream Soup

This simple soup is on the table in less than half an hour. Serve with plenty of buttered toast.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 250ml/8¾fl oz chicken or vegetable stock (more if necessary)
• 200g/7oz broccoli florets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• drizzle cream, to serve

Preparation method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes.
   
2. Pour the chicken or vegetable stock into the pan and add the broccoli florets.
   
3. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
   
4. Season to taste, then transfer to a liquidizer. Blend until smooth.
   
5. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and drizzle with cream to serve.
   

Broccoli Cream Soup

Mushroom Soup

This homemade cream of mushroom soup is a quick and simple soup which can prepared in 10 mins, its rich and creamy texture makes everyone to fall in love with it....

Ingredients

White button mushrooms( thickly sliced)- 1 packet

White pepper powder- required

Nutmeg powder- few pinches

Cream- 1/4 cup(Optional)

Salt to taste

Butter- 2 tbsp

Ingredients for white sauce( Basic white sauce recipe)

Butter- 4 tbsp

All purpose flour/ Maida- 4 tbsp

Milk- 3 cups( at room temperature)

Method

In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat 4 tbsp butter.

When butter starts melting add flour and fry flour for few secs on medium heat( make sure the flour is not burned).

When flour smell rises start adding milk slowly and whisk continuously until smooth and semi thick sauce is formed. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

In another sauce pan heat 2 tbsp butter, when butter starts melting add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for few secs and set aside.

Now add the sautéed mushroom to the prepared white sauce, season with nutmeg powder, white pepper powder and salt. Return pan to heat and adjust soup thickness by adding cream and more milk, check the seasoning. 

When soup starts to boil, transfer hot soup to bowls and serve.

Kari thanni/ Mutton soup

My mom is the first inspiration for cooking. Next is ma Patti ( Dad's Amma). .It is from her I learned all the basics and almost all the recipes. She herself was self taught, experimenting and collecting recipes from friends, relatives and anyone whenever she came across a tasty dish. And even after 60 years of experience in the kitchen, she does not seem to lose curiosity. . She made all my favourite dishes and I decided to share few of them with you. So starting with this MUTTON SOUP recipe, stay tuned as i will be sharing many more of Patti's cooking (exclusively cooked by her)...Hope you will enjoy trying out some.

Kari thanni/ Mutton soup

This soup is a always a sunday breakfast at our home. Its spicy and tangy made in south Indian style with onions, tomatoes and whole lot of spices. Bowl of hot soup during a rainy day is heavenly. And its a good home remedy for common cold too ;) 

Serves 4

You Will Need:

250g Mutton Bones from Ribs 

2 Medium Sized Onions, Chopped

2 Tomatoes, Chopped

2 Green Chilies, Slit

1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Pepper Powder

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

Few Curry Leaves

Little Chopped Coriander Leaves

A litre of Water

2 tbsp Gingelly Oil

Salt to Taste

The Cooking:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds, curry leaves, onion, tomato, chilli and ginger garlic paste. Give it a quick stir and add the mutton along with turmeric powder. Cook for 2 - 3 mins and add pepper powder, cumin powder, salt and coriander powder. Simmer for 2 mins. Then add a litre of water, mix and cook till 5 - 6 whistles. 

Serve hot with lemon wedge. 

Note: I like to strain the soup, but you can also have it as it is. 

Chettinad Kozhi Rasam(Chicken Rasam)

Chettinad Kozhi Rasam(Chicken Rasam)

 Kozhi Rasam is very popular in chettinad. This rasam made in temples like Kali Kovil during Poosai Poduthal when they sacrifice kozhi or kadai will be very tasty .Last time when We went home during summer holidays my daughter and myself got a chance to taste this rasam in a poosai in the local Kali Kovil. The taste of which I can’t describe in words. My daughter from that day is going on asking me to prepare this rasam. This Rasam though spicy is an excellent home remedy for common cold. The cold will vanish the next day. I got the recipe for the rsam from the people who cooked in the temple itself. As they were cooking large quantities they were not able to provide exact measurements. I prepared the rasam two or three times and got an idea of the measurements and got ready to share the recipe with you people
 
IngredientsChicken (bony pieces)-250 gms
Chopped pearl onion-15
Tomato-1
Chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon

Chettinad Kozhi Rasam(Chicken Rasam)

Ingredients (to grind) (Rasam powder)Pepper corns-1 teaspoon
Small jeera -1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Corriander powder-1 teaspoon
Red chillies-2
Small onion-4
Garlic-5
ProcedureWash the chicken nicely. Pressure cook the chicken along with the minced onion, tomatoes and chili powder adding 5 cups of water. Add the turmeric powder and half the salt needed. Wait for a whistle and then simmer the flame. Cook for another 8 minutes and switch off the stove.
Prepare rasam powder by grinding fennel seeds, pepper corn, small jeera and chilies first. Once they are powdered nicely add the coriander powder. Grind once. Now add the garlic and onion and grind together without adding water.
Open the cooker. Strain the rasam and keep aside.
Now keep the kadai in the stove.In ½ teaspoon oil season the rasam with ½ teaspoon of small jeera and curry leaves. Pour the rasam into the kadai. Add the rasam powder and the salt needed. Bring the rasam to a nice boil and switch off the stove.
The strained out chicken pieces can be added to the chicken fry if you prepare one separately in the final stage and mixed well or you can fry the pieces with little onion, tomatoes and chili powder.
The rasam can be garnished with coriander leaves while serving