Monday, October 19, 2009

Tomato Soup

The Receipes I write in these blogs are tried by me many times and come out quite well.
Ingredietns:

  1. Ripe Tomatoes 1 kg
  2. Onion 1,or if big 1/2
  3. Garlic 1 small (optional)
  4. Carrot 1 small bit (optional)
  5. Elachi or Cardomom few pods
  6. Cinnamon stick 2 inch bit
  7. Cloves few
  8. Black Peppers few
  9. Cumin seeds or Jeera 1 t spoon
  10. Jeera powder 1 t spoon
  11. Coriander seed powder 1 t spoon
  12. Chilli powder 1 t spoon
  13. Turmeric powder 1/2 t spoon
  14. Sugar 1/2 t spoon
  15. Pepper powder 1 t spoon
  16. Salt to taste
  17. oil 1 to 2 tspoons
  18. Maida (all purpose flour) 1 tablespoon
  19. Butter 1 to 2 tspoon
  20. Milk 1/2 cup
  21. lemon 1/2 (juice extracted without seeds)
Method:
Cut the onions.
Take a Thick bottomed vessel and add the oil. when the oil gets heated put the jeera, pepper, cloves, elachi, cinnamon stick and fry for a few minutes. Add the cut onions and garlic. when the onions turn light brown , cut and add the tomatoes and the carrot bit. add jeera powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Now add 6 to 8 cups of water. keep the vessel closed and let it boil for 1/2 an hour. when the tomatoes are fully cooked and the water level has reduced, switch off stove.
Cool this and strain it through a metalic strainer. Strain it very well till all the juice comes out of the tomatoes and the other ingredients. now sqeeze the half lemon add the lemon juice after removing the seeds.
This base can be kept in fridge for a week or so.
When you want to serve the soup, take out the required quantity of soup and add milk. (For one kg of tomatoes 1/2 cup of milk will be needed. if less quantity of soup is to be served add less milk.)
Take kadai heat the butter add the maida. Stir it well and add the soup to the maida so that the soup gets thickened. Make sure there are no lumps of maida and the soup has a smooth texture.
Serve it hot adding fried bread crumps which can be fried separately and kept in a closed container so as to add when ever it is needed.
Fresh Cream can also be added while serving on top of the hot soup.
Pepper powder and salt can be added as per taste from the dispensers.

Variation for added taste:
Cut a small piece of Pumpkin and add it when you add the carrots in the soup.  Then when you strain the soup after it is cooled down  you will get a thicker soup.  when you strain the  soup if you can not get the whole juice out of the mixture , just blend  it in a mixer and then strain  so that  it can be strained fully.