Pumpkin carrot soup

A classic!

Pumpkin - 2 cups diced

Carrot - 1 cup diced

Onion - 1 large

Garlic - 4 cloves

Celery - 1 stick

Salt - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Rosemary - 1/2 tsp

Thyme - 1/2 tsp

Chilli flakes - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Chop the onion, garlic and celery 

Heat the oil and butter in a thick bottomed vessel. I used a pressure cooker as it saves time.

Add the onion, garlic and celery to this.

Sauté on a low flame for 5 minutes till onion turns transparent.

Add the diced pumpkin and carrot to this.

Sauté for 5 minutes on a low flame.

Add the mixed spices.

Mix well and add the milk and water.

Looks beautiful, doesn't it?

Pressure cook for 2 whistles and reduce flame for 10 minutes.

If you are using an open vessel, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour. Open every 10 minutes, give a stir and add water, if necessary. Cook till vegetables get tender.

When the vegetables are cooked, it is not going to look 'pretty'.

Use a stick blender to break the vegetables down and to get a homogenous mixture.

Boil soup again. Add more water to loosen up the soup if too thick. Check seasoning.

Serve hot. 

I served the soup with sautéed mushroom and whole wheat garlic flat bread.

Super easy brownie

When chocolate cake craving is at its highest, then there is only one thing to do. Bake one. Or buy one.

What if your craving could be satiated in 4 minutes??

Super easy - super tasty recipe. 

You do need a microwave safe mug. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour/maida

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp oil

3 tbsp water

Put the measured dry powders into the cup.

Now add 2 tbsp oil. I used olive oil. Vegetable oil works fine too.

Then 3 tbsp water.

Mix thoroughly.

Consistency...

Microwave high (100% power) for 1 min 40 sec.

Enjoy your brownie! How easy is that?

Good Food Dal

Amazingly easy and very tasty. Much loved here at home.

We call it 'good food dal' as I got the recipe from the December 2013 issue of Good Food magazine. 

Of course I had to change something. Their recipe asked us to use chana dal. I usually use Turdal.

But you do need to have sweet chutney made from dates at home.

Find recipe here.

Tur dal / arhar / toovar parippu - 1 cup

Salt 

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 pinch

Green chilli - 2, chopped

Garnish:

Onion - 1 tbsp per bowl

Coriander leaf - 1 tbsp per bowl

Date chutney - 1 tbsp per bowl

(http://www.globalvegcooking.com/2011/10/sweet-chutney.html)

Pressure cook Turdal in ample water till well cooked. ( 2 whistles + 5 minutes on medium flame)

Mash the dal well. Boil for 5 minutes in an open vessel with salt and turmeric powder.

The dal must not be too thick or too watery.

Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter the jeera.

Turn off flame and add the cut green chillies.

Then add the chilli powder.

Now mix this with the dal.

Done. That is it.

When you are ready to serve,reheat dal. Take a bowl and serve 1-1/2 ladles of dal.

Top with 1 tbsp chopped onion.

Followed by 1 tbsp sweet chutney.

Last decorate with 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaf.

Soo easy to make, isn't it? 

Do try with hot poorie.

Appam

Appam is a very important part of Kerala cuisine. A great breakfast dish. Crisp lacy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle.

Recipe for around 15 - 18 appams is given below.

White rice - 2 cups

Coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Yeast - 1/2 tsp

Cooked rice - 4 tbsp

( I used brown. Using white rice gives a whiter batter)

Salt - 1 tsp

Wash and soak the white rice I water for 2 hours.

Drain the rice and add all the ingredients - except salt and make a fine paste with ample water. Do not make the batter very thin.

Transfer into a tall container as the batter will rise.

Keep aside for 4 - 5 hrs. 

Just before making the appam add the salt to batter.

Mix well.

Heat an appam chatti or kadai with lid.

Do not oil the kadai too much. I use a non stick kadai.

Pour a ladle of batter in the middle of the kadai and twirl.

Cook covered for 1 minute. After a minute the edges would have become crisp and the middle cooked. Notice the holes in the middle.

Do not turn the appam over. Appam tends to stick to one other if placed one on top of other. So spread out on the plate.

Serve hot with kadala curry or stew or mushroom coconut milk curry.