Rich Tomato Soup

A hot soup with garlic bread on the side can really brighten up a dull evening!
Wednesday is our “Soup Day” at home. So, look forward to some healthy soup recipes !
Tomato Soup is everyone’s favorite. It is a cook’s delight as it is very hard to get it wrong!
Someone said “ Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor. “
Senti stuff – but still very true...
I truly enjoy making and eating soup !
The aroma that fills your kitchen when the lightly flavoured soup is simmering in a pot on your stove top – mmmm…I just love it....
One of those rare dishes – that is simple, healthy and yet very very deli.cio.us
Go ahead and make this one for your family.
But then, at the end don’t forget to add the secret ingredient – A dash of love .

Makes 4 servings (large)
Ingredients
5 ripe tomatoes (medium size, use the egg shaped ones, if you like it more tangy , use a mix of round and egg shaped ones)
1 medium sized carrot (diced)
1 medium sized onion (chopped fine)
2 teaspoons butter (or refined oil)
1 inch cinnamon
2 cardamom
1 tsp pepper powder
4 tsp sugar(or as per your taste)
Salt to taste
Method

1. Heat the butter in a pan and add the chopped onion. Sauté till light brown.
2. Add the spices and carrots
3. Quarter the tomatoes and add them
4. Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook it nicely
5. Once cooled , skin the tomatoes and remove the spices.We want it lightly
flavoured not strong
6. Blend the mixture fine.
7. Bring it to boil and add sugar, salt, pepper
8. Serve hot with Garlic bread or dinner rolls

Crispy Rice Ribbons

Sinful Indulgence – Blame it on your Basic Instinct!
Recently, one of our friends was seriously telling us that humans have a innate tendency to eat fried stuff. He was citing from a study that said : Early humans never knew when and where their next meal came from – so the instinct was to eat fried stuff as it allows you to store energy for a long time. I just loved this theory ! No! I am not poking holes in this one (though I do it for all other theories that I read about!). This suits me fine, just fine enough to savour my crispy rice ribbons.
I strongly urge you to believe in this theory and indulge once in a while!

Crispy Rice Ribbons

Ingredients
2 cups Rice flour
1 cup fried gram/hurigadale flour
I prefer this to besan
2 tsp ginger (grated)
3 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp hot oil
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method
Sift the flours together.
Add sesame seeds, ginger, chilli powder, salt and mix well.
Add the hot oil, mix well.
Take a little of this mixture , knead this into a dough with little water.
Ensure the batter does not become too loose.
Put this into the press with the ribbon disc(vertical stripes)
Press it in hot oil. Take it out when it is golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Repeat this for the entire mixture.

This surprisingly does not take too much time.
For this measure it takes roughly 20-30 mins.