Gosht Shorba (Spicy Meat Soup)

Shorba is a spicy version of the soup.

Just add sliced onion, ginger, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and the usual whole spices in meat and cook.

My husband loves to eat Meat Shorba with pieces of Roti dipped in it during cold winter days.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Lamb meat with bone, washed and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp curry powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-5 cloves
• A small piece of cinnamon
• 4-5 green cardamoms
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium size onions cut in halves
• 2 green chilies
• 1” piece of ginger
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp mint leaves
• 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp garam masala powder

Method:

• Heat the butter in a pressure cooker at medium high heat. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms and cumin seeds and sauté for few seconds.
• Now stir in ginger garlic paste, curry powder and meat pieces; fry for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
• Add onion halves, whole green chilies, ginger piece, mint leaves and half of the coriander leaves.
• Pour in about 4-5 cups of water and pressure cook until the meat is very tender and almost falls off the bone (the time depends on the cut and type of meat you are using).
• Once the meat is tender add lemon juice, garam masala powder and remaining coriander leaves.
• Taste and add salt and green chilies if required. Add water to obtain your desired consistency.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti (Indian Flat Bread) or bread.

Do You Know?

Congee is popular in many Asian countries. It can be considered as a porridge or thick soup made of boiled rice. It can be eaten or served with a side dish also.

In many Asian cultures, it is also called Kanji (Tamil/Malayalam/Tulu), Ganji (Kannada/ Hindi), Ghanji (Telugu).

In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper. It is often considered particularly suitable for the sick as a mild, easily digestible food.

Dal Shorba (Red Lentil Soup)

Dal shorba is a delicious and nutritious Red Lentil Soup. Adding fresh coriander leaves, lemon juice and asafetida seasoning in the end enhances the flavor of this mild legume.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Dhuli Masoor Dal (Red Lentil)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion sliced
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 green chilies chopped
• ¼ tsp red chili powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• Black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice
• ½ tsp of cumin seeds
• pinch of asafetida for seasoning
• 3 tbsp butter
• Fried onion and butter to garnish

Method:

• Heat one tbsp of ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat and sauté garlic cloves, bay leaf, and chopped onions till turn pink. Add chopped tomato, chopped green chilies, salt and red chili powder and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf and add washed Masoor Dal along with 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 5-6 minutes.
• When cold, blend it in a blender and then pass through a sieve. Add more water according to the required consistency and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add black pepper powder and chopped coriander leaves. Adjust salt as per the taste.
• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a small pan, add cumin seeds. When they stop spluttering, add asafetida and pour the seasoning over the simmering soup.
• Drizzle lemon juice. Garnish with some more butter, fried onion and few cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Mixed Vegetable Soup

Serve this nutritive flavorful soup with croutons and a salad. Use frozen vegetables for quick preparation.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped beans
• ½ peas shelled
• 1 cup crushed tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp wheat flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (optional)
• 4-5 cups of water
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of salt
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Melt 1 tbsp butter; fry garlic cloves and wheat flour till it is little pink; add crushed tomato, carrots, beans, peas, onion and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 5-6 minutes.
• When cold, blend and pass through a sieve. Add chicken stock and more water according to the required consistency and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper powder and chopped coriander leaves.
• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a small pan, add cumin seeds. When they stop spluttering, add asafetida and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the simmering soup.
• Serve hot with crouton.

Do You Know?

A crouton is a small piece of sauteed or rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add texture and flavor to salads and as an accompaniment to soups, or eaten as a snack food. The word crouton is derived from the French croûton, itself derived from croûte, meaning "crust".

Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a special type of ‘soup’ prepared regularly in South India mostly from Lentils. It is both spicy and sour.

Different brands of Rasam powders are available in market. Just mix dal stock and Rasam powder with tomato soup and season it with asafetida …..Rasam is ready.

Rasam is nutritious; it can be had as a soup or can be eaten along with Rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups crushed canned or fresh tomatoes

• 1 cup dal stock or ¼ cup toovar dal

• ¼ tsp asafetida

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt to taste

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• 2 cloves of garlic crushed fine

• 7-8 curry leaves

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 6-7 cups of water

• Rasam masala:

• 1½ tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 2 dry red chilies broken in to half

Method:

• Prepare Rasam powder: Roast peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chilies on medium heat, without oil, for one minute. Grind them into masala powder.

• Prepare dal stock: Pressure cook ¼ cup toovar dal with two cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder for ten minutes. Mash well when soft. Use as dal stock.

• Prepare tomato soup: In a pan add crushed tomato, crushed garlic, 4 cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from fire, strain to remove seeds and skin.

• Mix Rasam powder, dal stock, tomato soup and 2 cups of water; boil and simmer for 5 minutes in a pan on medium heat.

• Prepare seasoning: Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add asafetida and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the Rasam. Remove from fire and leave the pan closed for 5-10 minutes.

• Mix in lemon juice. Garnish with chopped coriander. If required heat it again and serve it piping hot in cups.

Do You Know?

In Tamil, 'Rasam' means Juice. It can refer to any juice but simply Rasam commonly referred to the one prepared with Tamarind/Tomato juice with added spices.

Historically, it was prepared mainly with black pepper and tamarind, both ingredients native to and abundant in South India in general.

There are different kinds of Rasams, varying by ingredient. Lemon Rasam, Meriyala/Milagu (Pepper) Rasam, Neem flower Rasam, Ginger Rasam, Garlic Rasam, Pineapple Rasam, Parupu (Dal) Rasam etc.