ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients

Tomatoes, roughly chopped 6 medium Carrots, roughly chopped 2 medium Mascarpone cheese 4 tablespoons Onion , sliced 1 medium Oil 1 tablespoon Garlic, sliced 4 cloves Salt to taste Black peppercorns 4-6 Vegetable stock 2 cups Rice flour 1 tablespoon Basil leaves 5-6 Extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon

Method

Roast the onion slices on a grill over open flame. Cut two tomatoes into large chunks and remove the pulp and seeds. Roast the tomato chunks on the grill over open flame. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and sauté. Chop the remaining tomatoes along with the pulp roughly. When the garlic turns golden, add chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat. Add salt, black peppercorns and mix. Turn the onion and tomato pieces on the grill so that they get roasted on the other side too. Add vegetable stock to the pan along with the roasted onion and tomato pieces. Mix rice flour with a little water so that there are no lumps and add to the pan. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are completely done. Strain. Cool slightly and pour into a mixer. Add half the basil leaves and blend into a puree. Add the strained liquid and mix. Bring to a boil again. Pour into a soup bowl. Shape the mascarpone cheese between two tablespoons. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the soup. Place the mascarpone cheese, garnish with remaining basil leaves and serve piping hot.

PUMPKIN AND TOMATO SOUP

Creamy, nourishing soup…excellent way to present pumpkin! Preparation Time : 10-15 minutes Cooking Time : 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu), peeled and sliced 900 grams Tomatoes, cut into roundels 5-6 medium Olive oil 2 tablespoons Onion , quartered 2 small Garlic, peeled 5-6 cloves Salt to taste White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon Fresh cream 1/2 cup

Method

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add pumpkin, onion and garlic. Stir and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add salt and stir. Once the vegetables are well roasted puree them in a blender along with tomatoes and sufficient water to make a smooth puree. Transfer the puree into a pan and heat. Add white pepper powder and mix. Cook for eight to ten minutes. Pass the mixture through a soup strainer and reheat the soup. Add cream and serve piping hot.

CHEESY MACARONI

Macaroni in cheesy white sauce

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 15-25 minutes

Ingredients

Macaroni 300 grams

Processed cheese, grated 1 cup

Butter 2 tablespoons

Refined flour (maida) 2 tablespoons

Milk 2 cups

Salt to taste

White pepper powder to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon

Method

Boil macaroni in sufficient water till al dente. Drain and refresh under running water. Drain and set aside. Heat butter in a pan. Add maida and saute lightly, taking care that it does not change color. Add milk, gradually, stirring continuously so that there are no lumps formed. Add grated cheese and keep stirring. After adding cheese the sauce will thicken further, so add more milk to adjust the consistency. Add salt, white pepper powder and mix. Heat some butter in another pan. Add macaroni. Toss. Strain the sauce into this pan and mix gently. Add some more cheese. At this stage if you want to bake you can do so till the cheese at the top becomes a light golden. Or serve it just like that. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

MUSHROOM CAPPUCCIO SOUP

A tasty mushroom soup with some milk and vegetable stock. Preparation Time : 10 minutes Cooking Time : 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Mushrooms 15 large Butter 1 tablespoon Bay leaf 1 Onion , chopped 1 small Garlic, chopped 4-6 cloves Vegetable stock 4 cups Salt to taste White pepper powder 1/4 teaspoon Cream 3/4 cup Milk, chilled 2 cups Cinnamon powder 1 teaspoon

Method

Clean, wash and thickly slice mushrooms. Melt butter in a heavy bottom pan, add bay leaf, onion and garlic and sauté for two to three minutes or till onion becomes translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté for a minute. Add one cup of vegetable stock and cook for five more minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Remove bay leaf. Make puree of the cooked mushrooms. Add the remaining vegetable stock to it. Return to heat and bring it to a boil, add salt and white pepper powder and simmer the soup for two to three minutes. Add the cream and remove from heat. Place soup in individual cups. In a chilled bowl take the chilled milk and beat it with a fork. This will develop froth in it which can be collected with a ladle and placed on the hot mushroom soup giving it a cappuccino affect. Sprinkle cinnamon powder and serve.

Lamb trotter soup

Preparation Time : 18 minutes

Cooking Time : 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Lamb trotters (paya)	8-12
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Tomato	1 medium
Sambhar onions	10
Ginger	1 inch piece
Garlic	4-6 cloves
Green chillies	2
Fresh coriander leaves	1/2 bunch
Curry leaves	10-12 leaves
Coconut, scraped	1/2 cup
Star anise	2
Bay leaves	2
Cinnamon	1 inch stick
Asafoetida	1/4 teaspoon
Sesame oil (til oil)	4 tablespoons
Lemon juice	1 tablespoon
Masala powder
Whole dry red chillies	4
Fennel seeds (saunf)	1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds	1 tablespoon
Black peppercorns	1/2 teaspoon

Method

Scrub, clean and wash trotters thoroughly and drain. Boil the trotters in sufficient water with one fourth teaspoon turmeric powder, salt. Blanch the trotters over rapid heat for five minutes, remove and wash. This will remove the dirt from the trotters. Peel and wash sambar onions. Wash and roughly chop tomatoes. Peel and chop ginger and garlic together roughly. Remove stems, wash and slit green chillies. Clean, wash and finely chop coriander and curry leaves. Grind scraped coconut in one-cup warm water, squeeze and extract thick coconut milk and reserve. Dry roast masala items and pound to a coarse powder Heat oil in a vessel add star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon and fry till the flavor is released. Add the trotters and sauté till light brown. Add ginger, garlic, sambar onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Keep stirring. Sprinkle the masala powder, remaining turmeric powder and asafoetida and continue cooking. Add the chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh coriander, salt and about two liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least four to six hours. The soup quantity should have reduced by half by now. Remove the trotters carefully and keep aside. Strain the soup, pressing the residue to extract all the flavors. Reheat the soup, add coconut milk, check seasoning and serve piping hot poured over the trotters with a lemon wedge.