Creamy & Hearty Vegetable Soup

This recipe is very close to my heart. As you must all be aware by now - I don't eat my veggies very easily! if we had a pet dog.. i'd be the one slipping it my share of veggies under the dining table. This soup is one dish however, where I eat my share of veggies without complaining and even go for a second and a third serving. I had this soup for the first time in one of my close friend's house. This friend's mom is a wonderful cook and she used to cook very healthy and delicious meals for us when we were kids. I have learnt quite a few tricks from her which I use till date. Every time I had food at their place, she used to keep pointing out I don't eat enough veggies. So, this one time I had gone to her house, and for lunch she made this soup and a few other things. I was like "wow! This soup is amazing. It tastes like the creamy tomato soups they serve in the restaurants". I asked her for the recipe and she was dodging till I finished eating my meal and she listed all the veggies in the soup - beet root (how did I eat a dish that had beetroot in it!), cauliflower with its thick stem!!, beans, peas e.t.c ( I fainted after the first few vegetables and hence stopped listening ).I must say that this soup is one of the best soups I have had till date!.

This recipe is very simple to execute. Even bachelors without a blender/mixie can make this. And this is a perfect dish to get rid of those leftover vegetables in the fridge, with which you were wondering what to do!

I would like to dedicate this post to my dear friend, Vilasini and her Mom.

Before we go to the recipe I'd like to apologise for the crappy pictures!!. I was hungry so I din't pay too much attention to the pictures or recruit my even hungrier husband for the clicks!!. By the time I got to it, it was too late to click more :P, the soup was over by then!

Recipe source: My friend's mom


Ingredients:
You do not have to chop the vegetables finely or in neat shapes (phew!!!!!). Just roughly chop them.


2-3 Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion
2 Carrots
4-5 Cloves of Garlic (more or less as per taste)
2-3 Green Chillies (more or less as per taste)
Apart from these you can  add any vegetables you like: Beetroot, Cauliflower, Beans, Peas e.t.c. Do not add too fibrous vegetables though! - 1/4th cup of each vegetable.
Corn Starch - 1 tsp 


Salt to taste
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Chilly Powder (add as needed) - optional
Few Sprigs Of Fresh Basil Leaves (even the dried leaves work) - Optional
Butter - As generous as you feel  ;) - Optional
Heavy Cream- Highly recommended!!!, But again, an optional addition.

• In a pressure cooker pressure cook the vegetables with water in the container. And enough water in the pressure cooker. You do not want a burnt vegetable soup!. Alternately, you can use a large stock pot with a lid to cook the vegetables if you don't have a pressure cooker.
• Cook for a good 3-4 whistles. Since we have added an assortment of vegetables here we need to ensure that all the vegetables are cooked. No problem if some of them turn extra mushy. 
• Once the steaming is over. open the cooker and set the container aside to cool.
• Once the vegetable medley has cooled down. Process it in a blender / Mixer.( This is optional, though. You can omit this step if you prefer a chunky soup. In that case you can just mash the steamed vegetables with the back of your spatula or a masher). Do use all the water from the steaming as they contain vital nutrients from the veggies.

• Pour this vegetable mixture into a medium- large saucepan. Add salt and chilly powder if you like a mildly spicy soup.
• Add the vegetable stock. Allow this to boil over in medium heat. 
• Add the corn starch dissolved in some water and add to the mixture if you feel the soup is very runny.
• Once it has boiled over. turn of heat and Sprinkle some pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves. 
• Serve hot with a toast on the side. 
• Add a small piece of butter or a little bit of cream, if you opted for the ingredient. It certainly heightens the flavor.

Notes:

If you want to make just Creamy Tomato Soup, Skip adding the mixed vegetables and increase the number of tomatoes.

My husband suggested that addition of potatoes would give an even more creamy, smooth texture. I had a soup in some restaurant which contained mashed potatoes in it. That soup was quite delicious! I shall update you with the results the next time I make this soup, and hopefully with better pictures too!

Hotel Saravana Bhavan Inspired 14 Idly - Sambar (Rice Cakes Soaked in Lentil Sauce)

 This month the theme for Free Spirit Bloggers was picked by Siri, We had to recreate that one dish we have had in a restaurant and and relive those moments/ memories, and it had to be a main course.

  My pick was 14 Idly from Hotel Saravana Bhavan (HSB). It is a dish unique to this restaurant. I have had Sambar-Idly in other Bhavans, but none of them can even hold a candle to HSB's 14 Idly. When ever I go to HSB I order this for sure, apart from some dosa be it in New York City or Chennai!. I am pretty surprised that food in HSB New York tastes just like the one in Chennai! Over the dozen times we have visited NYC, I make it a point to religiously visit HSB like it is a holy shrine. Once we are in the restaurant the rules are short and sweet (maybe not!), DO NOT TOUCH MY 14 IDLY, EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT A PIECE OR 2 TO TASTE. I NEED THE 14 IDLIES, SO GET YOUR OWN  and I will share everything else. Usually if I order any dish with sambar as the side, the sambar will almost remain at the same level as it was when left on my table. Even after I am done eating! This is one dish where I lick the sambar clean of the oblong bowl that they serve it in.

  I have been on the quest for Saravana Bhavan sambar for a long time now. Thanks to my genius mother, I   think I finally nailed it!. Here is the recipe for all of you to lick clean ;).I will come up with a detailed post for making idlies. The proportion of rice and dal is different, plus there are several tips and tricks!

Ingredients:

For Idlies: ( This is a 2-in-1 batter. I use it for Idly and dosa)

Idly rice - 4 Cups

Urad dal - 1 Cup*

Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tsp
Toor Dal - 2-3 Tbsps (optional)

Salt 

Water - 4 cups

• Soak the rice, fenugreek seeds and toor dal ( if using) for 6-8 hours.
• Soak the Urad dal for some 45 mins, seperately.
• Grind the Urad dal to a fine soft paste using about 3/4th cup of water.  Empty into a big vessel.
• In the same grinder/food processor add a little rice mixture and water and start grinding. Gradually add the rest.
• Grind to a fine paste. Try not to use more water than the 4 cups mentioned for the entire grinding . Its always better to have a thicker batter and add water as needed than to have a batter thats runny an you need to do a lot of golmal to fix it!!!. Empty in the same container as you did the urad dal batter.**
• Add salt about 2 tsp. Mix it with your hand. It is an important step. The "good yeast" in your hands help in fermentation. And result in a fluffy idly.
• Set the batter aside overnight, in a warm place. Well this again depends on where you live. In Chennai I remember the batter will ferment in some 4 hrs!!!. I keep my batter in the oven with lights turned on. Sometimes I warm up the oven and keep the batter in. So if you live in a cold place you can try this method.
• Once it has fermented. Mix the batter and deflate it. Add water to the batter as you make idly/ dosa as per your requirement. The batter should not be too thick or thin. When you pour it from a ladle it should flow like a ribbon. Always make Idly first before making dosa. The Idlies do not come out fluffy if you make dosa out of the batter first.

To make the Idlies:

• I make my idlies in the pressure cooker. I am sure you can make it in microwave (I've seen microwave idly plates in India), electric cooker etc. though I have not tried it personally.
• Fill up the pan of the cooker with atleast 1 inch water. Use the stand that comes with the cooker. If not use lesser water. Close the pressure cooker and keep the flame on high. Let a big jet of steam come out. Do not use the cooker weights.
• In the meanwhile, oil the cavities of the idly pan(s)and fill it with the batter. Using a small ladle or a big spoon.
• Once you get a nice big jet of steam. Reduce the flame wait for a few seconds and open the cooker lid carefully. Place the filled Idly pan(s) into the cooker and close the cooker. And keep the flame on high and again do not use the cooker weights.
• Set a kitchen timer for 7- 9 minutes.
• Once done. Reduce the flame wait for a few seconds before opening the cooker. And remove from the cooker. To test for doneness stick a knife/spoon/fork in the middle. If it comes out clean its done 
• This step is optional. You can show the Idly plate under cool running water. This helps in cooling the idlies faster and make it easier to remove it from the plates.
• Next step is a must(according to me!!!!) Drizzle some sesame oil on your idly. You can have it with some molagai podi, chutney, or/and sambar, or even Sugar with ghee.... yummmmmmm!!!!

For the 14 Idly Sambar: (This recipe makes a lot of sambar.Well!! you need a lot of sambar to soak you idlies in! )

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 Medium sized,( Shallots would be ideal! but I had none :( )

Tomatoes - 3-4 medium (be generous!)

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder -1 Tsp

Tamrind Paste - 1 Tbsp (I use a brand called tamicon.Its pretty strong)

Sambar Powder - 3-4 tsp (Adjust according to the strength your sambar powder.)

Hing - A generous pinch

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - Divided

Cilantro/ corriander leaves - a handful

Sesame Oil - 1 tsp

 A handful of vegetables like drumstick, capsicum e.t.c can be used to add to the flavor of the sambar. Do not use too many vegetables though.
Milk - 1/2 cup 

For Tempering:

Sesame oil (perferable) - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds- 1 Tsp

Dry Red Chillies- 1-2 (as per your perference)

Curry leaves 

For Garnish:

Finely Chopped Onion - 1/2 - 1 medium onion (depending on how much you like or hate raw onions. )

Finely Chopped Cilantro/ Corriander leaves- A small bunch (Absolute must)

Ghee - 1/2 - 1 tsp per serving

Sesame Oil - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp per serving 

• Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric and tomatoes. Let it cook for atleast 4-5 whistles. The dal should be really mushy. Also steaming the tomatoes along with the toor dal gives it a different flavor!
• In a saucepan add the sesame oil and sauté the onions till translucent.
• Add the tamrind paste (dissolved in 1 cup warm water), sambar powder, turmeric powder,hing,salt, corriander leaves, and some curry leaves.
• Give it a boil till the raw smell of the powder leaves the mixture.
• Add 1 more cup of water and addthe mushy dal- tomato mixture.
• Give it a boil.. And in the meanwhile taste it and add salt ,sambar powder or more tamrind paste if needed. This sambar should not be too spicy or tangy. Rather the tang should come from the tomatoes rather than the tamrind.
• Add the milk in the end. Do not boil too much after adding it. Yes, this is the secret ingredient in most hotel sambars!
• Also the consistency should be slightly watery. And not too thick like the usual sambars.

Assembling:

• In a bowl place 14 mini idlies. Yes, there should be exactly 14 idlies! It's not called 14 idly for nothing. I'm just kidding you can use as many idlies as you want!

                                           No prizes for guessing the number of idlies in there!  

Thanks to my MIL who generously donated this Onlong bowl to me :D.

• Drizzle some sesame oil. 
• Pour sambar over the idlies, generously.

• Drizzle some ghee and some more sesame oil. You can omit the ghee and/ or the oil. But I think this gives it the restaurant feel! 
• Sprinkle some onions and top it off with some finely chopped cilantro/ corriander leaves.

• Enjoy the Idlies as they go in one by one! Its strange, I always count my idlies at HSB everytime I eat there and  I've never been lucky enough to get even one idly extra! :(

* If you are using a mixie or food processor to grind the batter, use 1.5 cups of urad dal.

**  It is important to use a large container as the mixture ferments and if it is a small container it will spill over.

  Do check out what my team-mates :Anu, Deepti, DK, Lata, Madhuri, Nags, and Siri are cooking up in their kitchens!