How to make fat-free tomato soup?

It's a common tradition to make soup in oil by adding green and spicy ingredients. However, I believe having a soup without any additives is quite nutritious and nourishing for skin and internal body system. It is quite easy to make a fat-free tomato soup with few spices in hand.

Let's start the process of making fresh and nutritious soup.

Medium-sized fresh tomatoes- 5
Coriander leaves- 2/3
Black or rock salt- ½ teaspoon
Table salt- ½ teaspoon
Black pepper powder- ½ teaspoon
Roasted and powdered cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
You could choose the spices as per requirement also.

Take a boiling pan and pour half container full with water. Add tomatoes and boil for half an hour on the burner. Use medium flame for boiling. I use pressure cooker for the vegetables allowing 5- 6 whistles. After removing the lid, you could see the vegetable shredded. If lumps are there, I prefer to crush the same in a blender. Check the consistency. It should not be very thick. Pour the liquid in a heating pan. Heat it till the first boil. I don't boil quite often for fear of losing nutrients. Add all the ingredients (tomato liquid and spices) and saute for some time. Remove from flame and pour in bowls. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a slice of lemon.

The water containing boiled vegetable is useful in making soup. Thus, you shouldn't throw away but use for blending. The spices are available at grocery stores. You could even place an order online for its delivery. Many people prefer to add icing sugar to sweeten soup. However, I prefer to use only salt. Coriander leaves give a unique flavor to the entire drink. It is good for skin and eyes too. If you like ginger, you can add this spice while boiling.

In my childhood, a different process was followed for making tomato soup. The tomatoes were boiled in a pan till they became soft, light and easy to mash. The tomato solid was placed in a big strainer. The entire solid was pressed with hands or spoon so that liquid could be collected in the container below. This liquid was heated to make it warm and ingredients were added and garnished later.

Tomato soup is often used as appetizer. However, I prefer to eat at odd hours too. You can have soup with bread sticks at any time- morning or evening. Few calories are consumed while having home-made soup. It is fat-free and considered a best energizer for cool climates.

Often, people prefer to make juice by blending or prepare puree by cooking crushed tomatoes. It is cooked in oil or butter with essential ingredients to give an appeal. However, fat-free tomato soup is something that is home-made, where nutrients are kept intact.

With the use of electronic appliances, it has become easy to prepare any dish. Try making this fabulous, easy to make, fat-free tomato soup at home. You would surely love it.

What is curry?

Curry is one of the most common recipes used in Indian sub continental kitchens worldwide. It refers to a variety of dishes prepared in different kinds of dry and wet spices presented in a variety of gravy like coconut, yoghurt and tomato puree.

In the western states of India namely Rajasthan and Gujarat, curry is solely a liquid dish prepared in butter milk or yogurt and yellow flour. The preparation of curry is similar in both the states with the only difference of sugar added in Gujarati curry.

As the name refers, curry has an ingredient called “curry leaves” added after cumin seeds and mustard seeds start to splutter in ghee. Curry leaves have a unique flavor which is added to accentuate the aroma of dish. “Curry powder” is not necessarily added in any of the curries. It is a combination of various types of spices procured locally or internationally and leaves a distinct flavor when used while cooking rice and vegetarian or non-vegetarian recipe.

Gujarati curry is thin in consistency. Yellow flour and butter milk are used proportionately. Sugar is added for sweetness. It is served with chapattis and rice.

Rajasthani curry is a bit thick in consistency. Yellow flour and churned yoghurt is used together. The yoghurt used for preparation is sour in taste.It’s yellow in color mainly because of the use of turmeric powder.

Tinda recipe in yoghurt gravy

Since I hail from western Rajasthan, many recipes are prepared in yoghurt gravy. They are delicious and contain a lot of nutrients. Yoghurt is considered a basket of calcium and other minerals. Apart from raita and dahi-bada, there are a lot of dishes prepared in dahi/ yoghurt.

One of my favorites is Tinda (Indian Apple Gourd) prepared in yoghurt. It is often referred as "tindsi" in this region. The best thing about the recipe is its delectable taste which is neither salty nor sour. It can be relished with rotis.

Here’s the recipe which is easy to make and serve. Tinda/ Indian apple gourd (medium-sized)-4 Yoghurt- 1 small bowl Red chilly- 1 teaspoon Coriander- 1 ½ teaspoons Turmeric- ½ teaspoon Common salt- 1 ½ teaspoons Ghee- 1 table spoon

Remove the skin of tinda and cut into small cubes. If the seeds are ripe, remove them. If not, include them in cooking. Make a smooth paste of yoghurt by beating with a teaspoon. Add the spices like red chilly, coriander, salt and turmeric. Mix the ingredients well so that a good mixture is obtained. Make sure to use the yoghurt which is bit sour in taste. Also, ensure it is removed from fridge at least a couple of hours before cooking.

Pour ghee in kadai or frying pan and heat at medium flame. Add tinda cubes and sauté till they turn a bit brown in color. Add the paste slowly. Mix them together and sauté for few more minutes on low flame. Close the lid for two-three minutes. After removing the lid, you would see the ghee afloat. This implies the dish is ready to be served. Serve the dish in a bowl along with chapattis.

Tinda is an all season vegetable available in the Indian subcontinent. There are many recipes associated with this vegetable. However, I like to cook tinda in yoghurt gravy as I find it satiating for taste buds.

Indian Desserts- Shrikhand

Indian desserts have always found ready support from a large audience because of the delectable sweetness and extraordinary presence of variety. Shrikhand is a popular yoghurt-based, easy to make dessert. Offered along with meals, its unique taste is often accompanied by a variety of flavors added to make it delicious.

Shrikhand is derived from two words- Shri which refers to Lord Krishna and khand for sugar. It is believed, in his childhood, Lord Krishna used to love home-made butter a lot. The sweetened product of yoghurt was another most admired one by Lord Krishna and his friends.

How is it prepared?

It is a simple procedure which could be followed and incorporated in kitchen meals. Take fresh yoghurt in a muslin cloth. Hang the cloth from a height. The extra water contained in yoghurt should be removed using the cloth. After hanging for at least a couple of hours, you would find it in a solid form. Place the yoghurt in a bowl and add some spices, essence and sugar. For a small bowl of yoghurt, you could add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add crushed cardamom and saffron to give a unique aroma. You can flavor the yoghurt with essence like vanilla, strawberry, raspberry or chocolate. After mixing the ingredients, the next and basic step involves churning. You could use a hand-held churner or an electronic churner as per preference. Make sure not to leave out any lumps whatsoever. It must appear smooth and soft. You could always garnish Shrikhand with crushed dry fruits like cashew nut, almonds, apricot, raisins and walnuts for extra calorie.

Since it’s always possible that yoghurt kept for a long time out of refrigerator would allow bacteria to sour the content. Thus, it should be kept in cold storage and removed only while serving. Shrikhand could be eaten with cooked rice, roti or as dessert. It has high calories and calcium. It is good for people from all age groups but best for growing children. It is considered best in building bones and muscles.

How to cook curry?----- Part I

Curry is one of the most important dishes in the Indian subcontinent. Often eaten with rice, puri and parathas, people admire its unique taste and flavor. Curry is basically prepared with yogurt and yellow flour. However, there are different ways to give an exclusive touch to curry.

For lunch, I prefer to cook curry and serve with puri, potato-based dish and halwa- a sweet dessert. A dish prepared in potato and green chilly often creates an increased yen for more. I often serve curry with rice in dinner.

A variety of curries are prepared in a country like India. There are three types of curries I prefer to cook- plain curry, pakodi curry and chilada curry. Pakodi and chilada are prepared using yellow flour.

Recipe I - Plain curry

Ingredients

Yellow flour/besan- 2 teaspoons
Yogurt or buttermilk- 2 tablespoons
Green chili- crushed or sliced
Coriander- fresh and cut into small pieces
Ginger- I don’t prefer paste, I cut it into tiny square pieces
Curry leaves- neatly washed
Cumin seeds- a pinch
Mustard seeds- a pinch
Asfoetida- a small pinch
Ghee or clarified butter- 1 tablespoon, oily factor is present in yogurt
The below mentioned powdered spices are taken as per taste.
Coriander powder
Red chili powder
Turmeric powder
Common salt

I prefer to keep yogurt for an hour after removing from fridge. This gives a typical sour taste to yogurt. You can use butter milk since it is a liquid form of yogurt obtained after removing cream. The fats present in plain yogurt are eliminated with the use of butter milk. If in hurry, I prefer to add a tinge of common salt to yogurt to make it sour fast.

Churn the yogurt in a bowl so that lumps are reduced to smooth paste. Pour some water to maintain the consistency. After churning, add some yellow flour or besan. Churn once more to mix the two well. Watch- there are no lumps left. Add spices like coriander, turmeric, common salt and red chili. Churn once more. This procedure might appear a bit time-consuming but it gives a rather delectable taste to curry.

Place a kadai- a huge round-shaped utensil best for cooking curry- on the burner. Pour ghee and allow it to heat for some time. As it heats up, add the spices one at a time-cumin seeds, asfoetida, mustard seeds, green chilly and curry leaves. As the ingredients start changing color, pour the mixture of yogurt and besan slowly. Keep stirring the mixture in kadai till the first boil. After the first boil, turn the burner to simmer position and continue to stir for some time. It takes time to attain taste of curry as yellow flour needs plenty of time to become tasteful for tongue. If you find a thick consistency during cooking, pour some hot water. Let it cook for some time.

I usually keep an eye on the change of consistency. It could take half an hour for the curry to attain the best taste. Once ready, take a sip and feel the taste. The cooked curry does not have the raw flour taste. Remove from burner and pour in a bowl. Garnish it with fresh,green coriander leaves. Serve curry as per requirements with rice, puris or parathas.

Reveillon- Authentic cuisine of France

One of the most authentic and delicious cuisines served in France is Reveillon. Often considered a part of Christmas or New Year, it is a composition of several dishes that become a part of night long dinner.

The word "Reveillon" refers to waking up -staying awake for the night to enjoy the feast of the occasion. It is served on the night previous to Christmas or New Year and eaten usually after midnight. Not only local French dishes are served but wine and champagne are the main drinks to raise the toast.

The traditions come alive with the table filled with main dishes of sea food like lobsters, oysters and escargots. Another attraction of the table is traditional feast of turkey cooked with chestnuts.

The main drinks are none other than wine or champagne. However, one of the main drinks used for raising toast is Vin Chaud. It is a hot wine that is quite apt for festive nights of winters.

The dessert served on the occasion is Buche de Noel. It is conventionally prepared dessert, frosted with butter. The frost is done twice and the unusual design and shape makes it quite attractive. It appears like a piece of log freshly removed from tree.

Reveillon is not something available in restaurants or sold in market. It is a complete family affair and a private cuisine that marks the day of Christmas or New Year. The friends and family gather and dine together on these special nights of the year.

Turmeric- Multiple use of rhizome- I

Turmeric- this yellow colored root of Indian subcontinent is one of the most important ingredients of Indian cuisines. Considered auspicious for Indian Hindu weddings, it is said to carry several medicinal properties. Curcuma Longa as it is scientifically called is very vital for human body, especially in winters.

Turmeric is grown in tropical areas where rains are in abundance. Due its distinctive color and essence, it tastes bitter and slightly spicy. Indian dishes are a no-no without turmeric. Vegan or non-vegan dishes- each and every type of dish is prepared using spices where turmeric happens to be a chief ingredient. The turmeric root dishes are often served with Indian bread or chapattis.

One of the main features of turmeric is that it has strong medicinal properties. A pinch of turmeric powder mixed in hot milk can act as a good calcium solution. Often used to increase calcium or relieve joint pains, it can be eaten in raw form too. The demand for raw turmeric often increases as it is helpful in increasing body temperature. This helps body brave the winter chill.

Another important reason for using turmeric is its application on human skin as it is believed to remove tan or scars. Applying turmeric based cream on wounds can make sore areas recuperate speedily. Even scars left after burns can be removed applying a turmeric cream. Turmeric paste is often applied on hands, legs and face of bride to accentuate glow and brightness just before wedding. The custom is followed by Hindu community in India.

How to preserve mushrooms for long?

• Mushrooms should never be washed before storing in refrigerators.
• They can be cleaned using a moist cloth or kitchen paper.
• They must be kept in brown paper bag or cloth bag or even cloth.
• They must be kept in the lower shelf of refrigerator.
• They can be frozen as long as they are not removed for cooking. Even when removed, they can be straight away dipped in stew or soup.
• After sauté, mushrooms can be kept in air tight jars for a month.