Blissful Cream of Sweet Corn Soup

The temparatures are falling fast in chennai with the onset of monsoon.There isnt any better way to celebrate this moment than having a wornderful soup that will warm your spirit with a wholesome taste of sweetcorn with a creamy flavor. This is one of my favorite soups so far ...
Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped beans
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1 tsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Steam the sweetcorn in microwave for 4 minutes. Take 1/4 cup sweet corn, make a fine paste and keep aside.Dissolve corn flour in 2 tbsp milk and keep aside.
Heat butter in a sauce pan, add carrot and beans saute nicely for 2-3 minutes in high flame. Now add the corn kernels and fry for 1 minute, now add milk and water, once it starts boiling add the corn paste, salt n pepper and mix nicely and let it boil for ten minutes in low flame. Now add the corn flour mix and let it boil to thicken the soup.
Serve warm with your choice of accompaniment.

Gujarati Kichadi With Kadhi

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Gujarati cuisine is termed as "the haute cuisine of vegetarianism". I love gujarati cuisine but never prepared at home so I wanted to start with a very simple n delicious combo. I choose gujarathi kichadi and kadhi.

Gujarati kichadi is rice & lentil cooked in a porridge style and kadhi is a yogurt based soup that goes well with it ..It had a soothing unique flavor n also a complete meal by itself.

Gujarati Kichadi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup mung dal
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• pinch of hing
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp whole black pepper
• 2 green chilli
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 6 cups water
• salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Soak rice n dal together for 15 min. Boil the six cups water in a deep bottom pan.

Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds,cinnamon stick n black pepper fry for a min then add hing, chopped green chilli, ginger fry for 30 sec. Add soaked rice n dal stir for 1 min.

Now shift all the above mixture to the boiling water,add salt n turmeric powder n cook on a medium flame, stir occasionally till the rice is cooked.

Gujarati Kadhi

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Ingredients

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 3 cups water
• 3 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 2 chopped green chilli
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

For tempering

• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilli
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1 spring curry leaves
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Take a deep bottom pan n mix all the ingredients except tempering to a smooth paste n heat on medium flame till it boils.

Prepare the tempering with 1 tsp oil in a frying pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fry till it splutter.Then add red chilli,curry leaf n fry for 30 sec. Add this tempering to the above mixture n let it cook on medium flame for ten min.Add salt to taste n chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with kichadi.

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Tags: Gujarati Cuisine, Gujarati kichadi, gujarati kadhi

Sweet Corn Bell Pepper Soup

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The temperature in minneapolis is dropping very fast, it seems winter is knocking. Evening are windy n chilly so today I thought of making soup for the evening before dinner. This soup is a combination corn n bell pepper . This soup has a nice creamy texture with a sweet flavor and healthy too. This soup has been inspired from Nita Mehta's book " Pasta n Corn". Actually this a typical mexican smokey flavoured bell pepper n sweet corn soup. Traditionally the bell pepper is roasted on a flame n used in this soup but I used the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 cup sliced mushroom
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp chopped parsley
• salt to taste

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Cooking Procedure:

Cook the sweet corn in microwave for 2 min n let it cool .After it cools blend it with milk to coarse paste n keep it aside.Then in another cup dissolve corn flour in 1 cup of water n keep aside.

Roast the bell pepper in oven at 350 F for 20 min.Once it cools remove the skin n chop it finely.

Heat the butter in a pan, fry the onion n mushroom for 1-2 min. Add the bell pepper n stir again for 1 min. Add the corn paste n 3 cups of water to the mixture n boil.Once it starts boiling add the corn flour water to it.Stir nicely.Add salt,pepper n sugar n bring it to a boil then simmer on low flame for 4-5 min.Garnish with chopped parsley n serve hot.

This soup goes to

Lisa's Monthly Vegetarian Soup and Salad Challenge - Corn

Vegetarian Foodie Friday event

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Tags: Sweet Corn, Corn, Soup, Bell pepper, Roasted Bell Pepper, Mushroom, Creamy Soup, Easy Recipe

Minestrone Soup With Tricolor Pasta

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On this wonderfull occasion of Independence day I feel proud I am an Indian.. I want to prepare something special for this joyful moment and I found this tricolor rotini pasta in my shelf which closely resembles our tricolor national flag.

Minestrone soup is one of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine and eaten throughout Italy. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, and tomatoes. Add any vegetable that is in season and make this soup distinctly yours.Rotini literally means "twists" and it a wonderfull pasta to add to minestrone soup.I am sure you will enjoy this soup on any day..

Preparation time:10 min

Cooking time:20 min

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup pasta(tricolor rotini pasta)

1 cup homemade vegetable stock (6 cubes)

2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/4 cup chopped spring onions

1/4 cup peas

1/4 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup choppedtomato

1/3 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/4 tsp basil

1/8 tsp italian seasoning

2 tsp fresh parsley

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp parmesan cheese(optional for vegans)

1/2 tsp butter(optional for vegans)

salt to taste

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Cooking Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan ,add minced garlic ,chopped onion and saute for a min ,then add carrot,peas,bell pepper n saute for 2 min and then add spinach and tomato n stir for 1 more min,then add basil n salt.

In the mean time ,on another flame put a deep bottom sauce pan ,add the vegetable stock n water and let it boil ,one it reach to boiling point add butter,sugar,tomato sauce to it and then add the saute veggies to it and mix well.

Now add the tricolor rotini pasta ,chopped parsley and italian seasoning and let it cook for 8 to 10 min ,once the pasta is cooked ,then swith off the stove n add 1 tbsp parmesan cheese to it ...

Serve hot with some toasted bread n enjoy ur soup.

I am sending this soup for the wonderful weekly event Pesto Pasta Nights 2010 #177 hosted by Katie started by Ruth

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Tags: brunch,vegan, italian,soup, minestrone soup, italian soup, easy recipe, tasty recipe, healthy recipe, healthy soup, easy soup, tasty soup, italian herbs, pareley, basil, rotini pasta, pasta