The Lip-Smacking Soup Series: Celery and Onion Soup

Ingredients:

2 sticks Celery
1 onion
2/3 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
 few leaves of basil and parsley (optionally, freeze-dried seasonings can be used)

Seasonings:

Salt, pepper (to taste)

Garnishing:

Fresh cream

Method:

 1.       Roughly chop all ingredients.

 2.       Throw all ingredients into a pressure cooker with some water for 3/4 whistles.

 3.    Remove from fire, puree with a hand blender to eliminate lumps.

 4.    Add seasonings to taste and bring to a boil.

 5.    Garnish with a teaspoon of cream.

note: Personally, I prefer to retain the fibrous consistency of a soup. You can run the pressure-cooked and pureed soup through a sieve to remove the same.

        Vegetable Broth can be used instead of water any any stage of cooking.

The Lip-Smacking Soup Series : Celery with a Tom-twist!

Ingredients:

1 stick celery,
3 large tomatoes
1 medium onion

Seasonings:

Salt, pepper (to taste)

Garnishing:

Fresh cream

Method:

 1.       Roughly chop all ingredients.

 2.       Throw all ingredients into a pressure cooker with some water for 3/4 whistles.

 3.    Remove from fire, puree with a hand blender to eliminate lumps.

 4.    Add seasonings to taste and bring to a boil.

 5.    Garnish with a teaspoon of cream.

note: Personally, I prefer to retain the fibrous consistency of a soup. You can run the pressure-cooked and pureed soup through a sieve to remove the same.

        Vegetable Broth can be used instead of water any any stage of cooking.

Stuffed Paratha Series: Paneer Mixed Veg Paratha

Paratha atta: 
2 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp oil
Water to bind

Ingredients:

100 gms paneer
1/2 a cabbage
1 medium-sized carrot
a few florets of cauliflower
7 or 8 sprigs of kothmari
2 medium onions
3 or 4 green chillies
1 large capsicum

Masalas used:

Salt to taste

Method:

 1.    Bind all paratha atta ingredients to make a knead-able dough. Set aside.
 2.       Finely chop all mentioned ingredients or run coarsely through a hand blender.

 3.       Transfer coarsely ground ingredients into bowl, add salt and mix.

 4.       Roll out two small rotis, place stuffing in the middle, seal rotis from side, dust in flour and roll out.

 5.       Cook stuffed parantha on gas over low flame on a heated tava, adding little ghee to aid in better cooking.

 6.    Ensure both sides are well cooked before serving hot with curds & pickle


note: Paneer Paratha can be made sans the vegetable, i.e., only grated paneer, chopped chillies, kothmari and salt.
       Also, Paneer can be replaced with Cheese for a more melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Stuffed Paratha Series: Aloo-beetroot-bhindi Paratha

Paratha atta: 
2 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp oil
Water to bind


Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes
1 beetroot
a handful of ladies fingers (okra)
2 medium onions
3 green chillies
a few sprigs of kothimeer
1 tsp ajwain
A little cooked rice (if leftover)

Masalas used:

Salt to taste
3/4 tsp dry mango powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder

Method:

1.    Bind all paratha atta ingredients to make a kneadable dough. Set aside.
2.       Finely chop kothimeer, onion, green chilli and ladies fingers.

3.       Pressure cook potatoes and beetroot till soft and mash till smooth.

4.       In a pan, put a little oil, add chopped ladies fingers and some salt to taste, cook till soft.

5.       Mix all ingredients and masalas.

6.       Roll out two small rotis, place stuffing in the middle, seal rotis from side, dust in flour and roll out.

7.       Cook stuffed parantha on gas over low flame on a heated tava, adding little ghee to aid in better cooking. 

8.     Ensure both sides are well cooked before serving hot with curds & pickle