Less is More, More or Less

I've always heard that it's wise to stop and check yourself in the mirror right before you walk out the door and remove one element of your outfit; the hat, the pin on your jacket, something. Since I am terrible at accessorizing – I never wear hats, belts or pins on my jackets or sweaters. Hell, I hardly even stray from solid colors – that concept seems to be non-issue with me in the fashion department.

The kitchen department, however, is another story entirely. I like to throw a lot of different elements into most of my dishes. Admittedly, they can get very busy. I think it's because A) I always try to move ingredients through my kitchen with regularity, hence adding that shisito pepper or a splash of orange thyme-infused vinegar before it goes bad, and B) I'm very curious about flavor and texture combinations and really like to experiment. And let's all admit it; neither of these are bad intentions or bad applications.

But when I think about the chefs and the foods that most inspire me, and when I think about a quote I have mentioned here countless times, about simplicity being the hallmark of genius, I wonder why I don't practice it more often in my kitchen.

I mean, must I add shiso butter to a grilled steak? Do I really need to add sherry to tuna casserole? Is it necessary to make my own almond meal to add to a classic pie crust in lieu of sticking to the straight-up all-purpose flour? The answer is, of course, no. I will say, though, that while I have experienced my share of flops with these twists, I have stumbled upon great success equally as often.

But at Summer's peak, when all of my very favorite produce has hit its stride and is as perfect as it could ever possibly be, why gild the lily? So lately, I have had a lot of tomato sandwiches for lunch. That means, soft white(ish) bread, good mayonnaise, salt, pepper (generous portions of all) and big, thick slices of tomato. That's it. No basil, no bacon, no lettuce, nothing to distract from the celebrity of that tomato.

And corn. During this time of year just cut it from the cob and eat it raw with a little salt and pepper. Maybe even toss a little fresh tomato in there, too. Keep it simple. Listen to the corn sing her (his?) solo. Less is more.

More or less.

Which brings me to the bowl full of fresh, ripe avocados on the kitchen counter staring me down a few days ago. I have really been wanting to make that whole egg-baked-in-the-hole-of-the-avocado-half thing I've been seeing all over Pinterest and whatnot. But then I stopped myself... 'Don't cook it, for crying out loud. Keep it simple.' And so I listened to me: I kept it simple and I kept it raw. I made a cold soup and I let the avocado sing. And her voice was smooth, soft, clear and bright. Kind of like Sade, actually.

For now I think I'm going to keep on keeping it simple in the kitchen, but try to incorporate hats into my wardrobe.

Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup with Buttermilk

Serves 2-4 (depending on whether it's served as entree size or appetizer size)

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado

½ cup buttermilk

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded, plus some julienned pieces for garnish

1 tablespoon cilantro, plus some sprigs for garnish

sea salt

1/4 of a shallot, diced

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

juice of half a lime

½ cup – ⅔ cup water

black pepper

Toasted pepitas for garnish

Instructions

In a blender mix together the avocado, cucumber, buttermilk, cilantro, salt, shallot, cayenne pepper, lime juice, ½ cup water. Blend until completely smooth and then check for consistency. If you want a thinner soup add more water.

Pour the soup into two glasses or one bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

When the soup is ready to serve, dice the remaining avocado. Garnish the soup with avocado chunks, julienned cucumber, pepitas, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve immediately while it is still cold.

Tags:Chilled,Avocado,Cucumber,Soup,Buttermilk

Mutton Soup (Attukari Soup)

 

Made this for my Daddy on the eve of  Fathers Day the most absolute tasty treat for a windy lousy weather this soup has medicinal properties people who are suffering from stuffy nose headache and joints pain will have some relief a simple soup for the soul...

Happy Fathers Day...:)

Ingredients:

1/2 Kilo Goat or Sheep Breast Bones and Meat

1 Tbsp Chilly Powder

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 Tsp Whole Black Pepper Corns

2 Inch Cinnamon Sticks

3 Pods Cardamom

1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds

1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Large Onion(chopped into roughly)

2 Large Tomato(chopped into tiny cubes)

3 Red or Green Chillies

Fist Full Mint and Coriander(roughly chopped)

1/2 Tsp Lime Juice

5 to 6 Pods Whole Garlic

Salt  as per taste

1 Tbsp Oil and Ghee

 Method:

• In a pressure cooker add oil and ghee heat on medium flame add the whole spices and fry a bit once the spices start to crackle add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw flavor has gone.
• Add chopped onion whole garlic and tomato fry a bit allow to reduce a bit add the dry spices chilly powder turmeric powder and coriander powder fry a bit add the meat and give it a good stir allow to fry a bit.
• Add coarse salt and fry a bit add 3 cups water and stir well bring to a boil cover and cook till 3 to 4 whistles.
• Once the meat has cooked add coriander mint and lime juice stir well

Serve hot with rice or bread ...Enjoy...:)

Roasted Curried Butternut Walnut Soup with Spicy Cheese Straws

uickly browsing through my recipe categories, you will realize that I am not much of a soup person. There are very few kinds, actually only a couple, that I would even allow myself to taste and that too made at specific places or by specific people. This soup is one of them. My first encounter with butternut squash was aboard a Caribbean cruise liner out in the middle of that vast blue spread of the Atlantic. It was an acquired taste. Hubby tells me I made a sorry face when I first tasted it but the expression soon changed with the second and third sips. Very seldom happens to me. I either like something or I don't. Things don't normally 'grow' on me, but this was different. Having remembered seeing butternut squash on the shelves of the grocery stores, yes of course I decided I would try it at home. 

Since then this soup has been either a part of the entire dinner for us on several occasions. I normally accompany it with some salad and bread toasts or these cheese straws using puff pastry sheets - the supermarket wonder. Of course the cheese sticks are a winner combo so I picked them for the post here. A savory, spicy, cheesy crunch is all you need to clean your palate when enjoying this hearty soup. A few touches that I prefer with this soup is I like the version with the squash roasted better. Also I add some Indian masalas and some walnuts for that spicy nutty taste. Regardless of the twists and the masalas, each time I make this soup, the fond memories of the cruise vacation still pass my mind and I feel myself seated on the deck looking at the vast blue nothingness with the breeze in my hair sipping slowly from a hot bowl.

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Cauliflower Soup

One of my friends gave me this recipe when I was in Delhi  this recipe is complete meal on a winter night or rainy season over the years I've done minor changes to the recipe making it with the ingredients available at home. the recipe calls for 1 cup of blanched almonds and cream if you have almonds at home you can add since i added full fat milk avoided cream and butter. instead of cream cheddar cheese can be added adding pepper powder is upto you i like the extra heat.

Please click here to see how to clean cauliflower follow that step to prepare any cauliflower based recipe yes its important to follow...

Ingredients:

250 Grams Cauliflower

3 Green Chillies

6-7 Pods Garlic

1 Large Onion

3-4 Cups Milk

1/4 Tsp Pepper Powder

10-20 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for 1 hour)

Salt to taste

Coriander to garnish

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottom pan add 1 cup water bring to boil add cauliflower, chilies, garlic, onion and milk. add very little salt cover and allow the cauliflower and other ingredients to cook till mushy consistency on a medium flame.

• Add milk if needed to cook the veg do not add water you will not get a creamy soup.
• Once cooked allow the cauliflower to cool.
• Add to a blender and blend to a smooth puree.

• Add the puree back to the pan or wok add water little by little to get the right consistency bring to boil. if you dont like bits and pieces of veg of nuts in the soup then strain it and boil.
• Add pepper powder and salt stir well garnish with cheese and coriander serve hot...Enjoy...:)

Do watch recipe demo video...:)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

ay, I'm finally here with a soup recipe (...drumroll...)! I know the soups have not been my strongest suite. Many of you have pointed out that too. Funny how that works as I make quite a few variations of it at home but never really got around to posting any - which is very well evident from that fact that there is not a single soup on my blog even after posting over 200 recipes :D Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am not much of a soup person myself. 
Alright, enough excuses and introspection. Now about the dish itself. Of the very few soups I like, this is definitely one of them. My first encounter with soup here in the US was the canned version. To put it simply, that encounter did not go very well, it was practically non-edible - and that left a scar. Until last week (I guess the scar healed) when after taking into account the feedback from my dear readers I suddenly realized that I used to like mushroom soup. Well you guessed it, I decided to make it for myself.
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Cucumber Soup (Summer Special)

Ingredients:
1 Medium Cucumber
1 Small Carrot
5 Sprig Mint Leafs
Fist Full Coriander Leafs
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 Tsp Pepper Powder
1 1/2 Cup Yogurt
1/3 Cup Water
Salt to taste.

 Lets Prepare:

• Peel the cucumber and cut into half with a help of a spoon remove the seeds and chop into chunks wash throughly drain and reserve.
• Peel the carrot cut into chunks wash drain and reserve.
• clean the mint and coriander leafs wash throughly pat dry set aside.
• In a blender add the cucumber, carrots, mint, coriander, cumin and  pepper grind to a fine puree.
• Add the yogurt to the ground puree add salt as per taste and blend once more if needed add water blend well. serve chilled...Enjoy....:)

Lot of you have requested me to prepare summer recipes this is an excellent meal for summer afternoon  we prepare this at home almost every single day its nice and refreshing you can even add fresh ginger if you like ginger taste. Chill the soup for 1/2 hour in the fridge and serve we normally do not prefer a heavy meal during summer mom would prepare a heavy brunch and late in the afternoon we would have this soup...try this recipe and post your comments...:)

My recipe demo in English do watch ....Enjoy...:)

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 Medium Size Ripe Tomatoes 
• 1 Large Potato
• 3 Medium Size Onions 

{ the tomato, potato & onion are chopped into large chunks}

• 1 Inch Piece of Ginger 
• 5-6 Pods of Garlic
• 1/2 Inch Cinnamon
• 3 Cloves
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cream
• 1 Tbsp All purpose flour (Maida)
• 1 Tsp Pepper powder
• 1 Tbsp Chilly powder
• A pinch of Orange food color
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottom pot add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil and add the chopped tomato, potato & onion along with the ginger garlic, cinnamon and cloves and add 1/2 tsp of salt cover and allow to cook for 25 to 30 mins till the veg are well done.
• Drain the veg and reserve the water and blend the veg in a blender to a puree and strain and mix the puree to the reserved water and place the pot back to the flame.
• Heat a wok add a tbsp of oil and butter once the butter starts to melt add the maida and start adding milk or the reserved soup water and stir till you get a smooth roux and mix to the soup.
• Once the soup starts to boil add the chilly powder orange color and simmer. add the pepper powder and cream bring to a boil add the chopped coriander and mint check for salt and pepper stir well and garnishing with croutons  fresh cream and coriander...serve hot...Enjoy...:)

I've done a detail recipe demo on youtube...enjoy..:)