Tomato soup

On a rainy day, when the stomach starts growling, what better comfort food than a bowl of warm and spicy soup? And what is the easiest and the most familiar soup in the world? Of course, it is the tomato soup. For ages, we have been eating rasam with rice during winter. Every time someone at home is down with fever, amma makes rasam with pepper and garlic which guarantees instant relief! The soup is just another way of making the rasam and drinking it.
To make tomato soup for two, you would need:

Ripe tomatoes- 4 large
Onion- 1
Garlic- a few pods
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano for seasoning
Butter

In a pan, melt a tablespoon of butter (The health conscious may replace it with olive oil). Roughly chop the onions and add it into the pan. Add the peeled garlic pods to it. Fry until it turns golden brown.
Cool the mixture and blend it along with tomatoes into a smooth paste. We did not strain it cause that would mean losing the pulp.
Now add the mixture into the frying pan. Add a cup of water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Boil it until the raw smell of tomato goes away. Add a little diluted cornflour if the consistency is runny. Boil again.
Turn off the heat. Garnish with oregano and read croutons and serve hot.

Strawberry Oats Cake

A lazy weekday. A holiday on account of Shivaratri. Nothing much to do. We decided that it was time to put our oven to use. Fresh from a repair, it was crying to be used for some baking.

Did not have to look far for a recipe. Mahanandi had featured a Strawberry-Oats cake a while ago. Off we went to the neighboring supermarket. Stocked up on the ingredients. Cut the quantity of the ingredients from the original recipe to half. Replaced peanut oil with refined oil and set out to mix out first cake batter.

And well, like all first times, we were clumsy, unsure at times and messy. But we took the plunge, put the cake in at 180 degrees and prayed to God that it should turn out good. The cake plate got wiped clean. You can guess how it turned out! :) Thanks Indira for the recipe!

Carrot+Corn side dish!

All of us have been busy lately and did not have time to experiment in cooking! This weekend

when they both went out for a trip leaving me alone at home, I felt like trying something new!

When I looked in fridge, I found only carrot and corn.

What else can you do with carrot and corn other than the regular grate carrot & fry it with corn side?

Hmmm, I thought for a while and then decided to add some milk too and try! :-)

Ingredients (Serves only 1 person!! ):

1 Medium sized carrot cut into long pieces

1 Cup sweet corn

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 Cup milk

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of garam masala

Pinch of red chili powder

Salt for taste

1 spoon cumin seeds

2 spoons of oil/ghee

1/2 spook sugar

Boil the carrots in little water until they are half coked. Add milk to this and cook the carrot fuly.

Heat the ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, onion and fry for a minute. Add corn and fry till it is cooked. Add turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, sugar & salt and keep for another minute. You don't need sugar if the carrots are sweet. Add the carrots and milk and you are done! :-)

Tastes really good with Phulkas :-)