Tomato Soup

Tomato-Basil Soup

ingredients

• 3-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 1-1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cups finely shredded Gruyere or Emmentaler cheese (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon Armagnac or cognac (optional)

directions

1. Set aside 1 tomato. To peel remaining tomatoes, dip in boiling water for 30 seconds or until skins start to split. Dip in cold water. When cool enough to handle, remove skins and core tomatoes. Coarsely chop; set aside.
2. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer tomato mixture in batches to a food processor or food mill. Cover and process until smooth. (If using a food mill, discard tomato seeds and onions.) Return pureed mixture to pan. Meanwhile, finely chop basil; reserve 1/4 cup.
4. Stir remaining basil, the salt, and pepper into tomato mixture. Heat through. Add cheese, cream, and, if desired, Armagnac. Heat and stir until cheese is just melted.
5. Chop remaining tomato; combine with reserved basil. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped tomato and basil. Makes 6 servings.

recipe source BHG.com

Dum Aloo

Ingredients for dum aloo:

                

900gms Aloo (Potatoes)

33/4th cups water

Salt To Taste

Ghee or oil for deep-frying

1 cup ghee

1 large Onion (finely chopped)

4 tbsp tomato puree

140 ml curd

4 tbsp hot water

1 green pepper (seeds removed and sliced)

1tsp garam masala powder

Spices

4 cloves

4 bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

4 green cardamoms

1 brown cardamom

1piece cinnamon stick

Paste

1 large onion (chopped)

12 flakes garlic

2 tbsp ginger

6black peppercorns

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 dry red chilies

1 tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of ground mace

A pinch of ground nutmeg

How to make kashmiri dum aloo:

Scrape the aloo (potatoes), prick all over with a fork and soak in the water with little salt for 2 hours.

Dry the potatoes on a cloth and heat the ghee or oil.

Deep fry the potatoes until golden brown. Drain and set aside.

Heat the measured ghee in a flameproof pan and fry onions with all the spices until golden.

Grind the paste ingredients to a fairly smooth paste and stir into the onions.

Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, curd and salt.

Add the aloo (potatoes) and hot water and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the dum aloo with pepper and garam masala and cook for few minutes.

Recipe Source: Indianfoodforever.com

Image Source: Nandyala.org

Bhindi Ki Subji

Ingredients:

1/2 kg fresh okra tops and tails cut off and diced into 1" pieces

2 tsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion sliced thin

2 green chillies chopped fine

6 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp dry mango powder

2 large tomatoes cut into small cubes

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame and add the cumin seeds. Fry till they stop sizzling.

Add the onion, green chilli and garlic and fry till the onions turn light brown.

Add the okra and mix well.

Add the coriander and dry mango powders and mix again. Season to taste. Fry for 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve immediately with hot chapatis (Indian flatbread) or parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread).

Scramble Eggs

What You Need

4	EGGS
	cup milk
	Salt and pepper
2	tsp. butter

Step 1

BEAT eggs, milk, salt and pepper in bowl until blended.

Step 2

HEAT butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. POUR IN egg mixture.

Step 3

As eggs begin to set, GENTLY PULL the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds. CONTINUE cooking – pulling, lifting and folding eggs – until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly. REMOVE from heat.SERVE immediately.

Recipe and Image Credit: Incredibleegg.org

burger

house-made burger with pimento cheese

ingredients

• 1  lb.  ground sirloin
• 1  lb.  ground chuck
• 1-1/2  tsp.  kosher salt
• 1/2  tsp.  freshly ground pepper
• 6    hamburger buns
•     Pimiento Cheese
• 1    shallot, grated
• 1  8-oz.  block sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2  cup  or more to taste of mayonnaise (not light)
• 1/2  of a 4-oz. jar  pimientos
•     Freshly ground pepper

directions

1. Build charcoal fire or preheat gas grill for direct cooking. Mix ground sirloin and chuck together gently with salt and pepper. Form into 6 patties. Press indentation in center of each patty (see "shaping the burgers," below). Brush with olive oil. Place directly over medium heat (about 400 degrees F); grill 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from grill. Top with a tablespoonful of Pimiento Cheese. Serve on buns.

Hanger Steak Burger:Cut about 2 lbs. cold hanger steak in 1-inch pieces. put through a meat grinder or place 1/4 at a time in food processor; pulse until finely ground. Season, shape into patties, and grill as above. Makes 6 servings.

Pimiento Cheese: Grate shallot on a box grater or process in a food processor. Mix shallot and cheese. Add mayo and stir with a large fork just until mixture holds together. Stir in pimientos and some of their liquid. Season with pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Store, refrigerated, up to a week.

Shaping the burgers:Both Elizabeth and Jamie press an indentation in the patties so that they don't puff up in the center as they cook. Gently form patties, then press down slightly in the center to form an indentation about an inch wide.

Direct Grilling:For this method, the food is placed on the grill rack directly over the heat source. Direct grilling is best for searing and cooking small, tender cuts that cook in 30 minutes or less, such as steaks, burgers, or boneless chicken.

nutrition facts

• Calories518, 
• Total Fat (g)32, 
• Saturated Fat (g)12, 
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)13,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, 
• Cholesterol (mg)112, 
• Sodium (mg)695, 
• Carbohydrate (g)22, 
• Total Sugar (g)3, 
• Fiber (g)1, 
• Protein (g)34, 
• Vitamin C (DV%)3, 
• Calcium (DV%)13, 
• Iron (DV%)26, 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Image and Recipe Credit: Bhg.com

Mattar Paneer

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. bag of frozen green peas
• 3 medium size tomatoes
• 1/2 lb paneer
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Pinch of asafetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 bay leaves (tajpat)
• 1/2 inch of cinnamon stick (dalcheene)
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt or adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Method:

1. Cube the paneer into half inch pieces and deep-fry them on medium high heat. Fry until the paneer becomes a light golden color. Take the paneer out and place on a paper towel so the extra oil is absorbed.
2. Mix cornstarch with three tablespoons of water and keep aside.
3. Blend the tomatoes and ginger to make a paste.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil. If the cumin seed cracks right away, the oil is ready.
5. Add the asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon and stir-fry for a few seconds.
6. Add the tomato paste, coriander, turmeric, chili powder and paprika. Cook until the mixture reduces to half.
7. Add the green peas and 1/4 cup of water. cook on medium heat pan should be covered. When the peas are tender, add the salt and paneer.
8. To thicken the gravy add corn starch mix. Cover the pan and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

Suggestion:
Add 1 tablespoon fresh chopped fenugreek leaves or 1/2 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves to the gravy when cooking.

Recipe Soruces: .manjulaskitchen.com 

Mushroom

Mushroom with peas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon shredded ginger
• 2 tablespoon chopped fenugreek leaves or dry fenugreek leaves (also known as kastoori mathi)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder (dhaniya)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper (adjust to taste)
• 3/4 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1 finally chopped green chili (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil. If the cumin seed cracks right away, the oil is ready.
2. Add the cumin seeds. As cumin seeds crack add turmeric. Stir-fry for a few seconds.
3. Add tomatoes, ginger, salt, coriander, and chili powder. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and reduce to half.
4. Add mushrooms, and peas. After coming to a boil reduce the heat to medium.
5. Add fenugreek leaves after mushrooms have cooked half the way about 4 minutes.
6. Cook until mushrooms and peas are tender. Close the heat.
7. Add lemon juice and green chili if you like. Serve hot.

Recipe Source: manjulaskitchen.com