Thai-Style Coconut and Roasted Carrot Soup

It's always soup season in my kitchen, and especially right now as spring temperatures are eagerly awaited. The chill has not left the air, though the sunshine is warmer than it was a few weeks ago. What better way to provide comfort and warmth than with a Thai-inspired carrot soup? Carrots are a pantry staple for those days when a meal is lacking in vegetables, as they keep well in the fridge and it's a snap to cut some up raw or lightly steam them for a side. In this case, carrots were the shining ingredient in this spicy and creamy soup.

Roasting the carrots brings out a natural sweetness that's complete with fragrant and zesty Thai flavors. Coconut milk is essential here for a more authentic Thai taste. Homemade red Thai curry paste is also an important component here. It also keeps well in the fridge and so I usually have some on hand when I am in the mood for Thai food. It's easy to make up and far superior in taste than store-bought varieties. Whether you make your own or purchase the paste, adjust the quantity added according to the heat level you are comfortable with. Remember, it is always easy to add more later on, but if you add to much to begin with, there is no going back.

I served this for dinner and then the next day for lunch with some Indian savories. The fusion of cultures worked quite well and my best friend Basil was happy to take a break from his holiday fare consisting of cheese sandwiches.

Thai-Style Coconut and Roasted Carrot Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Thai Published on April 14, 2015 A fragrant creamy soup of roasted carrots with Thai seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) carrots, cut into narrow 2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, cut into half and scored lengthwise with a knife several times 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped 6 fresh or dried kaffir lime leaves 2 to 3 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 to 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2/3 teaspoon paprika 2 cups coconut milk 3 1/3 cups vegetable stock, or as needed 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Line a baking tray with foil and preheat an oven to 350°. Toss the carrots in the olive or sesame oil with the coriander seeds, and roast until tender and golden — about 30 minutes. Turn the carrots part way through the cooking time. Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Add the lemongrass and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and kaffir lime leaves, and fry for another minute. Stir in the chilies, red Thai curry paste, cumin and paprika. Add the roasted carrots and coriander seeds, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more stock as desired. Stir in most of the cilantro as well as the lime juice, salt and pepper. Simmer for another few minutes. Discard the lime leaves and pieces of lemongrass. Purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender until smooth and creamy. Serve hot garnished with the remaining cilantro and thin slices of fresh chili or a sprinkle of dried chili flakes if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other vegetable soups to enjoy from Lisa's vegetarian kitchen:
Curried Indian Vegetable Soup
Beet Lentil and Vegetable Soup
Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup with Kidney Beans
Thai Red Curry Vegetable Soup

Tomato Biryani Recipe/Thakkali Biryani-Sunday Lunch Recipes Series-13

I am a big big fan of tomato recipes but Sendhil is just opposite to me.He likes to take only a limited quantity of tomatoes.So i make tomato rice,tomato pulao and other tomato rice varieties for myself & my daughter whenever Sendhil have his lunch in restaurants with his colleagues.Last year i had shared a tomato rice recipe using rice cooker for bachelors.I usually make that way as it is so easy.Today,for a change,i tried tomato biryani/Thakkali biryani for the first time adding coconut milk and loved it a lot.It was so good in taste and super flavourful too.This is my 13th post in Sunday biryani series and i thought of ending this series with 2 more posts as i couldn’t find interesting biryani recipes anymore.But God had helped me with a 100 biryani varieties cookbook by Deepa Shekar( You might have seen her in Podhigai”Asathal samayal” cookery shows) which i bought recently in a departmental stores in Salem.Now i can confidently take this series at least up to 25 episodes after which i am planning to start simple daily lunch menu series for beginners & office goers.So stay tuned for super tasty,authentic and interesting biryani recipes with my own touch in the upcoming weeks.To begin with,here is an yummy tomato biryani recipe from that book.I am sure there must be many tomato lovers like me.I am presenting this recipe for you all.Lets see how to make this mouth watering thakkali biryani using coconut milk

Tomato biryani recipe

Tomato biryani recipe -Thakkali biryani for Sunday lunch & lunch box

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Lunch

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 40 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Basmati rice - 1 cup ( I used India gate) Green peas - a handful Chopped Bangalore tomato - 1 no (big) Chopped Tamil Nadu tomato - 2 nos ( sour) Big onion - 1 no Coconut milk - 3/4 cup Water – 3/4 cup  Salt - as needed Ghee - 1 tsp To grind Red chillies( soak in hot water)- 3 nos Green chillies - 2-3 nos Ginger - 1 inch Garlic cloves-5 nos Fennel seeds/soambu - 1/2 tsp Big onion – 1/2 no To temper Cooking oil - 1.5 tbsp Cinnamon - 1 piece Cloves - 2 nos Cardamom - 1 no Biryani leaf – 1 Kalpasi/black stone flower-1 no Mint & coriander leaves – a handful (finely chopped)

METHOD

Wash and soak the basmati ride for 20 minutes and drain the wate completelyr.Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a kadai and roast the rice for 5 minutes.Remove and keep aside. Wash and chop the onions,tomatoes and set aside.Soak red chillies in hot water and grind it with other ingredients given under”to grind” to a smooth paste adding enough water. In a cooker base,heat oil and saute cinnamon,cloves,cardamom,kalpasi and biryani leaf.Now add the chopped onions & ground paste.Saute till raw smell goes off.Add tomatoes & saute till its mushy.Add the required salt to ease the sauting process. Lastly add the green peas,roasted rice,water,coconut milk along with finely chopped mint & coriander leaves.Mix well and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.Open the cooker & fluff the rice. Serve it hot with raita.Enjoy !

Note

For variations,u can use either coconut milk or water alone. As tomatoes leave water,we have used rice & water in the ratio of 1:1.5 If u don’t want to roast the rice,soak the rice for 1 hour and use 1.5-1.75 cups of water.Add ghee in the water before pressure cooking. You can also use tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes.In that case,add 1/2 cup.

Check out my Tomato rice,Tomato pulao,Tomato rice using rice cooker .

Try this delicious Tomato biryani and have a yummy lunch with your family

I served with Sago Vadagam and Cucumber Raita.

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12 South Indian Breakfast Recipes-Tiffin Varieties

In this post,i have shared the list of most popular South Indian breakfast recipes that is commonly prepared in every Tamil household.Not only in houses,but also in the breakfast menus of Hotel/Restaurant.In this collection,some of them are authentic ones for which u need pre preparation and some of them are quick & easy to make tiffin recipes.Soon i will try to compile a list of quick South Indian breakfast recipes and make a separate post for that too.Here u can find the links for Idli recipe ( along with 12 varieties of idli recipes),Onion uttapam,Ven pongal recipe,Rava Kichdi recipe,Puffy poori,Crispy urad dal vada/Medhu vada,Parotta (quick version),Crispy restaurant style rava dosa and Soft n spongy aapam recipe( without yeast n soda),Adai recipe,Rava idli(without soda) and last but not the least super soft spring hoppers/Idiyappam.You will find all these recipe with step by step images and i hope this list will help beginners.

Please check out the links for
12 Idli varieties
35 Chutney recipes
If u are in Abroad/Cold countries and looking for Idli batter fermentation tips,Check out this post

South Indian Breakfast Recipes

Top 12 South Indian recipes for breakfast

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Breakfast

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10H-10M

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: -

  

   

   

    

Check out the links for
12 Idli varieties
35 Chutney recipes
If u are in Abroad/Cold countries and looking for Idli batter fermentation tips,Check out this post

Technorati Tags: South Indian breakfast recipes,breakfast recipes,Indian breakfast recipes,South indian breakfast recipes,Tiffin recipes,Tiffin varieties,breakfast varieties,Popular breakfast recipes,South indian breakfast recipes tamil

Very good recipes Tags: South Indian breakfast recipes, breakfast recipes, Indian breakfast recipes, South indian breakfast recipes, Tiffin recipes, Tiffin varieties, breakfast varieties, Popular breakfast recipes, South indian breakfast recipes tamil

Mexican-Style Mung Bean Tostadas

Tostadas are rather new to me, but this dish is essentially a salad with a toasted corn tortilla base and bean topping with other delights, such as lettuce, tomatoes and salsa or guacamole if you please. I was inspired to try this rather unconventional version of a Mexican classic with mung beans instead of refried beans for quite some time now after I spotted the recipe from Janet of The Taste Space. Another beauty and certainly I encourage my readers to check out Janet's vegan wonders.

I adore mung beans, with their particularly sweet and earthy flavor, and why not play around with traditional dishes? I am certainly glad I did.

Notes: You can buy prepared tostada shells, but I opted for corn tortillas that I baked for about 8 minutes in the oven. Alternately, you can deep fry them in oil in a pan on the stovetop until golden, but I went for the less greasy version.

Use of toppings here is wide open. I made a simple salsa with some cherry tomatoes, olives, avocado and jalapeños with some freshly chopped cilantro. If pressed for time, prepared salsa will do, but because it is so easy to make, I like to make my own fresh. I just kept the spice to a minimum as the beans have a pleasant heat in themselves.

Nutritional yeast here is optional but it does add a pleasant cheesy flavor without any actual dairy cheese. If you wish, do add some grated cheese as part of the topping.

As an alternative to the mung beans, consider my classic version of refried beans.

Mexican-Style Mung Bean Tostadas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from The Taste Space Cuisine: Mexican Published on April 10, 2015 Crispy golden baked corn tortillas topped with a salad of sweet and zesty refried mung beans, brown rice and salsa Print this recipe Tostados: 2/3 cup dried mung beans (2 cups cooked) 4 sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 medium tomato, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste (optional) sea salt to taste 6 6-inch corn tortillas Toppings: 1/2 cup or more pitted black or Kalamata olives, sliced jalapeño slices (optional) 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) pinch of sea salt 1 cup cooked brown rice (from 1/3 cup uncooked) 1 to 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce Instructions: Rinse the mung beans and soak for 6 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the mung beans are soft and nearly breaking apart. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain and chop. Set aside. In a large non-stick frying pan or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and stir for a few minutes to soften. Add the ginger and jalapeños and cook, stirring, for another few minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, paprika and cayenne and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to thicken up. Add the cooked mung beans to the pan and mash everything together with a fork. Let them cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the nutritional yeast if using and salt, and remove from the heat. To make a simple salsa as a topping, in a medium bowl, toss together the olives, jalapeños if using, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime juice and a bit of salt. Preheat an oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the tortillas with a bit of olive oil and lightly spice if desired with chili powder, cayenne and a bit of salt. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until they are lightly browned, flip them over, and then cook for another few minutes until crisp and golden. Repeat for all the tortillas. To assemble, place the totillas on plates, spread some of the mung beans overtop, and then a scoop of rice, some lettuce and some salsa or whatever you prefer. The possibilities are as endless as the mind of the cook and the diners. Makes 6 servings

More mung goodness from Lisa's Kitchen:
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)
Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

Audio: Remastered Carbon Based Lifeforms

Punjabi Aloo Paratha Recipe-Stuffed Potato Paratha Recipe

Long back i had shared an aloo ka paratha recipe learning from my friend.Today i tried this paratha in Punjabi style for a change from my usual recipe.I never thought its so easy to make and tastes like the one we get in paratha joints here.Its a no onion,no garlic Jain recipe apt for fasting days.I loved the simplicity of this recipe and of course its delectable taste with the combination of masala dahi raita.I came up with this recipe after googling so many punjabi paratha recipes and videos.For rolling these parathas,i followed my friend’s method of rolling obbattu using two polythene sheets.It was very easy to roll and the potato stuffing din’t ooze out at all.I have shared the procedures with step by step pictures along with tips & tricks to make a perfect paratha for beginners sake.I hope and i am sure it will come out well for you.Try it and let me know how u liked it.I always make the parathas thin as my man likes it that way.Please make it thick or thin as u wish.This morning I packed few parathas for his lunch box and i am waiting for his feedback.Ok,lets see how to roll and make these yummy,soft Punjabi aloo ka paratha recipe with step by step photos.

Punjabi style aloo paratha recipe

Punjabi style aloo paratha recipe -Easy to make,soft n flavorful !!

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Dinner

Yields: 8 nos

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: 3 Minutes

Total time: 18 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the dough Atta/Wheat flour - 2 cups ( i used aashirvaad) Water - as needed ( I used 1 cup + 1/2 tbsp) Oil - 1/2 tbsp Salt - as needed For the stuffing Potato - 4 nos (medium sized) Ajwain/Omam - 1/2 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch piece ( grated or finely chopped) Green chilli - 1 no ( finely chopped) Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( I used 3/4 tsp) Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp Anardana powder/Pomegranate seeds powder OR Amchoor powder - 1/4 tsp(optional) Cumin powder/Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp Finely chopped coriander leaves - few tbsp Salt - as needed

METHOD

In a wide bowl,take the flour and add salt.Mix well.Make a dent in the center and add water little by little.Gather the flour and make a soft n smooth dough.Lastly add 1/2 tbsp of oil and cover the dough.Spread well and set aside for sometime till u make the stuffing. In a pressure cooker base,wash and add the potatoes along with required water.Cook for 3-4 whistles.Take the cooked potatoes,peel the skin and mash them very well without any lumps(This is the first most important point to make the stuffing prevent oozing out) To the mashed potatoes,add all spice powders,ajwain,finely chopped green chillies,grated ginger and coriander leaves.Mix them well adding the required salt.Check for taste and add more spice powders if needed.Make golf sized balls out of the stuffing and set aside. Now take the dough & knead it really well by greasing your hands with oil.Make balls from the dough equal to the size of the stuffing ball. Take an obbattu sheet greased with oil & place the dough ball & stuffing ball.Press the dough ball into a small circle.Make sure the sides of ball is thinner than the center.Now place the stuffing ball in the center.Bring the edges of the dough and cover the stuffing ball.Press it and put few drops of oil on the stuffed dough ball.Place another polythene sheet over the stuffed dough and pat it well to make a round thick or thin paratha as u wish.In this method,u don’t need to dust the paratha in flour.Just few drops of oil would do. If u don’t want to follow this method,just stuff the filling in the dough as mentioned above.Dust the balls in wheat flour and roll it using a rolling pin.for this method,u don’t need oil but u have dust the paratha with wheat flour.Excessive dusting may result in dry paratha.So take care. Now heat the dosa tawa and drizzle some oil.If using obbattu sheet for rolling,transfer the entire sheet with paratha over the dosa pan and remove the sheet.Cook the paratha only in medium flame on both sides by drizzling some oil around  & all over the paratha.Remove & serve hot with raita !Enjoy !

Note

Make sure the potato is mashed really well else the stuffing will ooze out while rolling. The consistency of dough should be soft and non-sticky.U can add more oil if needed. The size of the stuffing ball should be bigger than or equal to dough ball.This helps to spread the stuffing evenly all over the paratha. You can roll it thin or thick as u wish. Adjust the quantity of masala powders as per your taste. You can use obbattu sheet for rolling the parathas or simply dust the paratha in wheat flour and proceed like making chapathi.

  

Enjoy this yummy punjabi style aloo paratha recipe for your breakfast/dinner

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Capsicum Masala Curry Recipe-Easy Side Dish For Chapathi

Capsicum masala is a simple and tasty North Indian side dish for chapathi.It’s a very easy and quick recipe that can be made under 15 minutes.Last week I packed roti/chapathi along with this capscium masala and spicy buttermilk for his lunch box.He loved it very much.For this recipe,I followed the basic North indian gravy recipe with tomatoes as base.So it resembled more like our South Indian Tomato thokku but tasted completely different.The consistency of this masala can be varied from gravy to curry as per your wish.For variations,capsicum can be paired with aloo/potato,paneer or sweet corn to make it even more healthy n tasty.So,lets see how to make this easy,no grinding capsicum masala curry recipe.Try it for chapathi.U will love it.Stay tuned for some more easy side dish recipes for roti !

Capsicum masala curry recipe

Capsicum masala recipe - A simple side dish for chapathi

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Green capsicum – 1 small  Ripe tomatoes– 2 nos  Big onion – 1 no Ginger&garlic paste- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi – 2 pinches Sugar – a pinch Ghee – 1 tsp Water & salt - as needed To temper Cooking oil – 1.5 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few  Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

Chop the capsicum into small chunks or as u wish.Chop the onions & tomatoes finely.  Heat oil + ghee in a kadai and splutter mustard,jeera and onions.Add g&g paste and saute till raw smell goes off.Then add capsicum pieces.Saute for a minute in medium flame.Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy adding required salt and turmeric powder. Add chilli powder,dhania powder and garam masala powder and saute till the masala well. Add some water to cook the masala & capsicum and boil well till the mixture leaves oil.Adjust the consistency by adding more water to make a thick gravy or curry as u wish.Before switching off the flame,add kasoori methi and sugar.Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti/Chapathi ! Enjoy !

Try this easy,yummy,colorful capsicum masala for roti ! Tastes great !

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Very good recipes Tags: Capsicum masala, capsicum masala recipe, capsicum masala curry recipe, Capsicum masala gravy recipe, How to make capsicum masala, side dish for roti, easy side dish for chapathi