Tomato Basil Soup

I took this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor and made some changes to it.

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes - about 10-12 medium size, quartered (I used about 5 big greenhouse tomatoes).
2. Onion - 1 medium sized (cut lengthwise)
3. Carrot - 1 (cut into roundels)
4. Garlic - 2 cloves (cut into small pieces)
5. Coriander stalk - a handful
6. Basil leaves - 5-6
7. Butter - 1 tablespoon, oil - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. In a pan, heat butter and oil. Add onions, garlic and saute until transparent.
2. Add the tomatoes, carrots, coriander stalks along with 4 basil leaves. Saute for a minute and add 2 cups of water.
3. Cover the pan and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Switch off the flame and filter the water. Reserve it for later.
4. When the mixture cools, grind it in batches and pass it through a sieve and collect the puree in a pan.
5. Repeat the process for rest of the mixture. 
6. Adjust consistency by adding the required amount of the reserved liquid.
7. Add salt  and freshly ground pepper and heat the soup till it comes to a boil.
8. Garnish with chopped basil leaves.
9.  Serve hot with croutons.

Note:

1. Add some fresh cream if you want your soup a little richer.

Tomato Pulao (Mumbai style)

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice - 1 measure (can be basmati or normal rice)
2. Onion - 1 large (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
3. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp (Or make it fresh from 1 inch piece ginger and 2 cloves of garlic)
4. Tomatoes - 2 big (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
5. Bell peppers (green, red, yellow) - about 1 cup (cut into big pieces). I have used green and red in my recipe.
6. Green chilies - 2 (slit them)
7. Paneer - about 10-15 pieces cubed. 
8. Peas - 1 cup (I used the frozen peas)
9. Tomato sauce or ketchup - about 1 cup
10. Butter - 1 table spoon, Oil - 1 table spoon
11. Cumin and fennel seeds - 1 tsp each
12. Red chili powder - 1 tsp, Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
13. Paav bhaji masala - 2 tsp ( I used the Khana Khazana's, but use whichever brand is available)
14. Fresh coriander for garnish

Method:

1. In a pan, heat butter and oil.
2. Add cumin and fennel seeds.
3. When they start sizzling add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the onions and chilies and let it turn transparent.
5. Add the cut tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes.
6. To this add the red chili and turmeric powder. Add the paav bhaji masala and required salt. Give this a stir.
7. Add the bell peppers and saute it for 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to soften the bell peppers.
8. Add the paneer cubes and mix it till all the paneer is coated with the masala.
9. Add about 1/4th - 1/2 cup water and let it come to a boil.
10. Mix in the cooked rice. 
11. Top it off with peas (Cook in microwave for 1 min).
12. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with raita. 
13. Goes well with cucumber or onion raita!

Note: 

• If y0u do not have paneer available, you can also add some grated cheese. Skip this completely if you don't want to add in the extra fat!
• Also if you do not have butter or just use oil.
• Fry some cashews and almonds and add it to the rice if you want some crunchiness in your dish!