Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe and the benefits of eating carrots

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe

In case you're searching for an easy and heavenly, toss in-the-pot dinner, this creamy carrot soup recipe is impeccable. Regardless of whether you need to have a smooth slurpy carrot soup cook no further, this recipe is done under 20 minutes. We'll likewise incorporate various ways you can jazz this formula up with whatever else is in your kitchen refrigerator.

This Carrot Soup is so full of flavor it may very well become your new favorite soup! Who knew carrot soup could be THIS GOOD!?!

Ingredients

1 tbsp Butter

1 big Onion

½ kg Orange Carrots

1 small piece of pumpkin (optional)

1 cup vegetable Stock (or Maggi cube)

1 Potato

1 green chili

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method 

1.     Wash the vegetables thoroughly and roughly chop up them up.

2.     Take a thick bottom saucepan and melt one tablespoon butter until its softened and turning golden brown.

3.     Now add the onions and sauté till pinkish in colour. Add the other vegetables, stir well, being sure everything is coated with butter And if need be, add a little more butter. You can substitute butter for olive oil in this recipe.  

4.     Now add the green chili, vegetable stock and let the mixture boil till e carrots have become soft and squishy.

5.     Use a hand blender to puree the soup, or puree in batches in a food processor or blender.

6.     After the soup has been pureed, return to low heat and add the salt and pepper to taste.

7.      Serve the soup warm. This soup doesn’t taste very good hot.

Serving  Option 

1. You can add a piece of ginger to the soup for that warmth during the winter season.

2. Serve with a dash of cream and garnish with Cilantro for it to look more classic.

3. For a complete meal, garlic toast or a croissant as accompaniment would make a perfect date with the World Cup Matches. 

Benefits of eating Carrots

1. High cholesterol is a central point causing heart maladies, and normal utilization of carrots diminishes cholesterol levels.

2. A Carrot contains a number of antiseptic and antibacterial properties that make them ideal for boosting the immune system.

3. Fiber is very essential in maintaining good digestive health. Carrots, like most vegetables, have significant amounts of dietary fiber in their roots that effectively aids good bowel movement. 

4. And above all, we all know that the  Beta-carotene present in carrots helps in maintaining good eyesight and vision. 

So let's all be a rabbit and chomp on a carrot.

Easy Peas Pulao in ten minutes

Hello friends,

Sweetannu is back with another easy peasy recipe - Peas Pulao. This I stirred up in no time, at the last moment in the afternoon. I was waiting by the window for Sujata to come but when she didn't turn up I gave up. I had no option to cook up something really quickly.

I just cooked up a peas pulao and had it  all by myself. You will love it especially if you are a rice lover like me. Just a papad, pickle or have it with, ketchup, curd or some left over gravy. All these would be great accompaniments with peas pulao. Note the ingredients and method. 

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
½ cup peas 
1 medium sized onion
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
¼ Cup kasturi methi 
1 tbsp Oil
½ inch cinnamon stick
1 medium size tomato
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste


Method

1. First wash and soak rice for so that cooking is faster. Also if you are using frozen peas, soak it water too. 

2. Take a medium size kadai, heat oil,  add a cinnamon stick and thinly sliced onion and fry quickly on medium flame till onions  turn translucent. 

3. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till they lose the rawness.

4. Now add the chopped tomato and dry spices. 

5. Add the peas to this and gently give it a stir for 30 seconds. 

6. Now drain the water from  rice and add to this. Cook on a medium flame till the rice starts to cook and  gives out a nice aroma.

7. Add kasturi methi at this stage. 

8. Add one cup  water such as it covers the rice completely.

9. Cook till rice is done.

10. Cover and cook for best quick results. 

11. Serve it hot with accompaniment of your choice. 

Note - 
For the fastest results Pressure cook on high flame for 4 whistles with two cups water. 

You can use ghee instead of oil.

Matar Paneer Gravy in 10 minutes

Hello Friends,

Its been ten days now, my maid Sujata has gone to her village. However much I like to cook, the prep of cutting vegetables and washing after cooking  is not what I like to do. So I am being a real chor in the kitchen these days and taking short cuts.
This morning, I just got up and impromtu decided to cook as early as 9 AM. Rummaged my refrigerator to find I just had a block of paneer and no veggies besides onions and tomatoes. The deep fridge has some frozen peas. So I decided to quickly do a Matar- Paneer.

So check out the ingredients and method to follow. Infact you can alter some ingredients according to what you have in your kitchen . Tamarind instead of tomatoes or even some other dry spices you wish to try. Cooking is all about experimenting and creativity. So get your apron on and Cook with Sweetannu

Ingredients

For making gravy:
1 tbsp oil
2 medium size onions
3 small green
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 medium size tomatoes
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

Other ingredients needed

I cup fresh /frozen peas
250 gms paneer
Few curry leaves
1 tbsp cooking oil
Corriander for garnish

Method

Making of onion tomato gravy:

1. Add oil in a pan, into it add finely chopped onions and saute for few minutes till translucent.
2.Add green chillies, ginger garlic paste and saute for few minutes until raw smell disappears.
3. Add chopped tomatoes to it, saute for few minutes.
4.Add salt, red chilli powder turmeric powder, mix well and cook until the tomatoes till oil leaves the side and tomatoes are cooked.
5. Now add this mixtur into a blender and blend into a fine smooth paste.

For the Matar Paneer:

6. Cut one inch pieces of the paneer.

7. Also boil the peas for five minutes and strain and keep aside.
8.Take a pan, add oil to it. Now add curry leaves and let it splutter.

9. Add the onion tomato puree, boiled peas and paneer cubes.
10.. Let it cook on slow for 5 minutes.
11. Check for salt, add if you feel its less.
12. Garnish with corriander leaves.

13. Serve hot with roti and salad.

Now isn't that an easy dish. Just pray that Sujata is back soon and I enjoy cooking up more tasty dishes.

Maharashtrian style stuffed brinjal masala

Hello Friends,

I want to narrate an incident before I start the recipe of the day. This is when l was newly married. I still remember the episode while I was buying brinjals at a vegetable market in Worli. The vegetable vendor asked me how I was going to prepare it. Baingan ka Bharta is what I replied. It's easy to prepare and turns out delicious, I added.
 She then shared a typical Maharastrian stuffed Brinjal recipe with coconut and peanuts.  She even shared a recipe to stuff dry masala in brinjals and cook it quickly without much fuss.

Previously I have shared a baingan bharta recipe with you. Today I am attempting to make the same stuffed version with peanuts and other spices. So let's get Cooking with Sweetannu.

 

Ingredients 


250 gms small brinjals 
3 tbsp oil 


For Masala Stuffing 

1 chopped onion 
2 tbsp peanut powder 
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder
Juice of one lime
1 tsp sugar or jaggery
1 tap ginger garlic paste
Corriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste

Method


 -->Wash and cut the brinjal as shown in picture, ready for stuffing. 


Preparing Stuffing

-->Take a pan, add one tbsp oil. Add onions and saute till translucent.

--> Add Peanuts to it. Dry Roast until they are nicely done.

--> Now add the grated coconut and ginger garlic paste to this and roast till it changes colour. 

--> Remove this mix in a plate.

--> To this mixture add dry spices, lime, salt and sugar. 

--> Stuff the slit brinjals with this mixture. 

--> In the pan now add 2 tbsp oil, place the brinjals in it.

--> Cover and cook the dish on low flame.

--> You can add half a cup of water if you feel the brinjals are sticking to the pan.

--> Let the water dry completely.

 Garnish with corriander and serve it with  it on the side with simple daal, rice and sliced tomatoes. 😋😋😋

Chicken liver masala

Hello friends, 

Are you ready for another  non vegetarian recipe. This time I am preparing a dry dish that can be eaten with roti or just a nice big salad if you wish to avoid carbs at night. 

Know more about Chicken Liver( Kalegi)

1. Chicken liver does contain a large amount of cholesterol, but it also supplies healthy doses of many essential vitamins and minerals. 

2. Chicken liver also provides a healthy dose of iron and zinc. Iron enables your body to use oxygen efficiently and to make new red blood cells. 

  3. Liver is filled with protein and is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B-12, riboflavin and folate.   

 

 

There are many people who don't like taste of kaleji but this recipe is easy and healthy, worth a try.  So now let's prepare this simple chicken liver masala.

Ingredients 

• 250 gms chicken liver
• 2 onions
• 2 tomatoes 
• half tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 
• 2 tsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp dhania powder
• 1/2 tsp garam  masala
• Few coriander leaves for garnish
• 2 tbsp oil 

Method

Make the onion tomato paste

Add liver, potatoes and water

• First wash the chicken liver very well under running water.
•  In a pan, heat oil. On a high flame, add  finely chopped onions, cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste. Stir and cook like onions gets translucent.
  
• Add the chopped tomatoes, dry spices, tomato ketchup and saute till oil leaves the side of pan and tomatoes get cooked.
• Now add chopped potatoes, liver  and salt to taste. Let it cook in the onion/tomato masala.
• Stir and cook well, add a little water to dish and cover and cook till water evaporates.
   
• Liver cooks fast, do not over cook or it will get hard and rubbery.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. And serve with a dash of lime.
  
    
  
  Do let me know if you would prefer me to do vegetarian or Non vegetarian dishes in my future posts. Check out another easy and delicious Chicken Liver Recipe here 
  
  

Tamatar Poha

Poha is a stable food in many households is a Maharashtra, even States like Gujarat and Madya Pradesh. The recipe differs slightly. Maharashtrians like it with peanuts and grated coconut while in Gujarat and MP I have savoured a sweeter type with chopped onions and sev. 

Poha is a perfect breakfast recipe,recommended by dieticians as it is the it is a  perfect balance of taste and nutrition. Children love poha too and eat with relish. 

Today I wish to share with you a different poha recipe stirred with tomatoes. Ingredients can be easily found in the kitchen.

Ingredients

 2 cups Poha 
A few curry leaves
2 onions chopped
1 tomato chopped 
Juice of one lime 
2 tbsp cooking oil  
1/2 cup of green peas
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp each cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
Coriander to garnish

 

 

Method

1. Wash poha till clean. Strain and keep aside. 

2.To the washed poha, add salt, lime juice, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix well.

3. take 2 tsp oil in a kadai, when it is hot add  mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chillies. Stir for two minutes.

4.  Add onion and stir fry till pinkish in colour. 

5. Add tomatoes to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes.

6. Now mix in the poha. gently, keeping gas on low flame. 

7. Mix all the masala well with poha and cook for 5-7 minutes.

8. Add the lime juice and coriander leaves at the end.

9. Now serve serving dish and garnish with coriander.

10. Serve hot it up with finely chopped raw onions and sev at tea time or breakfast. 

 Suggestions

You can add potato  or carrot if you wish.