Ah, I didn’t realize I kept the blog empty for this whole month! It was a mix of intentional and unintentional. The world has been feeling like a very immoral and unfair place. It is like there is a lot of suffering but the ones on the top are really not bothered. It just keeps confirming the fact that humans are undependable and all that we can rely on is Allah. After all, He himself says that He created man weak and ungrateful and somehow every single day, it further reaffirms His infinite understanding of how the world works. Having said that, each day has become more about counting our own blessings and being grateful for it. It has become a time to look into us and literally remove the cobwebs of thoughts and ideologies. Alhamdulillah… It reminds me of the Covid days, when we did the same exercise, but somehow man is forgetful, and he needs bullets to dodge him from his procrastination… A couple of things have happened on the personal side, I guess which I will keep for some other day.

Since it is month end, it is time for the post for this month’s Shh Cooking Secretly challenge, the theme of which is “Soups”, suggested by Narmadha. Even though it is still warm most of the time, the craving for soup is slowly setting in because of the cool nights. Having said that, the fluctuation in the weather is becoming fodder for flu of all kinds. Anyway, I love soups and while having a discussion with my partner of the month, Seema about it, I decided to stick with an Indian themed soup with the ingredients she gave me, shallots and black pepper. Rasam is literally soup and hence I decided to share this rasam with coconut milk, which is different from how I make it, yet so soothing to the tummy and feels like a warm hug. Do check out what Seema made with her secret ingredients, onion and garlic.

I came across this interesting rasam from an Instagram page. As I then did my research as to the authentic way to make it, it looked like everyone had their style. It is said that this type of rasam has its origin from Pondichery, which is one place I really want to visit sometime when I go back home, In Sha Allah… Anyway, in this rasam, I have used very little tamarind for making it tangy and there are no tomatoes. The coconut milk is thin and added at the end. All in all, the rasam is quite watery, so either you can have it floating all over your rice with a dollop of hot ghee on top and maybe some potato fry for making it an ultimate comfort food, or you can simply chug it off a bowl on a cold evening. It is totally your choice. Whichever way it is, it is going to be delicious…

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Coconut Milk Rasam | Thenga Paal Rasam

A delicious South Indian style soup with coconut milk...

Course Soup

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 6-8 shallots
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• A fat pinch hing powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp methi
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 small pc tamarind soaked in half cup boiling water for 10 minutes
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup thin coconut milk refer notes
• A handful coriander and mint leaves

Instructions

• Peel the garlic and shallots. In a mortar and pestle, pound them coarsely along with the cumin and pepper.
• In a chatti, heat coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds.
• Add the hing, methi, curry leaves and dry red chillies and saute for a few seconds.
• Add the pounded mixture and saute till raw smell is gone and the mixture is wilted.
• Add turmeric, salt and pepper and give a good mix.
• Squeeze the tamarind of its pulp into the soaking water and discard the waste. Pour the water into the pot, bring to boil.
• Cook for around 5 minutes, till raw smell is gone.
• Pour the coconut milk, give a good mix. Adjust the seasoning.
• Allow the rasam to just heat - do not boil. Switch off and add the coriander leaves.
• Close and allow the rasam to rest till the time of serving. Enjoy warm.

Notes

I made coconut milk with coconut milk powder - 1 cup of warm water with a heaped tbsp of coconut milk powder. 

The post Coconut Milk Rasam | Thenga Paal Rasam appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

It is the end of the month and usually, if I am participating, that means today’s post is a part of the Sshh Cooking Challenge. This month, the theme is “Soups” as suggested by Priya Iyer and how much apt that can be! As soon as I was assigned the ever-friendly Kalyani as my partner, I ended up getting a viral flu – no, no, not because of you, Kalyani… – and the time became perfect to try making some soup. After a little chat with her, she finalized on shallots and coriander seeds as my secret ingredients, while I gave her bay-leaf and nutmeg, with which she made this amazingly creamy looking soup.

I already have a soup recipe using mutton bones, which is Malabar style. However, this soup is more like rasam, mainly because of the ingredients that go into it, namely the shallots, garlic, cumin and black pepper. I decided not to spend too much time prepping for the soup, so I just crushed all the ingredients, put everything into a pressure cooker and let it cook till done. While serving, add more crushed pepper and some chopped coriander and mint leaves for extra flavoring, and you are good to go. After making this soup, HD enjoyed it on the first day and I ended up drinking it two days in a row as one of my meals. It really soothed my clogged throat and awakened my senses. Since now is flu season, there is nothing more to make you feel warm than a bowl of good soup and lots of sleep. Off to this simple recipe…

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Mutton Bone Soup | Easy Mutton Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 5-8 shallots/ pearl onions peeled
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 500 gm mutton soup bones washed and drained
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Coriander and mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

• In a mortar and pestle, crush from shallots to coriander into rough paste.
• In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Saute the crushed mixture till raw smell is gone.
• Add the mutton bones, turmeric and salt and toss.
• Add four cups of water, adjust seasoning and pressure cook for 4-6 whistles.
• Switch off and allow the pressure to go on its own.
• Add more pepper as needed, garnish with coriander and mint leaves and enjoy hot.

The post Mutton Bone Soup | Easy Mutton Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Since we are in the last leg of Ramadan and I am really not in a mood to write long posts, I guess I will keep it close to the content. May Allah accept our deeds and make us among those who observes the Lailatul Qadr… Aameen Ya Rubb… I am not someone who makes soups during Ramadan. There are many who I know serve warm soups for Iftar, but then we are usually used to having sweet warm drinks and hence I tend to stick to it. While trying to schedule my posts for Ramadan, one suggestion I got was to include some soup and here I am with a super simple soup recipe, which is simply a “chop and dump” recipe. Cabbage is a vegetable I have in my pantry any given time. My girls love cabbage upperi, so it gets featured for lunch every time I run out of ideas to make an upperi. Hehe… Once I got a super huge cabbage that refused to get over and I had to finish it.

Do you know cabbage is one of least calorific and high fibrous vegetable? If you are someone who has been on diets, you may know the GM diet and how it has a clause, that if you feel extra hungry, to have cups of cabbage soup. Hehe… I had done that diet once long back and promised myself not to do it again… OK, so coming back to the soup, I added a carrot to the soup, which is purely optional. But if you do like, you could add some chopped celery as well. The spices used are very basic, yet the end result is a warming flavorsome soup. Especially during climate change times like now, there is nothing that will calm your tummy as much as a simple soup like this can… Off to the recipe…

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Simple Cabbage Soup

Course Soups

Cuisine International

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 1 carrot peeled and chopped
• 1 small cabbage roughly chopped
• 4 cups water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 3/4 tsp cumin powder
• Crushed pepper as needed
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves as required

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker and fy the garlic.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except the salt and coriander leaves and close the lid.
• Pressure cook for a couple of whistles. Switch off and let the pressure go by itself.
• Open, give a quick stir and adjust seasonings. Serve hot with a sprinkling of coriander leaves.

Notes

If you want the soup to be a little thick, then you can add a little cornflour slurry and cook till slightly thick. 

The post Simple Cabbage Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

We have been having some extremely chilled days during the past few days. The only comfortable time seems to be the afternoon. Otherwise, the cold is so bone chilling that you just wouldn’t want to move out of your throw. I have been walking around in socks and slippers and wearing my sweater, which is very unusual of me. I was thinking it was just my problem till I realized everyone irrespective of their age was talking about how actually cold it is. I am sincerely relieved…

There are already a lot of soups on the blog that you can pick up to make for yourself and your family in this amazing weather. I am usually not a person who likes to cook from out of my cupboard but I have made an exception on this particular recipe. I have been seeing a lot of American sitcoms and somehow if it is based towards the Texas side, then “Chilli Con Carne”, it is. The name sounded very intriguing, and even the look of it was very tempting, so I have to search what it is. Minced meat, red beans, some spices and tomato sauce, cooked up till done into a bowl that hugs your tummy – there, that is what it is…

If you go ahead and look at the recipe, it is very basic. Many ingredients are simply grab and throw. The cooking time needed is only for the minced lamb or beef, but that also takes minimal effort. All you need to do is add a pack of minced meat, a pack of crushed tomatoes – I vouch for Pomi! – and a tin of kidney beans or white beans, whatever you fancy. I dropped in some bell peppers for a little vegetable twist and a can of sweet corn, because, well, my girls love it. A little bit of stirring and sitting, and around 40 minutes, I have a bowl of comfort smelling amazing in the kitchen and looking so drool-worthy!

This is perfect for the weather out there, so I would urge to bookmark it, add the list to your grocery list and get cooking. The below portion is quite good for a huge family and there will leftovers for the next day too, which is even better. It just tastes amazing the next day, like biriyani. Leaving you all with this simple recipe…

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Easy Chilli Con Carne

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 onion minced
• 2 red bell peppers cut lengthwise
• 650 gm beef mince washed and drained
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt to taste
• 500 gm pack crushed tomatoes I used Pomi
• 2 stock cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 gm tin red kidney beans drained
• 400 gm tin sweet corn drained (optional)
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the garlic and onion till just wilted.
• Add the red peppers and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add in the mince and cook for a few minutes, breaking it apart with your wooden spoon. Sprinkle in some sugar.
• As it releases its fat, add in the spice powders and give a good mix.
• Add in the crushed tomato, stock cubes and tomato paste and give a good mix. Add water if necessary.
• Cook on low flame till the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked.
• Add the drained kidney beans and corn, if using, and simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Adjust seasoning, sprinkle in the coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or bread, or have as it is.

Notes

Adjust on spices to your taste.

The post Easy Chilli Con Carne appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

It is the last day of the month and usually I post a recipe related to the Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge, if I am participating. I have been a part of this group for a long time and I look forward to the challenges being shared every month, and participate as much as I can, depending on my situation. This month, Prithi suggested to cook with winter vegetables and my partner is Jayasree. I have been reading her blog for some time for challenges and otherwise and love the collection of simple vegetarian recipes she shares. She gave me the secret ingredients of milk and cumin. Initially I was a little hesitant, because this combination is quite odd, but I decided to take it as a challenge and use it.

I always pick up spinach and try to cook with it as much as possible, even though the girls are not very fond. Most of the time, it becomes this palak paneer or gets sauteed into while I make some chana pulao. Since spinach is a winter vegetable, I decided to use it to make soup but was a little hesitant to use milk till I saw this recipe. I didn’t stick to the recipe per say, but the end result was such a delicious soup that I ended up drinking two full cups of it. The recipe is really easy – a little bit of sauteing, and then all ingredients are just put into the cooker and gets done. The soup is then blended till smooth and immediately served. With the simple ingredients used, it is a breeze to make. You can easily double it up and freeze some for those quick fix meals as well! Meanwhile, do check out what Jayasree has made with the ingredients I gave her…

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Easy Spinach Soup | Palak Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine International

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 bunches spinach chopped, washed and drained
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion roughly chopped
• 1 small potato roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 bouillion cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a pressure cooker, heat the oil, splutter the cumin. Fry the garlic briefly.
• Add the onion and potato and toss. Cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a mix. Close the cooker and cook for one whistle.
• Switch off and allow the pressure to go on its own.
• Open the cooker and using a hand blender, blend the mixture till smooth.
• Adjust the seasoning and enjoy!

The post Easy Spinach Soup | Palak Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Last month, the Blogging Marathon team had their mega marathon of thalis. I wouldn’t want to talk about it, because it gives me goosebumps. I feel ashamed how lazy I am when compared to them, but secretly I envy and admire them for putting up such beautiful plates of food for their family that then ended up on their blog. The BM marathon happens two times every year, but with too much on my plate, I have never been able to participate. I am hoping maybe I can tick that off my bucket list in 2021, who knows? For the time being, let me be satisfied with two weeks of Blogging Marathon. This month is edition #117 and for this week, the theme I chose was “No Cook Recipes” and the first recipe that popped up in my mind – the Gazpacho!

I have been wanting to make this raw tomato soup, that is intrinsic to Spanish cuisine, for a really long time. But somehow it just never happened. I wish I could explain that better. Hehe… Soups that absolutely need no cooking are a bliss for hot summer nights and Gazpacho is just one of them! Some simple ingredients – plump and juicy tomatoes, a nice little red bell pepper or capsicum and a watery cucumber mixed with some essentials, and you have this soup ready in no time. I tried tasting it right off the jar and it was delicious, however as it sat in the fridge, it got even better after all the flavors got some time to mingle and settle.

Some Gazpacho recipes use a slice of stale bread to give some body to the soup, but I felt the vegetables added itself provides a lot of body. I added some chicken stock to my soup, which is not a part of an actual recipe, but it gives a delicious edge, so do it if you would like to. The soup is served cold with toppings of your choice, like some chopped coriander, mint or parsely, diced onions or peppers, a dash of olive oil and some cream, or a simple crushing of whole black pepper! By the way, before I move on to the recipe, this is not the only no-cook soup I have made. Do check out this delicious cucumber soup as well…

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Easy Gazpacho | Chilled Tomato Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper cleaned and chopped
• 1 small cucumber peeled and chopped
• 2 gloves garlic peeled
• 1 small onion peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika optional
• 1/2 cup stock optional - refer notes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add all ingredients into a jar and using a stick blender, blend till smooth. Alternatively, you could use the blender. Check seasoning.
• Keep refrigerated for a couple of hours for the flavors to settle.
• Serve cold, with or without toppings.

Notes

Stock - I used chicken - is usually not a part of a traditional Gazpacho. But it gives a lovely flavor, so add if you wish to.

The post Easy Gazpacho | Chilled Tomato Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

It is the month end and it is time for the Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge, that is hosted by Mayuriji – did you have the chance to check out her latest guest post yet? If not, then please do. We have been doing some pretty interesting themes of late in this challenge, and I have been looking forward to participating in them, provided they were what I could cook for the family than myself. Hehe…

This month, the theme is “Mexican cuisine” and it was suggested by Narmadha, who blogs at Nams Corner. She has been doing some amazing thalis this month and this special non-veg thali made me feel like I could get married again and be invited to her home. *No offense, HD* Coincidentally, she ended up being my partner for this month too. Double whammy! Hehe… We have been chatted over messenger a few times and also keep in touch through the BM posts. I must say I had such a generous partner who was keeping it nice and simple for me, so I decided to be nice and simple to her too.

Now if we talk about Mexican cuisine, what comes to our mind are the salsas, the guacs, the tortillas, the tacos and what not! This cuisine is meant to be one of the oldest cuisines in the world, with some really complex flavors. Wikepedia tells me that my favorite ingredient, chocolate originated in Mexico. Oh wow! Due to historical invasions, there are some Spanish influences on this cuisine. Corn, chillies, tomatoes and meat form a very important part of their eating habits. I have tried very few recipes from this cuisine and this challenge has actually made me bookmark a few more to try in due course. Sharing some of the recipes below:

Chicken Corn Quesadillas

Corn Avocado Salsa

Mexican Flan – needs an update for sure!

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Tres Leches – how can we forget this amazing contribution!

Mango Avocado Salsa

Narmadha gave me the ingredients of corn and garlic. Now corn is something that gets used a lot in quesadillas and salsas. I was struggling a bit to find an interesting recipe with corn and I was almost going to give up, when magically Google ended up throwing a dish called Pozole. Read as “poh-so-lay”, this is a filling broth usually made with pork and dehydrated corn called as “hominy”. The meat is easy to replace, but I was really worried about where I will find hominy. I searched across the aisles in a few supermarkets and mostly Mexican food here is about salsa, guacamole and loads of tortillas. There was no sight of hominy and when I searched online, the options were so expensive that I wasn’t ready to burn my pocket, especially during this time!

Then I read this link that ended up being a Eureka moment for me. It said that I could use chickpeas and corn as a substitute and garlic was anyway a part of the ingredients to make a Pozole. I was really excited about making this, knowing how much the men really enjoy it. The same can’t be said about the girls, but sometimes you just drag them into it. My search on Google gave me a lot of different variations, so I went with what worked best with me. Most of the recipes used shredded meat, but I took the easy way and used mince, so that I could avoid the shredding. Hehe… I love that it is an easy, soul comforting soup that is so filling that you don’t need anything to go with it.

The specialty of this soup is that it is served with toppings that are sprinkled in as per your requirement. It adds a lot of character to the already delicious soup. I used radishes, Parmesan and coriander as our toppings, but as you may see in other recipes, they use thinly sliced cabbage, onions, Mexican style cheese, parsley, lime and even Nachos. Hehe… Vegetarians could replace the meat with soya kheema, I feel, but even without the meat element, this soup is totally a must make. Just apt for the cozy nights… Meanwhile, do check out what Narmadha cooked with the secret ingredients I gave her…

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Mexican Pozole

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 500 gm lamb mince thawed
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion minced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2-4 stock cubes
• 400 gm tin chopped tomatoes
• 400 gm tin chickpeas drained
• 400 gm tin sweet corn drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• FOR TOPPING: refer notes for more options
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Radishes sliced
• Coriander leaves minced

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the garlic slightly. Add the onion, cumin and red chili powder and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the mince meat, break it as you saute. Let it fry on low flame till almost done. Keep breaking in between to avoid lumps.
• Add the canned tomato in, and top with two can of water. Add the stock cubes. Allow the soup to simmer till slightly thickened.
• Add the drained chickpeas and corn and cook for further five minutes. Add the oregano and adjust seasonsings.
• Switch off and serve hot with the toppings sprinkled as per liking.

Notes

Toppings that can be used include sliced cabbage, lime wedges, parsley, tortilla chips, Mexican blend cheese, etc.
Add more water depending on how much liquid you would need.
You can replace the meat mince with meat pieces or chicken pieces. Just make sure to cook them properly and shred them before adding into soup.

The post Mexican Pozole appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

After the Sweet Corn Soup, here is the second recipe for the theme “Stews and Soups” for the Blogging Marathon #106. Mutton is one ingredient which is considered to be healthy, even though on the fatter side. The meat maybe red and not recommended to be eaten too much, but considering the improbability of instilling hormones into a goat when compared to a chicken, the meat is considered to be much healthier. In Malabar area, when a woman delivers, she is supposed to eat one whole goat, from head to whatever, in the 40 days she takes rest. I haven’t had that privilege for either of my deliveries but umma says that they would have it during their times. In fact, my SIL also had a whole goat while she rested after delivering my niece in May this year.

The ‘braath’ – the colloquial Malabari term used for the English word “broth” – is something that is made quite often with mutton. Usually mutton in itself with its marrow rich bones are included. But if you don’t want to chew on too much meat, then we use the leg portion, which is usually available separately. The leg portion has no meat at all, and is only good for the marrow, which is very rich in bone strengthening agents.

Usually the leg part would hardly have any meat in it. It would be mainly fat and the bone marrow that would cook into the soup. HD loves to chew on the bones so I allow the people who have the soup to play around with the bones. Hehe… This soup is surely one of the best to have in climates like now, where the weather change is creating a havoc on the health of almost everybody. A tall cup of the strained soup, nice and hot is enough to pep up the body and make you feel recharged.

I pressure cook the soup so that it gets done in less time. Even though the garnish is not necessary, I still add it since it gives a nice dimension to the soup. The recipe is very similar to how umma makes her thalacurry, except for some extra spices that will give the more soup like feeling to this dish. The obvious difference is that dish is more like a curry to be scooped and eaten with some pathiris or chapathis, while this is more watery and soupy, to be had on its own. Off to this simple recipe…

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Aatinkaal Braath | Mutton Bone Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 6-8 shallots
• 1 inch pc ginger
• 6-8 pods garlic
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 500 gm mutton legs washed well and drained
• 1 ltr water
• Salt to taste
• FOR TEMPERING:
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 small onion sliced
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker.
• As the oil heats, crush the cumin and fenugreek and add to the oil. Let it sizzle.
• Crush the shallots, ginger, garlic and curry leaves coarsely and add to the oil. Saute till for a few minutes till raw smell is gone.
• Add the powders and the legs and give a good toss. Add water and salt.
• Pressure cook for three whistles on high and then leave on simmer for 15 minutes. Switch off and allow the pressure to go by itself.
• Test taste to adjust seasoning.
• In ghee, fry the onion till done and add in to the prepared soup. Garnish with coriander leaves and maybe some curry leaves and serve hot.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page to see what the other Blogging Marathoners are doing this BM#106.

The post Aatinkaal Braath | Malabar Mutton Bone Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

The winter is slowly coming. Or should I say it is coming in slow motion… The mix of warmth and the nip of coolness is actually causing a havoc with the health of majority here. So when the Blogging Marathon #106 themes were declared, I obviously had to choose “Stews and Soups” as one, as all of us will now be looking at warming options for the body and soul. Hehe… So you will find three super easy recipes related to this theme back to back… You can browse the already existing soup recipes here…

The first one is a very simple corn soup. I always keep packs of frozen or tinned corn, since my girls love a quick snack with it, most of the time in the form of this buttery pizza corn or this corn chaat. When this theme was declared, I wanted to make use of one of the tins to make some soup. HD has been having his bout of flu and to say the least, it has been very irritating. It is tougher to handle the man more than the kids when they are sick. I am sure many would agree. I made this soup for him to settle his fever. It was very light on the stomach, had no diary ingredients in it and yet was thick and creamy, to make a full meal. This is a very easy soup that just needs to be mixed and pressure cooked, and then finally it is blended as per your requirement. I kept it a bit chunky with the corn bites but you can go ahead and make it as smooth as you want. I also kept it thick to be had with a spoon but you can add more water as you wish. I do feel a nice douse of coconut milk would up the flavors a good notch for this otherwise simple soup. Off to the recipe…

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Vegan Sweet Corn Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion minced
• 1 small potato peeled and chopped
• 380 gm can sweet corn
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2-4 cups water depending on thickness required

Instructions

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the garlic, onion and potato with a pinch of salt and cook for five minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, give a good mix and close the lid. Pressure cook for three whistles on high. Switch off and allow the pressure to go on its own.
• Open the lid and using a hand blender, blend the soup till desired consistency. I kept it a little chunky but you can make it smooth.
• Adjust seasoning and serve with a garnish of coriander leaves.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page to see what the other Blogging Marathoners are doing this BM#106.

The post Vegan Sweet Corn Soup appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

It is the tenth of the month and it is time for the Muslim Food Blogger Challenge! This month being Ramadan we decided to keep the theme simple and also take a break for next month, since the post date would come immediately after Eid and the last thing you want to do during Ramadan is cook for a challenge!

This month, we decided to make some soup. Now soup is one of the best meals you can have during Iftar. A complete blend of good carbs, proteins and fiber, it is a filling meal, that won’t make you bloat! With everyone looking at options to make their Iftars or dinners more healthy, soups definitely comes in as priority for many of them. Here are all the soup options that are already there on the blog…

Meanwhile, I present to you my simple soup filled with bites of chicken, vegetables and vermicelli! The inspiration for this soup came from a soup that came along with the meal from a restaurant that we had ordered from. It was one of the best soups I had in a long time, though it was mighty spicy! I decided to follow the concept in my own way. I kept the flavors simple. This soup is totally a filler. You wouldn’t need any side if you are using all the vermicelli I have used. But if you just need a little, and would like to eat a full on meal later, then do reduce the vermicelli to 1/4 cup.

I have chosen to thicken the soup with little oats, which is not needed as the vermicelli will thicken as it sits and add body to the soup. But the oats adds a little more fiber, so let it be. The flavors are simple, and you can do your adjustments to make it as appetizing as possible. Off to the recipe… And do check down to see soups that my blogger friends have come up with!

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Chicken Vermicelli Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Continental

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 400 gm boneless chicken cubed into small paces
• 25 gm butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3 spring onions chopped separately
• 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 cup vermicelli check notes
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 cube chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Melt the butter and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and sizzle.
• Add the white part of the spring onion to it and saute for a minute.
• Add the carrots and cabbage and toss well.
• Add the chicken along with the spice powders and give a good mix. Cook for around five minutes.
• Add the vermicelli and toss well. Add around four cups of water, add the chicken stock cube. Allow the mixture to come to a boil.
• Adjust seasoning and add the oats. Cook till the vegetables and chicken is all cooked, and the vermicelli is done.
• Add the greens of the spring onion and switch off. Add crushed pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like. Serve hot.

Notes

As the soup sits, it tends to thicken.
Use 1/4 cup vermicelli, if you do not want too much of it in your soup.
You can replace the vermicelli with orzo pasta too.
You can add 2 tbsp soya sauce and a tbsp of chilli sauce for an extra zing.

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