Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sia's Carrot Coconut Shorba

When I read Sia's post on Carrot Coconut Shorba, I knew I had to try it. Maybe it was the cold cold winter outside. Maybe it was the pictures posted by Sia. Maybe it sounded like a tasty and unique combination. Maybe we are trying to eat healthy now. It was for all the maybe's. :) And I just loved it when I got to try it! I am trying hard to include soup in our dinner for atleast two evenings of the week. Wish I was not allergic to Lettuce, then I would have loved to have salad every evening. Am really jealous of people who can eat a bowl of salad for lunch and make it for the day!

Posted below is Sia's recipe with minor modifications - less coconut and more heat. Thanks, Sia, for sharing this delicious recipe!


Ingredients (makes 6 bowls)
Carrots - 3
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (I used Chakoah's brand, quite concentrated)
Onion - 1 medium
Black Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Green Chillies 2-3
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - ½ tsp
Coriander Leaves - few sprigs
Curry Leaves - 4-5
Canola Oil - 1 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Salt to taste

Step 1
Heat oil in a pan in high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard starts to crackle, add the cumin and green chillis. When the cumin browns slightly, add the sliced onion and black peppercorns. When the onion crystallizes, add the carrots, salt to taste and close the lid. Cook the carrots covered (without adding any water) for five to ten minutes in medium heat. Keep stirring every two minutes or as required so that the carrot does not burn. Add water, coriander leaves and cook for further five minutes over a medium heat till carrots turn tender.

Step 2
Drain the water and reserve as stock. When the carrots are cold enough, grind it to a smooth paste (adding a few tbsp of reserved stock at a time).

Step 3
Cook the ground carrot paste for about 5 minutes. Add some of the reserved stock from Step 2 as required to get the desired liquid consistency. Mix in coconut milk and cook for another 2-5 minutes on a medium flame. Maa always advises to cook the coconut milk as less as possible, when adding to dishes.

Enjoy the shorba hot!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

A Meme and some cherry blossom pics

Hey All,

It's been so long! Life just took over - work got hectic, school got deadlines! Everyone just conspired to keep me away from blogging. Got some new recipes in the meanwhile which I will post about shortly. Hope to become more regular in posting....Amen!

Way back in February, dear Divya tagged me for a MeMe. The first time anyone tagged me, so it is definitely a delight. Almost feel like the first chain-letter I took part in during middle-school days! Thanks, Divya! :) Let me take a stab at this.

Here are the rules for the Meme..
  1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
  2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
  3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them)
  4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.
Five facts about myself:
  1. Attended a 3-month crash course on Bakery during the holidays after 10th grade exam and before 12th-grade started from Institute of Hotel Management.
  2. Started cooking only after getting married. Get a real real real high feeling when my aunt-in-law asks me for recipes...she is one of the best and cooks some of the most authentic recipes!
  3. Still call my mom to ask for recipes when I am expecting guests, sometimes really early in the morning 5AM India time...that was unintentional, of course! It just the stressed me who loses all track of time. :)
  4. Apart from cooking, I love doing embroidery, cross-stitch, knitting and cutting whenever time permits!
  5. Very good at remembering birthdays and anniversaries! Friends are a blessing in life. Not possible to keep in touch with everyone always, birthdays and anniversaries are a great opportunity to catch up!

I would like to tag the following fellow-bloggers. Feel free to participate, only if you want to.

  1. Shibani of Any one can cook
  2. Tee of Bhatukli
  3. Manisha of Indian Food Rocks
  4. Anita of A Mad Tea Party
  5. Sia of Monsoon Spice

Have a great weekend, everyone! Enjoy the Cherry Blossom pics from the National Mall, DC.