SWEET CORN SOUP

When it comes to soups another favourite at my place is the sweet corn soup. All of us in the family love to have corn in any form and for winter evenings this sweet corn soup comes as the perfect comfort food.

I've used sweet corn kernels which are easily available these days, if you get corn cobs you can surely make this soup using them too, even frozen American sweet corn can be used to make this sweet corn soup. I'd once made this soup using the tinned cream styled corn but did not like the taste much.

You can even use vegetables of your choice like finely chopped carrot or cabbage or spring onions, just sauté them a little in a spoon of butter and add to the soup. I have not used vegetables in this sweet corn soup as my daughters prefer the soup this way.

I do not use corn flour to thicken my sweet corn soup soup instead use a spoon of whole wheat flour if you prefer to use corn flour instead of the whole wheat flour you can add half a table spoon of corn flour to 1/4 cup water and add it to the soup and boil for a few minutes to get the desired consistency.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup  sweet corn kernels
1 cup  milk
1 cup water
1 table spoon whole wheat flour (aata)
1 table spoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tea spoon soya sauce
1/2 tea spoon red chilli sauce(optional)

METHOD

1. Boil the corn, take 1/4 cup from the boiled corn and keep aside.
2. Pulse the remaining 3/4 cup corn in the mixer to a puree.
3. Take the corn puree and pass it through a sieve to get a smooth paste.
4. In a pan take a spoon of butter add wheat flour(aata) to it. Sauté it for a few seconds do not let it brown too much just till the raw aroma goes.
5. Add the sieved corn paste to it. Keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.
6. Add one cup of milk and one cup of water and bring it to a boil.
7. Add salt, pepper, soya sauce and chilli sauce. If making for kids you may omit the sauces. My elder one prefers it with the sauces and for my younger one I keep aside a bowl of soup before adding the sauces.
8. Add the remaining 1/4 cup corn that we had kept aside to the soup. At this point you can also add the sautéed vegetables if you are using any. 
9. Let it simmer for a minute. Serve hot.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Boil the corn, take 1/4 cup from the boiled corn and keep aside.

2. Pulse the remaining 3/4 cup corn in the mixer to a puree.
3. Take the corn puree and pass it through a sieve to get a smooth paste.

4. In a pan take a spoon of butter add wheat flour(aata) to it. Sauté it for a few seconds do not let it brown too much just till the raw aroma goes.

5. Add the sieved corn paste to it. Keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.

6. Add one cup of milk and one cup of water and bring it to a boil.

7. Add salt, pepper, soya sauce and chilli sauce. If making for kids you may omit the sauces. My elder one prefers it with the sauces and for my younger one I keep aside a bowl of soup before adding the sauces.

8. Add the remaining 1/4 cup corn that we had kept aside to the soup. At this point you can also add the sautéed vegetables if you are using any. 
9. Let it simmer for a minute. Serve hot.

HAPPY COOKING!! 😊

EGGLESS BLUEBERRY CUP CAKES

I love the flavour of blueberries but blueberries are not easily available here, even if I find, they are the frozen ones. So this is a cheat recipe to fulfill the urge of having blueberries.
For these cup cakes I have not used blue berries but black raisins which are easily available in the market. I've made a blueberry topping using black raisins and grape juice which comes pretty close to the taste of blueberry topping and kind of satisfies the urge of having a blueberry flavoured dessert.

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour/Maida  2 cups or 200 gms
Butter 1/2 cup or 70 gms
Powdered sugar 3/4 cup or 100 gms
Baking powder 1 1/2 tea spoon
Baking Soda 3/4 tea spoon
Milk 1/2 cup
Grape juice 1/2 cup
Black raisins 1/2 cup

METHOD

1. Sieve the all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda 2-3 times. Keep aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Add half of the sieved flour mix and half of the milk and beat well.
4. Add the remaining flour and the milk and beat well once again.
5. Add the grape juice and mix it, do not beat much.
6. If the mixture seems a bit thick add 1-2 table spoons of grape juice or milk to it.
7. Dust the black raisins with flour and add them to the prepared batter. Mix lightly.
8. Line the muffin cups with paper liners.
9. Fill the muffin cups till about 3/4.
10. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or till the skewer or toothpick comes out clean.

HOME MADE BLUE BERRY TOPPING

INGREDIENTS

Black raisins 1/2 cup
Grape juice 1 cup
Corn flour 2 tea spoons
Blueberry/Strawberry/Mixed fruit jam 4 table spoons
Water 1/4 cup

METHOD

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the black raisins and the grape juice to it.
2. Boil and simmer on low heat till it reduces to 3/4 cup.
3. Add the jam, you can use any of the mentioned above, I used mixed fruit jam as I had it at home. Cook till it dissolves.
4. Dissolve the corn flour to 1/4 cup water and add it to the boiling raisin mix. Stir on low heat till it thickens. Let it cool and then use as topping.  

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Sieve the all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda 2-3 times. Keep aside.

 2. Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

3. Add half of the sieved flour mix and half of the milk and beat well.

4. Add the remaining flour and the milk and beat well once again.
5. Add the grape juice and mix it, do not beat much.

6. If the mixture seems a bit thick add 1-2 table spoons of grape juice or milk to it.

7. Dust the black raisins with flour and add them to the prepared batter. Mix lightly.

8. Line the muffin cups with paper liners.
9. Fill the muffin cups till about 3/4.

10. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or till the skewer or toothpick comes out clean.

HOME MADE BLUE BERRY TOPPING

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the black raisins and the grape juice to it.

2. Boil and simmer on low heat till it reduces to 3/4 cup.

3. Add the jam, you can use any of the mentioned above, I used mixed fruit jam as I had it at home. Cook till it dissolves.

4. Dissolve the corn flour to 1/4 cup water and add it to the boiling raisin mix. Stir on low heat till it thickens. Let it cool and then use as topping.  

HAPPY BAKING!! 😊

FRESH TOMATO SOUP

Fresh tomato soup is the most common soup that we get all around the world in almost every restaurant's menu, even in parties and marriages if there is soup served, tomato soup is the most favoured one.
Both me and my husband love soups and when I got married and was not much into cooking, I used to get lots of ready to cook packets of soup and we used to have one everyday during the winter months, but now that my daughters also enjoy soups I don't prefer the packet ones and make fresh soups at home.
This tomato soup recipe is again a simple and quick recipe using basic ingredients available at home. I have used fresh home grown tomatoes to make this lovely fresh tomato soup. I haven't used beetroot here as I didn't have it at home but adding beetroot gives a nice bright red colour to the tomato soup.

INGREDIENTS

6-7 fresh ripe tomatoes

2   carrots

3-4  garlic cloves

1/2 inch piece of beetroot (optional)

1 tea spoon butter

salt to taste

1/2 tea spoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup water

METHOD

1. Wash the tomatoes well and chop them roughly. Peel the carrots, wash and chop the carrots too. Peel the garlic cloves. If using beetroot wash, peel and chop the beetroot too roughly. As we will be boiling all these, it is not required to chop them finely.
2. Put all these in a pressure cooker along with half a cup of water and cook for 2-3 whistles. Let it cool down.
3. Once cooled, add it to a blender jar and blend everything to a smooth puree.
4. Put the blended puree in a strainer and strain it.
5. Take a pan add a spoon of butter to it, then add the strained puree. Add half a cup of water. Bring it to a boil.
6. Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat till you get the desired consistency.
7. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons. I didn't want to deep fry the bread so just toasted in a pop up toaster.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Wash the tomatoes well and chop them roughly. Peel the carrots, wash and chop the carrots too. Peel the garlic cloves. If using beetroot wash, peel and chop the beetroot too roughly. As we will be boiling all these, it is not required to chop them finely.
2. Put all these in a pressure cooker along with half a cup of water and cook for 2-3 whistles. Let it cool down.

3. Once cooled, add it to a blender jar and blend everything to a smooth puree.
4. Put the blended puree in a strainer and strain it.

6. Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat till you get the desired consistency. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons.

 7. Switch off the gas, garnish it with fresh coriander and a blob of fresh cream. Serve hot with bread croutons.  I didn't want to deep fry the bread so just toasted in a pop up toaster.

HAPPY COOKING!! :))