Tomato Egg Drop Soup

One fine day, I look upon and find nothing but tomatoes, what do i do, where does my mind go, to have that lip smacking delicious dish which my stomach juices linger on, to have more. There i go, I found it. The all so normal Tomato Egg Drop Soup. Its raining outside, and the thunders are calling out hard to prepare something that would tantalize my taste buds. Soups would be the best option.

Loads of tomato and the wonderful vegetable stock does the trick.

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes

2 or 3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2  tbsps Cornflour 

1 tbsp Tomato Sauce

1/2 tsp Oregano (Optional)

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1  tbsp  vinegar

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Salt to taste

Directions 

Peel garlic cloves and chop them into tiny bits. Finely chop the onion and tomatoes. Take egg and separate the egg white and yolk. Beat the egg white and keep it aside. Mix cornflour in 1/2 cup of water.

Take a deep bottomed pan. Add oil to the pan and saute garlic for 30 seconds. Add onions and saute them till translucent.  Add the diced tomatoes and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Now add tomato sauce, oregano, salt to taste and white pepper. Cook it for 30 seconds and then add the vegetable stock. Let it boil for 5 to 7 minutes. 

Add the cornflour+water mixture slowly and mix it till it reaches the required consistency.

Now, very slowly, add the beaten egg and stir it continuously in clockwise direction to create thin streams or thready mixture. Add vinegar and coriander leaves and let it simmer for 1 minute. 

Serve it piping hot with bread toast or croutons. 

Linking this to the event "Lets Cook Soups" hosted by Nayna  and Monsoon of India hosted by Sayantani and Jagruti

                              

Sambhar (Lentil Soup)

Sambhar is a popular south indian preparation which is accompanied with Idli, Wada, Rice, Utthapam made up of tuvar dal (Split red gram).

Ingredients

2 cups tuvar dal
4 cups of water
2 1/2 tsp of tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp sambhar powder (MTR preferred)
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (optional)
3 medium tomatoes
5-6 shallots ( small onions)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Tempering
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
2 whole red chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 twig of curry leaves

Directions

Note : I prepared a simple sambhar without the vegetables. you can add as many vegetables as you want. 

Chop all the vegetables of choice (brinjal, okra, drumsticks, etc). Wash and drain the lentils till the water runs clear. Take a heavy bottomed pan or pressure cooker and add lentils, turmeric powder, 1 tsp of oil and 2 green chillies. Boil the lentils till they turn mushy. In pressure cooker, allow 4 to 5 whistles to get it done. You can also mash the lentils with a heavy ladle to make it mushy. Add the tomatoes and shallots and your choice of vegetables to the lentils and then add salt, red chilli powder, Sambhar powder (For best results, grind 2 tbsp of sambhar powder with  2 tbsp dessicated coconut) and tamarind. Wait for 2 more whistles. Temper the dal mixture and add fresh cilantro as garnish.