Tomato passata (12)

Tomato-lentil curry soup with coconut cream and cilantro

The recipe for this soup was born spontaneously and immediately became one of my favorites. Incredibly fragrant, with an oversized multi-faceted taste. A bit similar to Indian dal, only more delicious;)

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes in own juice (cut pelati) or tomato passata – 400g 2 banks,

• Carrots – 2-3 pieces of medium size (basically a carrot can not put or replace a piece of pumpkin, the equivalent weight of carrots)

• 2 large onions,

• Red/yellow lentils – 500g,

• Chicken/vegetable broth 2-2. 5 liters (amount of broth depends on the degree of thickness of soup you like)

• 200 ml (half cans) coconut cream, or two-thirds of banks fat coconut milk,

• 5 cloves of garlic,

• 2 tbsp grated ginger,

• Yellow curry paste to taste (I have 5 tbsp Aroy-d),

• Sweetener – 2-3 tbsp (I have the Jerusalem artichoke syrup),

• Butter ghee or vegetable oil – 2 tbsp,

• 3 Bay leaves

• Ground cumin (Jeera) – 1 tsp or to taste

• Ground coriander – 1 tsp or to taste

• Ground red chili pepper – to taste (add gradually at the end of cooking),

• 2 tsp turmeric,

• 2 sticks of cinnamon,

• 3 gvozdichki,

• 4 cardamom pods,

• Salt and pepper to taste.

UPD. I recently tried to cook this soup with chickpeas and sweet potato. Put 2 cans of chickpeas (480g or boiled), plus 1 large sweet potato, cut into small cubes, and lentils used in 2 times less. Yam is put into the soup along with the lentils and the cooked chickpeas along with Try this option – very tasty!

For serving (every ingredient):

• Lemon juice or lime juice (1 bowl juice large slices)

• Cilantro (1 plate 2-3 tbsp coarsely chopped leaves or stems but don’t throw away, and then cook them in the broth),

• Flatbread (naan, chapatti, roti) or thick pita bread for serving.

Just want to mention that a huge set of spices makes the taste very interesting. If you are not at home a few spices, you can these ingredients do not use. If you have absent most of the spices I recommend all to acquire them and to make this crazy flavorful dish exactly according to my recipe;)

How to do:

1. Lentils, rinse and drain in a colander.

2. All vegetables should be washed. Finely chop the onion, carrot (pumpkin) to grate on a coarse grater, ginger RUB on a small grater, garlic skip through the press or chop with a knife. Banks with milk and tomatoes and rinse under running water and access to all the ingredients were ready.

3. A pan (preferably thick-walled) heat over medium heat, then medium heat and heat it in oil, then throw all the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and Bay leaf). Fry until bright flavor, stirring constantly with a spatula. Then add the spices to the onions and carrots.

4. When onions and carrots are Golden, put them ginger and curry paste, cook for another couple of minutes, then add the garlic, cook for another 30 seconds. Then immediately remove from AREVA cardamom and cloves, and add to the lentils, broth, cumin and coriander.

Now you only have to bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until lentils soft, about 25 minutes.

Important. Cardamom and cloves I clean, because they have enough to give its flavor, and so they then in the dish not interfere. Bay leaf and cinnamon leave, because they are very easy to notice and catch, for example, when pouring soup into a bowl.

5. When the lentils are cooked, add to the tomatoes and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stir, dalaam coconut milk/cream, again over low heat, bring to the state of the boil (the lid is not closed, otherwise the milk may curdle), and switch off immediately. Now that you have to balance the taste with salt, pepper, sweetener and chili pepper. The aroma should bring to mind and move to a warmer climate, the taste should be spicy and slightly burning with a pleasant sweetness.

6. Flow is no less important than the recipe of the soup. Pour it into a deep saucer, fill out a handful of chopped coriander, sprinkle generously with lime juice, a splash of cream can back splash of beauty and provides this splendor with fresh bread. Ideally, if it is hot. You’ll go crazy from the delicious guarantee!

My Soup + lean version

A few words about my borscht

It is not like those that were cooked in my family, not like I tried anywhere, it is somehow different, mine) It is quite suitable for the main dish, there is a spoon in it, a lot of meat and beets, but there is no cabbage at all, and the serving is very important: it must certainly be with rye garlic toast, with excellent bacon, delicious sour cream and Greens.

And the recipe is this (I cook in a 5-liter pot):

Broth.

My 1.5 kg of meat “for broth” (usually the neck part, which has a lot of connective tissue, which makes the broth very rich). Fill it with cold clean water (about 1.5 liters), so that all the meat is closed, and bring to a boil. After cooking for 5 minutes I drain the water. Then repeat the procedure from the beginning. Wash the meat, pour cold water and cook for about 1.5-2 hours until the meat becomes very soft. I cook under the lid on low heat so that the water does not boil much, but if it becomes small, add a little boiling water. Already at the end of cooking, I throw about 10 peas of pepper, 2-3 bay leaves and a handful of dried mushrooms, previously ground into small crumbs, because in this case they are a seasoning, not an ingredient.  I cook the broth the day before and advise you, and here POh nothing:

  • I can skim the extra fat off the cold broth the next day because it will harden on the surface.
  • I can strain the broth from the peppers and bay leaves as they have already given away their flavors. As a child, I ate these peppers from the soup, I no longer burn with desire)))
  • Cold meat is easier to disassemble. We need to get it out of the broth and remove the fat, veins, bones and cut into portions, then return to the broth.

But you can cook the soup immediately, then after the meat is ready, take it out, disassemble it and return it to the pan.

Roast.

The main thing here is to cut everything and cook in advance, then just throw it into the pan.

1 large onion + 1 large carrot cut finely and passeruem in oil for frying in a large(!) in a frying pan (we still have a lot of things to put in it, so in a large one) until very strong. I like everything to be straight caramelized.

At this time, prepare the following ingredients:

1 large tomato is immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, cleaned from the skin, crushed. You can use 100-150 ml of tomato passata or tomatoes in their own juice instead of tomato.

Peel the beets (if it is old and large) or just wash and grate (if it is young). Need 2-3 pieces of medium size. In the presence of fresh tops, it is also crushed (without stems).

We pass through the press 2 large cloves of garlic, 200 gr. my prunes, cut into 2-3 parts each. Bones all remove esseseno.

When the onions and carrots are ready, add the tomato and tops, fry for 5 minutes, then add the beets, garlic, prunes + 1-2 tablespoons of syrup (Jerusalem artichoke), tomato paste, vinegar (so that the beets do not lose their color). We cook it all for 10-12 minutes.

We shift the contents of the frying pan into a saucepan with ready meat. Add salt/pepper / syrup/herbs to taste. The sweetness of the soup depends on the sweetness of the beets and prunes, the acid – from vinegar and tomato paste, so you need to try the soup and adjust the taste. It should be without pronounced sweetness and acid, balanced. Bring to a boil and remove from the stove. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes (cover with a lid, but do not close completely).

I recommend eating borscht not immediately, but the next day;) So he will reveal all his tastes and aromas as much as possible, and make friends with them.

You can make a vegan version of borscht, instead of meat broth using vegetable or mushroom broth, or just water, and instead of meat – beans (2 cans or about 500g). Tastier with white, or with a mix of white and red. And you can serve such borscht with croutons from Borodino / rye bread, smeared with either fragrant sunflower oil, garlic, or mustard.

All Bon Appetit!