Temperatures are dropping here way too quickly. This kind of weather calls for some hot soup. So I thought of posting this recipe which we love so much. I have been cooking with lots of vegetables lately.  This soup is a one pot, wholesome dish in itself. I have prepared this couple of times for potlucks and it is loved by both kids and adults alike. The butternut squash gives a sweet taste to this. This freezes beautifully, so this can be prepared in a big pot and frozen for later use.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup beans (I use bean mix which has lot of different beans, barley) 3 cups butternut squash (or pumpkin) pieces 2 cups carrot pieces 1/2 cup onion 2 tea spns chopped ginger 1/2 tea spn cumin powder 1/2 tea spn chili flakes 1 finely chopped green chilli 1/2 cup red bellpepper 3 cups vegetable stock or water 1 cup chopped tomatoes Olive oil 1 tbl spn finely chopped coriander leaves Salt
Method: Soak beans for atleast 4-5hrs. Â In a pan, heat some oil and add chopped green chillies and ginger. Fry for a minute and then add onion, garlic, bellpepper, carrots and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add salt, cumin powder, chilli flakes, tomatoes. Fry for few more minutes. Now add beans, butternut squash, stock/water, coriander leaves and cook till vegetables and beans are completely cooked (I do this step in rice cooker or pressure cooker. This can also be done in slow cooker. Just make sure the squash still holds its shape when done). Serve hot.
Serves : 6-7 Preparation time : 1hr
PS: I frequently cook broccoli and carrots in salted boiling water for about 3-4mins for different pasta sauces that I make for Ishaan. I take out the vegetables and save the water to use in soups. Instead of making the stock for the soup or buying stock, I use this water in this soup.
The very first time I tasted paneer was when I was in engineering college. Our all parties involved atleast one paneer dish. I have tried including it in my cooking, but I don’t say I have been very successful. I buy it once in a while when I remember. Recently, we are having lot of get togethers and we get to taste atleast one dish with paneer, thanks to my North Indian friends.
Yesterday I wanted to make a gravy with paneer which was sitting in my freezer for a while. I asked my friend Amrita for a recipe, she makes lip smacking good paneer dishes. She suggested shahi paneer or paneer matar . I started making shahi paneer but then I kept tweaking it and made something which is kind of cross between shahi paneer and paneer kadai. It came out really good, even my 3 and half year old liked it (who hates any kind of cheese, so I tell him it is white chicken!!).
Ingredients: 2 cups paneer cubes 2 cups chopped capsicum (green bellpepper) 1/2 cup onion 1/2 cup tomato 1 tea spn ginger paste 1 tea spn garlic paste 1/2 tea spn coriander powder 1/2 tea spn cumin powder 1/2 tea spn cumin seeds A pinch turmeric 1 tea spn chilli powder 2 tbl spn chopped coriander leaves (use stems also) 1 tbl spn cashews 1 tabl spn almonds Oil Salt
Method: Heat a little oil and fry paneer pieces in it till they get brownish color. Then add capsicum pieces and fry for few minutes. Take cashews, almonds in a bowl with water and microwave for about 40secs. (Or soak them in water for for few hours). Heat oil and add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, onion. Fry till they are transparent. Now add tomato, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and cook till tomatoes are soft. Grind with soaked cashews-almonds, coriander leaves. Grind to a smooth paste. Add the paste to paneer-capsicum, pour in enough water to make it to gravy of needed consistency. Add salt and cook 5-6mins. Serve hot with chapatis or jeera rice .
Serves : 3-4 Preparation time : 30mins
