Carrot Celery Soup (Gluten Free)

Carrot Celery Soup with Brown Rice Pasta

Soup makes a great one pot meal, when you make it chunky and thick. This soup can be made thick or thin. I was cleaning up my fridge to buy some new veggies so these were waiting to cooked.

1 Bunch Celery (the long one)

I Small Bag of baby carrots  (which we forgot to snack on during the week)

4 Large Carrots

2 small red Radish (which somehow escaped when I made radish sambar)

A small bunch of Spring onion (bottom to fry along with the onion and top to garnish)

So I set out to make the soup.

Prep time - to cut veggies about 10 minutes
Cooking Time - Saute - 10 Minutes Pressure Cook 15 mins blend and Garnish 5 mins

You will need

Celery - Chopped in 1/2 finger long lengths

Carrots - chopped in big pieces (No need to chop the baby carrots)

Spring Onion Onion - 1 (Chopped in big pieces)

Garlic - 1 (in cloves)

Oil - 1 Tablespoon

Cilantro to Garnish

Cumin - 1 Tsp

Salt - 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon

Vegetable Broth or Water  - 1 Quart 

Butter 1/4 Teaspoon

Cayenne Pepper Powder - 1/8 Teaspoon

All Spice Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon

If you don't have these on hand, you can substitute any other spice that you like.

I feel Cayenne Pepper adds a different kind of spiciness to the soup rather than regular chilly powder.

I forgot to take a picture after adding the carrots, the  last pic was taken after the veggies were cooked in the pressure cooker, while blending them.

Method
--->In a Pan, on a medium flame, add the oil. When it starts to get hot, add the cumin, saute it till it slowly starts sizzling, add the garlic cloves, then the onion  and spring onion, and saute it till it all starts coming together.
--->Now add the celery, mix once
--->Add the carrots, mix once. Add Salt
--->Transfer the contents to a Pressure Cooker and give it 3 whistles.
--->After the pressure comes down, take a hand blender and blend it all well.
--->In the pan you sauteed the veggies, add the butter and when it melts add the spice powders and mix well, now add the blended contents  and the broth to this. Mix well. Taste for Salt
---->Garnish with the Chopped (top part) Spring Onions and Cilantro

To make this thick and make it a one pot meal, I cooked some brown rice pasta  and served it together.

How to make Avial (Steamed (Country) Vegetables in Yogurt Gravy)

It goes very well on its own, accompaniment to a good Vengaya Sambar (Onion Sambar),
or with Adai.....Shown here with Adai (my husband's Dream / Favorite combination)

Avial

This is one of the most easiest vegetable dish to make. Yet I have seen various versions of Avial in Hotels and

other places and had to write this post. The Tamilian (Tanjore Style) version of this dish really has only 3 Simple steps. The Avial which is traditionally made in my house is white and will have only country vegetables (naattu kaai) which means it wont have lima beans, corn, peas, or cauliflower. I have seen this made with the mixed frozen vegetables that are available here in the US and I feel the individuality of this dish is robbed.

 

The Vegetables you can use to make this are

Winter Melon (Vellai Poosanikkai)  (More of this)

Beans

Carrots

Cucumber

Chayote (Also known as Bengalore kathrikai or Chow Chow)

Snake Gourd

Guwar Beans (Cluster  Beans -- Available in Indian Stores)

Avaraikkai (Broad Beans -- Available in Indian Stores)

Green Raw Banana 

Raw Green Banana

Thick Stems of Spinach

Brinjal (Eggplant) (I really don't like to include this)

Indain Yam (Senai Kizhangu-- You don't get this in the USA)

Drum Stick (only frozen available in Indian Stores and they are not that good .. can do without this)

Steamed Taro Root (only if you really really want it, but the avial will become slimy)

And Absolute NO NO s are
Any kind of Onions, Tomatoes, Okra (Ladies Finger), cauliflower.

Potatoes and Indian Yam can be steamed separately and added.
As an option, potatoes can be peeled and cut and then steamed along with the other veggies.

This will feed a minimum of 8 people

You need
 All the Vegetables (about 8 cups)
Cumin -- 2 to 3 teaspoons
Fresh Grated Coconut --  1 cup (yes 1 cup)
Green Chili - 4 or 5 (or more if you can handle it)
Fresh Yogurt - (About 2 or 3 cups)
Salt as needed

Method
--->Grind Cumin, Coconut and Green Chillies to a smooth paste
--->Cut all the veggies. Make the pieces big but not too big that you have to open your mouth too wide to eat it... :)
--->Add the salt and Cover and Steam all the veggies with about 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
--->The veggies will let some water out.
--->After the veggies are cooked (when pressed with a fork it should easily get mashed) if you see there is excess water you can drain it, but a little excess is fine.
--->Mix the ground paste to this and boil for a few mins on a low heat.
--->Mix the yogurt to this and remove from fire as soon as the mixture gets warm and before the yogurt splits.

Traditionally there is no tempering of mustard seeds for this.
You can add some Coconut oil as an option, and some curry leaves as a garnish.

[If you notice, this is similar to this Mor kootu, except for mor kootu (made with one vegetable) is usually garnished with a tempering of Red Chili, Mustard and Curry Leaves.]