Pumpkin Soup

So here we are in a brand new year and I hope that this year will be under the sign of fun, flavour and health for all my readers.  It's cold and it looks as if winters are here to stay.  And what better way to beat winters than a bowl of fresh, home-made soup.  Soups are not only good for health but they are also a yummy way to beat bitter cold.

The advantage of home-made soups is that you know what you add and are sure of the quality of ingredients which is essential for health.  There are no chemical additives.  It's fresh so you get most of the vitamins and minerals from it.

Ingredients:

1 TbSp            Butter

2                      Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1                      Onion (cut in big pieces)

1                      Pumpkin (cut in big pieces)

2-3 twigs         Parsley

½ cup              Water

Cream

Salt

Pepper

Parsley (Fresh if possible).

Procedure

Put a pan on fire.  Add butter.  Once it starts melting add finely chopped garlic followed by Onion.  Stir. 

Once Onion is well cooked (not brown) add pumpkin.  Continue stirring from time to time. 

Add water when you can smell the fragrance of pumpkin.

Add salt and pepper.  Stir well.

Cover.  Let it cook for approximately 10 minutes.  Remove the lid and see if it is well cooked.  If yes, then remove from the fire.  If not, then add some more water, stir and cover till it is well cooked.

Once cooked, remove from fire and let it cool down a bit.

Use a hand-held mixer to grind it into a smooth paste.  If it isn't liquid enough then add some water or milk (I prefer milk).  Heat it before serving.  Add freshly chopped parsley and serve. 

Often, people add olive or rapeseed oil to make it healthier.  And if the soup is liquid enough then you can add wheat germ (rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, E, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, proteins and fibres) or Brewer's Yeast (rich in vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, E, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, proteins and fibres) (sold as Superlevure in France) (manufactured and sold by Gayelord Hauser in France).  This makes your soup much healthier and a completely balanced meal.

Beating winters simply

Winter means cold weather and often people fall prey to diseases like flu.  But there are some simple ways to beat cold and I'm going to share one of them with you today.  It's called Besan ki barfi or simply Besan. 

Ingredients:

250 Gms Besan (chickpea flour)

250 Gms Ghee (clarified butter)

Single string Chashni (Sugar syrup made in such a manner that it forms a single string when it flows)

Powdered khus-khus (poppy seeds)

Almonds (whole or crushed)

Procedure:

Heat ghee in a wok.  Add besan to heated ghee and heat till the fragrance of besan fills the house.  Take it off the flame.  Add powdered poppy seeds and almonds and mix well.  Add sugar syrup to it and continue mixing.  It should be semi-liquid.

Take a metal plate with rim and butter it.  Pour the mixture in it and let it lie for 7-8 hours.  It will become solid.

After that cut it into small square pieces with a knife and take it out carefully and store.

You can store it for some time if you manage not to finish it that is :-)

It is easy to make and the most crucial part is making the chashni or the sugar syrup.  If you are unable to make perfect sugar syrup you may end up with either too soft or too hard barfi or it may be too sweet or not sweet enough. 

Benefits:

It helps reinforce immunity during winters and is considered a good remedy for cold.  Besan is very rich in proteins and is good for health.