Tomato Bisque

Tomato puree - 1 1/2 cups
Jalapeno - 1
Onion - 1
Carrots - 2
Celery - 1 stalk
Half and half (Fat free) - 1/4 cup
Chicken/Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Black pepper - 1 tsp + more to taste
Curry powder/Garam masala - 1 tsp

Dice all the vegetables. In a pan, melt the butter and add all the diced vegetables (Onions, jalapeno, carrots, celery and garlic). Saute till they are soft. Add the tomato puree, salt, pepper and curry powder. Stir and remove from heat. Cool and blend into a fine puree. Return to the pan, add the stock and half and half.

Simmer till thick and transfer to serving bowls.

Serve with additional cream, pepper and croutons.

Sambar

One of the most popular and well loved dishes from the southern part of India is sambar, and each of the 4 states have their own slight variations of it. I lived in chennai most of my life, so naturally my sambar gravitates toward the tamil version. Here's the recipe:

Toor daal - 1 cup

Shallots - 5 to 6 (else 12 small onions, or 1 big onion)

Green chilis - 4

Carrot - 1

Tomatoes -2

Eggplants - 2

Okra - 2

Bottle gourd or Sorakai - 1/2 small

Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 tsp

Cilantro - for garnish

Hing - a big pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 8 cups or more

Cook the daal with about 2 1/2 cups water in a pressure cooker for about 10 whistles, till it is really mushy and smooth. In a pan, add a tbsp oil and add the onions and chilis. Chop all the veggies into cubes. Fry till the onions are translucent and add all the other veggies. Fry till tender. In the cooked daal, add the sambar powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, sugar and some water. Mix well. Now add that to the veggies and pour the rest of the water. Let it simmer for about 10 min. In a seperate pan, add 1 tbsp oil  and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the hing. Once it starts to splutter add the tadka to the sambar. Garnish with cilantro.