Spinach Soup!

This cold weather calls for comforting, hot cups of soups and the one I prefer to make is this easy Spinach Soup.  The ingredients are very few but you won't compromise on the taste. Do not be put off by the number of steps, the process is very straightforward :)

Spinach: 1 big bag (family pack) or maybe a couple of bunches of Palak
Chestnut Mushrooms: about 10-12
Onion: 1/4th of an onion (sliced or chopped.)  yes, a quarter of an onion.
Garlic: 2 pods, crushed and chopped.
Stock Cube: 1
Water: 500 mls or more to adjust the consistency
Salt, pepper: to taste
Cream: 50mls
Butter: 25gms
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp

-Take a big pot and heat a tbsp of oil+ half of the butter.
-Put the water to heat up or switch the kettle on.
-While still warming, add the garlic and let the butter heat up. This imparts flavour to the dish.
-When it is hot and the garlic has cooked, add the onion and cook until it turns pale. do not brown it!
-If you prefer, you can add 2-3 roughly cut up mushrooms at this stage.
-Now when the onions are done you can add the crushed stock cube and the whole bag of spinach leaves.
-Cover and let the spinach wilt. About 2 mins. Turn them once or twice.
- When wilted, pour in some water to almost cover the spinach and season with salt and pepper and boil.
-Take it off the stove and blend with a hand blender or cool and blend in a mixer.
-Put it back on heat and let it almost come to a boil. Pour the cream and reduce the heat and let it simmer.
-When heated through, season a final time with pepper and take it off the stove.
-For added flavour, you can heat the butter and saute the remaining mushrooms until brown and add to the soup.

People who don't like mushrooms can add some croutons/fried cubes of bread for a nice crunch.

Serve this piping hot with a nice bread and this will be the best dinner for a cold cold night.

Gajar Ka Halwa

What do you do when you get scrummy red, plump, fresh, Indian carrots? Make halwa of course! It helps that it is not too tough and yummy to boot. You can make it with regular carrots as well. But you will have an orange coloured halwa. Bleh!

Carrots, scrubbed, peeled and grated medium on a machine/box grater: 2 cups
Milk (preferably, full fat) : 2 cups
Sugar: 1/4 cup
Almonds, Cashew for garnish: 2 tbsp each
Cardamom powder: a pinch or two (personal preference)
Ghee: 5 tbsp

-Heat a thick bottomed pan with a couple of tsp of Ghee and roast the nuts and keep them aside.
-To this ghee, now add the carrots and stir fry for 7-8 minutes until soft and colour has changed
-Now, add the milk to  the carrot and keep stirring occasionally and cook on a medium heat.
-Wait until the mixture is almost dry and this takes about 30 -40 minutes.
-Now, add the sugar. This will make the mixture wet. Keep stirring and pour a few spoons of ghee as you stir on.
-Now add the cardamom powder and mix and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
-Serve hot on a cold winter's day.

This Halwa is not very sweet and you can increase the sugar if desired.