Monday, March 14, 2016

Recipe 1: Palak Soup

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Maria has divided her book, ‘From My Kitchen to Yours’ into monthly menus with soups, salads, starters, non-vegetarian and vegetarian main course dishes, and desserts.

I honestly can’t cook a full course meal together. And even if I were a pro cook, it would have been a difficult commitment. Hence, I’ve decided to go slow and steady with one recipe at one time. (Plus, I really want to savour this project.)

So, the moment the book was delivered, I excitedly opened it to check out what’s in store for me. They say, never judge a book by its cover. But let me tell you, I fell in love with the book instantaneously looking at the cover. The photography, the colours, the typeface, the illustrations, everything in the book looks oh-so-yummy. I bet you’d love it too. I need not describe what’s there on the cover, you can always Google it. I know, you guys are smart. So, moving on.

Deciding to read the preface and the introduction later, I eagerly flipped through the pages and reached the recipe section. Only to be taken aback.

‘PALAK SOUP’, it read.

I was heartbroken to see a spinach soup recipe. I don’t want to learn how to make a spinach soup! Who on earth wants to learn how to make a spinach soup?

Oh, no, no! Don’t get me wrong. I’m not at all a fussy eater. But come on, who begins such a fun project with a recipe as unsavoury as palak soup.

I somehow managed to cheer myself up and get ready to deal with a wicked bunch of spinach leaves.

Mother dearest, who trusts her daughter’s culinary skills like no other mother on this planet, warned me not to use the entire bunch and waste the whole thing. Wastage of food is not encouraged in our home, you see. I tried to explain her how changing the measures will make the whole recipe go for a toss. But she didn’t budge. And I was in the soup.

So, totally depending on my primary-level math skills, I noted down all the ingredients with revised measures, and finally managed to start the process.

The veggies started boiling. Forget about matching the colour of the concoction with that picture in the book, it was not even close to green. However, like a brave soldier fighting a lost battle, I continued doing what the book instructed to do with 100% faith in Maria and zero in myself.

And my faith did not fail me. Somewhere in between taking the puree out from the mixer and adding milk to the blend, it slowly started looking and smelling like a soup.


Koko, my niece (I would be mentioning her more often), and I enjoyed the soup, while mother kept regretting for forbidding me from making it in larger quantity.


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