Month: November 2023

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe

This Creamy Cauliflower Soup recipe ticks all the right boxes as far as soup is concerned. It is luscious and comforting, subtly spiced and delicious, healthy and easy to put together. What more would you want from a soup?

I find this soup absolutely blissful on cold wintry days or on dull days when the sky is overcast. Slow sips of this delicate soup do awaken my spirits. It is creamy without any cream actually being used in it, delectable, and can actually be put together with just a few everyday ingredients. No processed ingredients required! Let’s see how – scroll down for the Creamy Cauliflower Soup recipe.

Delightfully Creamy Cauliflower Soup

What Are The Ingredients Used?

Cauliflower is the main ingredient used in this soup, of course. There is also some onion and garlic added in for flavour. These are pan-roasted, using very little oil.

I have used milk to add a creamy texture and lovely taste to the soup.

There are just two basic seasonings used – salt and pepper. A garnish of dried mixed herbs, just before serving, elevates the soup to a whole new level.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Here’s how to make the soup.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1. A small-sized cauliflower, about 2-1/2 cups when chopped into small florets

2. 1 small onion

3. 5-6 cloves of garlic

4. 1/2 tablespoon oil

5. Salt to taste

8. 1/2 cup milk, boiled and cooled

7. Coarsely crushed pepper to taste

8. 1/2 tablespoon of jaggery powder (optional)

9. Dried mixed herbs for garnishing, as required

Method:

Top left: Step 1, Top centre and right: Step 2, Bottom left, centre and right: Step 3

1. Wash the cauliflower thoroughly and chop it into small florets. Also, peel the onion and garlic cloves and chop them roughly. Keep these ready.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the chopped onion and garlic, and turn the flame down to medium. Saute on medium flame for 3-4 minutes or till the onion and garlic are cooked and begin to turn brown.

3. Add in the cauliflower florets at this stage. Also add in a little salt and water. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium flame till the cauliflower is cooked through. This can take 8-10 minutes. You will need to uncover the pan intermittently to stir the contents, and add in a splash of water if the vegetables have become too dry. Switch off gas when done.

Top left and centre: Step 4, Top right: Step 5, Bottom left, centre and right: Steps 6, 7 and 8

4. Allow the cooked vegetables to cool down completely, then transfer them to a mixer jar. Add in about 1/2 cup of water. Grind everything together to a smooth puree.

5. Now, return the puree to the same pan we used earlier and place it on medium flame.

6. Wash the mixer jar with about 1/2 cup of water and add this to the pan as well. Mix.

7. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more water, depending upon the consistency of the soup you require. Mix.

8. Also add in the milk. Mix well. Cook on medium flame for a minute or two.

Left, top and bottom: Step 9, Bottom right: Step 10, Top right: Step 11

9. Add salt to taste, crushed pepper and jaggery powder. Mix well.

10. Cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes or till the soup comes to a boil, then let it simmer for about 2 minutes. It will thicken up considerably by this time. Switch off gas when the soup has thickened up but is still runny – remember that it will thicken up further with time.

11. Serve the soup warm, garnished with mixed dried herbs.

Gluten-Free, But Not Vegan

This Creamy Cauliflower Soup recipe is completely vegetarian, but not vegan because of the use of dairy-based milk. I think coconut milk or other vegan milk (like oat milk or almond milk) would work well in this soup too, though I have never tried that out.

This recipe is gluten-free.

Related Event: Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

This Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe is brought to you in association with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge.

The Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge is a group of enthusiastic food bloggers, who share recipes based on a certain theme every month. The way this group functions is very unique and interesting. Every month, the members of the group are divided into pairs. Each pair exchanges two ingredients secretly, unknown to the rest of the group members. These two ingredients are then used by each pair in a recipe that fits into the theme for the month. Upon completion, every participant shares a picture of the dish in the group, and the rest of the members try to guess the two secret ingredients that have been used in each one. It’s fun, and a great learning experience!

The group’s theme for the month of November 2023 was ‘Soups’, chosen by Narmadha of Nams Corner. She suggested that we experiment with ingredients and come up with a soup recipe, which would be perfect for the cold winter that is settling in gradually in most parts of India.

I was paired with Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds for the month. She made this dazzling Carrot Celery Soup using the two secret ingredients that I gave her (‘celery’ and ‘sweet potato’). She suggested I use the ingredients ‘cauliflower’ and ‘garlic’ in my dish, and I prepared this Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe.

Other Soup Recipes On My Blog

I would suggest you also check out the other soup recipes on my blog. There are quite a few!

Tips & Tricks

1. For best results, use a fresh, firm cauliflower that is free of blemishes.

2. It is okay to let the vegetables get a little browned. That gives the soup a lovely, roasted flavour. However, do make sure the veggies do not get burnt.

3. Here, I have used a pan to roast the vegetables. You can use an oven to do so too, but I prefer the pan.

4. I have used boiled and cooled full-fat milk here.

5. The jaggery powder is optional. You can skip it if you do not prefer using it. However, I do think it adds a beautiful flavour to the soup.

6. I have used mixed dried herbs from Keya, to garnish the soup (not sponsored).

7. I have used home-made crushed pepper here, which I make in small batches. I gently dry-roast a handful of black pepper for about a minute, allow it to cool down completely, then crush it coarsely in a small mixer jar. I store this in a clean, dry, air-tight bottle at room temperature and use as needed.

8. You can use white pepper to season the soup too, instead of the black pepper I have used here.

9. Remember to stop cooking the soup when it is still on the runnier side. It will thicken up with time.

10. Adjust the quantity of water you use, depending upon the consistency of the soup that you require.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Mishti Kumro Bhorta| Bengali Pumpkin Mash

Mishti Kumro Bhorta refers to mashed pumpkin curry, made the Bengali way. This is an utterly flavourful dish, full of robust tastes, and makes for an excellent side to rotis. It can also be had mixed with plain rice which, I understand, is the way Bengalis typically like eating it. My family and I love having this bhorta with rice and a simple dal tadka.

Mishti Kumro Bhorta, or Bengali Pumpkin Mash

I used to have a cook from Odisha earlier, a guy who was well-versed with Bengali cooking. He would cook us a bit of Bengali food every now and then, and this Mishti Kumro Bhorta was one of the things he introduced us to. As an aside, I love how the Bengalis make bhorta (mash) using every conceivable vegetable, much as we South Indians make chutneys!

I loved the Mishti Kumro Bhorta to bits the first time I had it, and our cook was sweet enough to roughly outline the recipe for me. Let me share with you all today how to put together this beautiful, flavoursome dish – it is quite an easy thing to make.

What Goes Into Mishti Kumro Bharta

‘Mishti Kumro Bharta‘ (Bengali) literally translates to ‘sweet pumpkin mash’. It is traditionally made using the sweetish red pumpkin, in place of which I have used butternut squash. I find butternut squash to be much more sweeter, flavourful and easier to cook than the regular Indian red pumpkin, and use it in several Indian dishes. Do check out this post where I have made South Indian style Parangikkai Poriyal with butternut squash – I have also described in this post, in detail, how to cut and use a butternut squash. I have also used butternut squash with great success in Avial, Mathan Erissery, Pumpkin Halwa and Parangikkai Rasavangi.

Apart from the squash, onion and a generous amount of garlic goes into the bhorta too. The usual suspects like salt and turmeric powder go in too, along with a little bit of sugar and red chilli powder. A dash of lemon juice is also used to flavour the dish.

A few spoons of mustard oil go into this Mishti Kumro Bhorta too, which is what gives the dish an authentic Bengali flavour.

Once done, the bhorta is garnished with a generous amount of finely chopped coriander.

How To Make Mishti Kumro Bhorta

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

  1. A medium-sized butternut squash, 3 cups when peeled and chopped
  2. About 4 tablespoons of mustard oil
  3. 1 medium-sized onion
  4. 6-7 cloves of garlic
  5. Salt to taste
  6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  7. Red chilli powder to taste
  8. 1/2 tablespoon sugar or to taste
  9. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
  10. A generous dash of lemon juice

Method:

Top left and centre: Steps 1 and 2, Top right and bottom left: Step 3, Bottom centre and right: Steps 4 and 5

1. Remove the top of the butternut squash and cut it in half. Remove the peel, the strings and seeds. Do not discard the strings and seeds – they can be used in a chutney later (will share the recipe for the same some other time).

2. Chop up the peeled and de-seeded butternut squash into cubes. Keep ready.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan. Add in the butternut squash, along with the turmeric powder and a little salt. Add a splash of water, and turn the flame down to medium. Cook covered on medium flame till the squash is cooked through. This should take 7-8 minutes. You will need to uncover the pan intermittently, and splash some more water if the pan has got very dry. It is okay if the squash gets some charred, brown bits while cooking – this greatly adds to the flavour of the bhorta.

4. While the squash is cooking, peel the garlic cloves. Smash them roughly, using a mortar and pestle. Keep ready.

5. Peel the onion and chop finely. Keep ready.

Top left: Step 6, Top right and centre left: Step 7, Centre right: Step 8, Bottom left and right: Step 9

6. When the squash is cooked, transfer it to a plate.

7. Heat about 3/4 tablespoon mustard oil in the same pan. Add in the smashed garlic cloves. Saute on medium heat for about a minute, then add in the chopped onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or till the onions start browning.

8. At this stage, turn the flame down to low, and add the cooked squash cubes back into the pan.

9. Add salt to taste, red chilli powder and sugar.

Top left: Step 9, Top right: Step 10, Centre left and right: Step 11, Bottom left: Step 12, Bottom right: Mishti Kumro Bhorta, ready to serve

10. Cook on low flame for about 2 minutes, mixing the ingredients together and mashing them up with the back of the ladle. Switch off gas when done.

11. Add in the finely chopped coriander and lemon juice. Mix well.

12. Add about a tablespoon of mustard oil, raw. Mix well. Your Mishti Kumro Bharta is ready. Serve it warm with rotis or rice. We like having it with rice and simple dal tadka.

Vegan And Gluten-Free

This recipe for Mishti Kumro Bhorta is entirely vegetarian and vegan. It is suitable for people following a plant-based diet.

This is a completely gluten-free recipe as well.

Tips & Tricks

  1. Make sure the butternut squash is well cooked. You should be easily able to mash a cube of the cooked vegetable between your fingers.
  2. Mustard oil is a must in this recipe. It is what gives this bhorta an authentic Bengali touch. For best results, use kacchi ghani mustard oil. However, if you don’t like the pungency of mustard oil or do not have it, you can use any other oil instead.
  3. A tempering of panch phoron (a mix of the five spices – cumin, mustard, fennel, nigella seeds and fenugreek – that is quite common in Bengali dishes) can be used in the bhorta too. I usually don’t, and neither do I use asafoetida to temper this bhorta.
  4. The onions do not have to be completely cooked. You can cook them till slightly done and crunchy and add them to the bhorta. Alternatively, you can add in the onions raw as well.
  5. Jaggery powder can be used in place of the sugar that I have used here. However, that might alter the colour of the final dish. Adjust the quantity as per personal taste preferences. You may also skip the sugar/jaggery if you feel the natural sweetness of the butternut squash is enough.
  6. You may use dry red chillies or green chillies in place of the red chilli powder I have used here. Adjust the quantity as per personal taste preferences.
  7. The lemon juice is optional. You can avoid it if you don’t prefer it. However, personally, I would highly recommend adding a dash of lemon juice. It adds a beautiful flavour to the bhorta.
  8. I have used a butternut squash here, which I bought at Namdhari’s Fresh (not sponsored). In case you cannot find butternut squash, you can use the regular Indian red pumpkin (which is what is traditionally used in this bhorta) . Butternut squash tastes sweeter and much more flavourful than red pumpkin, though.
  9. As mentioned above, do not discard the fibre and seeds from the butternut squash. They can be used to make a chutney.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates

These Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates are just perfect for parties and get-togethers. Free of refined sugar, they are relatively guilt-free little sweet treats, decadent and absolutely delicious.

Do try making these beauties for your Diwali dos! They are super simple to put together too – they need a sum total of 4 ingredients, and a platter takes just about 10 minutes to set up.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates, perfect for parties and get-togethers!

The Ingredients You Need

So, what are these 4 ingredients you need to make these Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates? Dates and cream cheese are 2 of them, of course! Use a moist, soft variety of dates like Kimia and good-quality cream cheese that is free of preservatives and additives.

The third ingredient is walnuts, which I have used for the crunch factor.

The fourth ingredient is honey! Dates are naturally sweet, but stuffing them with cream cheese reduces their sweetness quite a bit. Drizzling some honey over the stuffed dates helps balance it out. For best results, use pure honey that does not contain additives.

Check out the ‘Tips & Tricks’ section of this post to know which ingredient brands I typically use.

How To Make Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates

Here is how to go about making them.

Ingredients (for 10-12 stuffed dates):

  1. 10-12 Kimia dates
  2. 10-12 walnut kernels
  3. About 10 tablespoons of cream cheese or as needed
  4. 1-2 tablespoons honey

Method:

Top left, centre and right: Steps 1, 2 and 3, Bottom left, centre and right: Steps 4, 5 and 6
  1. Toast the walnuts on medium flame, in a small pan, for a few seconds. Transfer to a plate and allow them to cool down completely.
  2. When the walnuts have cooled down fully, chop them up roughly. Keep aside.
  3. Slit open the Kimia dates with a knife and remove the stem, if any. Remove the seeds from the dates. Keep the prepared dates ready.
  4. Stuff about a tablespoonful of cream cheese into each de-seeded date.
  5. Take each stuffed date and gently press some of the toasted and chopped walnuts on top of the cream cheese.
  6. Place all the stuffed dates on a serving platter. Drizzle them with honey. Serve immediately.

Related Event: Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

I present this recipe here in assocation with the Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, which is run by a group of passionate food bloggers.

Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge is a monthly event, wherein the members share recipes based on a pre-determined theme every month. How the group works is rather interesting. The group members are divided into pairs each month, with every pair deciding upon two ingredients secretly, unknown to the rest of the group. Each pair then uses these two ingredients to create a recipe that fits the theme of the month. Upon finishing, everyone posts a picture of their dish in the group, the other members trying to guess the two secret ingredients that have been used therein.

So, Rafeeda of The Big Sweet Tooth suggested the group theme for October 2023, ‘No Sugar Healthy Desserts’. She suggested we make sweets without refined sugar, avoiding jaggery as well – an apt theme, considering the upcoming festive season where most of us will be prepping sweet treats. Rafeeda made this beautiful Dry Fruit & Nut Kheer for the theme – sweetened with just dates, it looks so tempting and delicious!

I was paired with Mayuri ji, the very versatile blogger at Mayuri’s Jikoni, for the month. I suggested she use ‘sea salt’ and ‘almonds’ as her secret ingredients, and she came up with this gorgeous viral Date Bark that is completely free of refined sugar. Looks so good! To me, Mayuri ji gave the secret ingredients of ‘walnuts’ and ‘cream cheese’, and I used them to make these Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates.

Free Of Refined Sugar, But Not Vegan

This is a vegetarian recipe that is free of refined sugar. However, dates by themselves contain a considerable amount of natural sugar. Therefore, diabetics should consume this dessert in moderation.

This recipe is gluten-free. However, it is not vegan because it uses honey and cream cheese.

Tips & Tricks

  1. You can use any variety of dates you prefer. For best results, use fresh, moist and juicy ones that aren’t too hard or dry. I find Kimia dates work best in this recipe. I buy them from Ajfan, a specialty dry fruit and nut store here in Bangalore (not sponsored).
  2. Almonds can be used in place of the walnuts I have used here. Toast them in a similar manner, then chop them up and use them to garnish the stuffed dates.
  3. You can add chopped cranberries or lemon/orange zest to the cream cheese, for a surprise factor.
  4. You can mix in some honey with the cream cheese, if you like more sweetness. Here, I haven’t – I just drizzled a little honey over the stuffed dates, and it was just perfect for us. You can even skip the honey completely, if you don’t prefer using it.
  5. Maple syrup can be used in place of the honey, too.
  6. Use good-quality honey and cream cheese, that are free of preservatives and additives. I prefer using honey from organic brands like Svastya Organics, Zizira or Akshayakalpa and cream cheese from Vallombrosa’s (not sponsored).
  7. For parties and the like, you can make the stuffed dates about a day in advance and keep them chilling in the refrigerator. Take them out of the refrigerator to thaw them at least an hour prior to serving. Drizzle with honey just before serving.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!