Chettinad Tomato Soup with video. Spicy and tangy home style soup made with tomatoes, dal and so aromatic from the whole spices. This soup is vegan and gluten free.
I can't believe I took this long to share this amazing soup in the blog. I learned this soup from the same Aachi from whom I learned this Chettinad Kalyana Vatha Kulambu.
I misplaced the recipe notebook that I used to jot down recipes when we moved into our new place 2 years ago. I had been meaning to go through the loft to find it but alas no one seemed to be free on Sundays.
But one good thing from the lockdown was since all of us were free and ran out of things to do to keep ourselves busy, finally hunting it down was accomplished.
And here I'm sharing one of my much-loved soups that is simply perfect for this biting cold weather to sip on at night.
The prominent taste of this soup comes from the tang of the tomatoes, this being a chettinad tomato soup - Duh!!!
But if you wish to make it more nutritious and filling, you can use other vegetables like carrots, beans, capsicum, cabbage, zucchini and peas. Do chop them finely before adding to the soup.
Dal added gives this soup more volume and body preventing it from looking like a clear soup. So do not miss it.
What other variations can I make to this soup?
If you want a thicker-looking soup and prefer a silky texture, you can add a little bit of thick coconut milk before switching off.
This will not only add some sweetness to the soup but also bring down the heat from the spices. Make sure you don't boil the soup after adding coconut milk, as it may curdle.
If you do not like to bite into the whole spices while sipping the soup, skip adding whole spices and instead add ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder.
Recipe Notes:
Remove the seeds from the green chilies. This way you can avoid biting into the seeds while sipping the soup. If you prefer the soup to be very spicy, you can skip this step.
Use cold-pressed groundnut oil for an authentic tasting Chettinad-style soup. If not available use any vegetable oil.
Use standard country tomatoes and avoid using hybrid variety.
Check out these other Healthy Soup Recipes
Creamy Vegan Tomato Celery Soup
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Chettinad Tomato Soup Recipe Card Below:
Chettinad Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- Sambar onions - 5
- Tomato - 2
- Mint leaves - 10 nos
- Green chilli - 1
- Moong dal - 1 tbsp
- Toor dal - 1 tbsp
- Garlic - 4 to 5 pods
- Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
- Black pepper corns - ¼ tsp
- Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp
- Cinnamon - ½ inch piece
- Star Anise - ½
- Clove - 1
- Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves - few
- Salt - to taste
- Groundnut Oil - 2 tsp
Instructions
Preparation:
- Chop the sambar onions and tomatoes finely. Slit the green chillies into 2 lengthwise and remove seeds. Chop mint leaves finely.
- Take a mixer jar, add cumin and black pepper and pulse it 3 to 4 times to crush them coarsely. Add garlic and pulse once or twice. The garlic needs to be just crushed & not ground to a paste. Set aside.
- Rinse and soak toor dal and moong dal together in ½ cup water and soak for 15 mins.
Make chettinad tomato soup:
- Pressure cook the dals for 3 to 4 whistles. Mash well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil. Add cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds and fry for 10 to 15 secs.
- Add curry leaves, sambar onions and cook till it turns translucent. Add tomatoes, green chilli and mix well to combine.
- Add coarsely crushed garlic-pepper-cumin mix and saute for 1 min over low flame. Add red chilli powder, mint leaves and mix well.
- Add cooked dals along with dal cooked water, if any. Add 1-½ to 2 cups water and salt. Mix well to combine, close the pan with lid and let it cook for 2 to 3 mins over medium flame.
- Once the soup is on a rolling boil and frothy on top, switch off the stove and transfer the soup to individual bowls.
- Serve this spicy chettinad tomato soup piping hot with some popped cornflakes on top.
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