Serves: 4
Total Calories: 67

4 to 5 cups coarsely chopped root vegetables, such as beets, kohlrabi, potatoes, turnips, and carrots
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
4 to 5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ajwain, seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Snipped chives

1. Place the all the root vegetables in a pressure cooker. Add the onion, tomato, green chili peppers, ginger, cilantro, and 3 cups water. Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and allow to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove the lid.

2. Let cool, then blend everything in a blender in 2 to 3 batches until smooth. For a very smooth texture, pass the blended soup through a food mill, adding the remaining water as necessary for desired consistency.

3. Return the soup to the pressure cooker, mix in the salt, black pepper, and lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl.

4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and ajwain seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander and garam masala and transfer the seasoned oil to the soup. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Sprinkle the chives on top and serve.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 67
Calories from Fat: 30

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Soups
Cabbage Soup with Vegetables
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Cashew Corn Soup in Chicken Broth
Chicken Soup with Chayote Squash
Chicken Soup with Cream-Style Corn and Green Chili Peppers
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk
Chickpea Soup with Chicken Broth
Chilled Chickpea Soup
Chilled Potato Soup
Chilled Roasted Vegetable Soup
Chunky South Indian Tomato Soup
Classic South Indian Ginger Soup
Creamy Almond-Poppy Seed Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Curried Green Pea Soup
Fast Black Bean Soup, Indian Style
Fragrant Yogurt Soup
Goan Caldo-Verde Soup with Cauliflower
Goan Shrimp Soup
Mulligatawny Soup
Mysore Coconut Soup
Puréed Mushroom Soup with Yogurt
Puréed Pumpkin Soup
Puréed Spinach Soup
Quick Black Chickpea Soup with Cumin Seeds
Quick Lentil, Barley and Vegetable Soup
Quick Puréed Root Vegetable Soup
Quick Sindhi Split Pigeon Pea Soup with Tamarind
South Indian Buttermilk Soup
South Indian Lemon Soup with Mung Beans
South Indian Tamarind Soup
Spicy Chicken Broth
Spicy Lamb Broth
Spicy Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Tomato
Spicy South Indian Vegetable Soup with Tamarind
Spinach Yogurt Soup
Tomato Soup with Fresh Curry Leaves
Tomato Soup with Sautéed Vegetables
Tomato Soup with Yellow Mung Beans
Traditional South Indian Split Pigeon Pea Soup
Vegetable Soup with Yogurt and Coconut
Vegetarian Broth
Yellow Mung Beans and Spinach Soup with Sizzling Cumin Oil
Yogurt Soup with Flame-Roasted Eggplant