Warming Tomato Shorba for WinterVeg

1

Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and chop them roughly.

2

In a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger and garlic. Add the cumin seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick.

3

Crush everything together to release the aromatics.

4

Place the chopped tomatoes into a large pot or cauldron.

5

Add the crushed ginger-garlic-spice mixture. Add the bay leaves, gram flour, turmeric powder, coriander stems, red chilli powder, salt, and vegetable oil.

6

Turn on the heat to high. Stir-fry the mixture for two to three minutes until it develops a light char or scorched bits at the bottom of the pot.

7

This creates a smoky flavor profile.

8

Add water to the pot, cover it, and allow the mixture to boil on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.

9

Once boiled, remove the bay leaves. Use a blender to process the mixture into a smooth, consistent pulp.

10

Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer.

11

Use the back of a ladle to press the pulp against the mesh to extract the smooth soup while discarding the skins, seeds, and leftover fiber.

12

Check for salt, adjust to your preference, and serve hot.