Cauliflower Ashgourd Soup And Diet Chart Week #1, Day ~ 3 & 4

The diet plan is going well. I don't get tempted easily and sticking to a plan is not that difficult.  Since I started on a diet plan, I make it a point to make soup daily. Though soups are considered to be appetizers, a bowl of soup is filling for dinner. Ash gourd is very good for weight reduction. Or you can use lauki or bottle gourd too. Since I use ash gourd, I have used that in the soup. You could make it with only cauliflower too for a more creamier soup. 

Ash gourd /Elavan , cubed - 1/2 cup

cauliflower florets- 1/2 cup

star anise -1

cinnamon - 1 stick

Milk -1/2 cup

salt & pepper to taste

Pressure cook ash gourd and cauliflower in 2 cups of water with whole star anise and cinnamon stick, for 2 whistles. Once cooked, remove the spices and puree till smooth. Add 1/2 cup of milk and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper and serve hot.

Add less of pepper to bring out the flavor of cinnamon and star anise. The aroma of the soup is too good with a creamy texture. Without milk also, the soup will taste good.

Week#1, Day ~ 3



5:45 am - Ajwain + 1 glass warm water

7:15 am - 3/4 cup coffee without sugar

10:00 a.m - A bowl of savory oats porridge (Adapted Aparna's recipe) with radish chutney  (I added  carrot and cauliflower to oats )

1:15 p.m - Remaining oats porridge with molagootal and pachadi, 1 glass buttermilk

3:45 pm - Watermelon

5:15 pm - small cup of pappaya and 1 phulka

9:00 pm Drumstick soup + 1 phulka with avarakkai/broad beans thoran + 1 glass buttermilk

Sipped 2 glasses of salted lemon juice in between


Week#1 Day #4


5:45 am - ajwain + 1 glass warm water

7:00 am - 1/2 Cup coffee (No sugar)

9:15 am - wheat rava upma +steamed sprouts

1:15 pm - 2 pesarattu, tender jackfruit gravy + drumstick blossom kootu + 1 g buttermilk

3:30 pm - watermelon

6:30 pm - cucumber

8:30 pm - cabbage+moong sprouts soup + 2 wheat bread slices

Had 2 glass of lemon juice and 3 glass of buttermilk. But only 6 glass of water.

Carrot Cabbage Soup

There was a time when soup meant only tomato soup for me. Later when I went to college, I got to know about different varieties of soup. And later with the arrival of packaged soups in the market, I got to taste various soups at home. After reading about the ill-effects of MSG, which is added to the soup powders, I stopped buying them. I do see some brands with 'No MSG' labels. If it is home made you know what goes into it and no need to trust the labels.

The purple variety of cabbage is sometimes seen in the local vegetable market near my home. The usual stir fry with this kind doesn't go well with me. I usually use this for making pulav and in soup. It gives a nice flavor to the soup. With pressure cooker, it is very easy. You can cook them on stove top too.

You need
Carrot - 1 medium sized Chopped cabbage - 1 cup
Onion - 1
garlic - 3 pods
crushed pepper -1 tspn
salt

oil- 1 tspn

Method:

Take a pressure cooker. Heat a teaspoon of oil. Saute garlic and onion till they turn pink. Add chopped cabbage, carrot. Saute for two minutes. Add 2 cups of water, salt and peeper. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. When the pressure is fully released, blend to get a fine puree. Adjust the soup consistency by adding water. Simmer till it thickens.

I am sending this to FIC-Orange, hosted by Aparna, an event started by Sunshinemom
and to Neha for her SWC:Soups, which started at CookingStation

Palak/Spinach soup

Palak soup is one of the commonly prepared soups at home. Even though, palak features mostly in gravies in our lunch menu, the soup is relished by everyone at home. In microwave, it takes less than 10 minutes to be made.

Palak - 1 bunch

Onion - 1

Butter - 1 tspn

Water- 2 cups

Pepper - 1 tspn

Milk - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Chop the palak and onions roughly. Take a microwave safe bowl. Add a teaspoon of butter and MW for 30 secs. Add chopped onions and MW for 2 minutes, till the onions brown. Add chopped palak and 2 cups of water. MW for 4 minutes. Make a puree of the whole mixture. Add milk, salt and pepper to the puree. Adjust the quanitity of milk according to the desired thickness. Adding milk is optional , instead can add water to adjust the consistency. MW for 1 minute.

Garnish with cream or grated cheese and serve hot. I like without any garnish.

I am sending this to Srivalli's MEC - Soups and Stews.

P.S Srivalli is compiling a food blog list featuring on its cuisine/specialty. If your blog is not already listed there and would love to be part of that list, leave her a comment here.