Serves: 6
Total Calories: 70

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
15 to 20 fresh curry leaves
4 to 5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 small carrots, unpeeled, coarsely chopped
1 large round white (or any kind) potato, unpeeled coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1/2 cup coarsely chopped broccoli or cauliflower stems (optional)
3 to 5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon heavy cream or light

1. Heat-the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the curry leaves, ginger, and onion, stirring until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Stir in first the asafoetida and then all the vegetables and 3 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

3. Let cool off the heat, then pass the soup through a food mill or blend in a blender until smooth. If using a blender, pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, if you prefer a smoother consistency.

4. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the salt and black pepper and more water as necessary for the consistency you like. Boil over high heat about 2 minutes, or longer if you wish. Transfer to a serving bowl, swirl in the cream and serve. Or present in cups, with each cup of soup topped with a few drops of cream.

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: 6
Total Calories: 70
Calories from Fat: 15

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