Tomato Shorba (Pressure cooked)

Written by Published on in Indian Dishes, Soups

Shorba simply means soup/gravy. Shorba is a common dish found in many parts of the world, and goes by the names chorba, sorpa, shurpa, and much more. In India, this soup is commonly called ‘shorba’, and I am sticking to that. ☺

There are many variants of this soup – vegetable, lentils, meat and seafood. The possibilities are endless with the shorba. This versatile soup can be make thick, thin or chunky.

Shorba (as fancy as the name sounds) is simple to make and is sure to tickle your tastebuds. I have chosen to make tomato shorba as I had quite a lot of ripe tomatoes in the fridge that I had to use up.

This soup uses simple and everyday ingredients, and is packed with flavour. I have made this with pressure cooker but it could be made in a regular pot as well.

Ingredients

  • Ripe tomatoes – 6, roughly chopped
  • Garlic – 7 cloves, finely chopped
  • Onion – 1, finely chopped
  • Chilli – 1, roughly chopped
  • Cumin powder – ¼ tspn
  • Coriander powder – 1 tspn
  • Chilli powder – 1 tspn
  • Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
  • Garam masala – 1 tspn
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tspn
  • Dried red chillies – 3, remove the stem
  • Cinnamon stick – 1
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Coriander leaves – 1 small handful, finely chopped
  • Ghee – 1 tspn
  • Oil – 2 tspns
  • Water – 6 cups
  • Salt and pepper – To taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
  2. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
  3. Add the finely chopped garlic. Fry the garlic until it turns crisp and brown.
  4. Add the onion and chillies. Stir for about 25-30 seconds.
  5. Add the tomatoes followed by all the dry spices except cumin seeds.
  6. Pour the water. Give it a good mix.
  7. Cover the cooker. Allow the shorba to cook for 4 whistles.
  8. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker.
  9. Scoop out the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
  10. Use a stick blender to make a smooth soup.
  11. If you are using a regular blender, allow the mixture to cool before blending.
  12. Strain the pureed shorba into another vessel.
  13. Optionally, you could skip the straining and serve a thick soup.
  14. Heat ghee in a small pan.
  15. To the heated ghee, add the cumin seeds. Fry them till the seeds are fragrant and brown.
  16. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the curry leaves and dried red chillies.
  17. Pour the tempering into the strained shorba. Sprinkle the coriander leaves.
  18. Serve hot.

Tips:

  1. Add vegetables like carrot and celery to make the shorba more nutritious and tasty.
  2. Add/omit the spices according to your preference.

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