Padmas Navaruchi

FRIENDS, WINTER SEASON IS SOUP SEASON,

I’ve decided to make healthy palak soup. There are many ways to prepare palak soup. One traditional method I learned in school involves blanching palak leaves and adding ginger, tomatoes, black pepper powder, and salt. This was the easiest method.

SOUPS are often served in hotels before meals, as they act as an appetizer.

As the days passed, new additions to this basic soup were made, and a few more ingredients were added to make it a little more filling and tasty.

For making any soup some thickening agent is used. It is corn flour, gram flour, rice flour, arrowroot powder etc.

soups if made in a proper healthy way become a good substitute for DINNER.

let us see the ingredients needed for palak soup.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR PALAK SOUP:-

• Palak leaves-250 grams
• potato-1 medium size
• onion -1 small
• ginger-1 small piece
• Garlic-3-4 cloves
• Green chilly-1
• Bay leaf -1
• Black pepper corns-10-12
• pepper powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Salt-1/2 teaspoon
• Oil-1 teaspoon
• gram flour-2 teaspoons
• Butter-1 small block

preparations needed for making palak soup

• After removing the thick stems and roots, wash the palak leaves in running water 3-4 times.
• strain the water and keep the leaves aside.
• Keep a sauce pan 1/2 filled with water to boil.

• As soon as the water starts boiling put the washed palak leaves into the pan and blanch the leaves for about a minute.
• Now remove the leaves and put them immediately into a bowl containing ice cubes or chilled water.

• This process stops further cooking of palak leaves and also helps retain the green color of the leaves.
• Meanwhile cut the potato after peeling it, into small pieces.
• Chop the onions roughly, and also cut green chilies, ginger, and garlic into small pieces.

The cooking method of palak soup:-

• Take a pan or kadhai, and keep it on low flame.
• Put a teaspoon of oil, a bay leaf along with a few black peppercorns into the pan.

• Now add all the chopped ingredients- i.e. onion, potato, garlic, ginger, and green chilies.

• Saute for some time and then add some water and simmer covering it for about 2 minuits or till the potato softens.

• Now put the blanched palak into it.

• Cool this completely before grinding
• Remove the bay leaf before grinding. Take a mixer grinder jar and put the cooled stuff.

• Grind this mix into a fine paste. Keep aside.

• Take a kadhai, and add butter to it.

• When butter melts, add the gram flour and roast it in the butter, till you get a nice aroma.
• The raw smell of the gram flour should vanish completely.

• Now is the time to add the ground palsk puree.

• Add black pepper powder and salt.

• Let it simmer for 2 minuits, and during boiling remove the froth with a spoon as it spoils the taste of the soup.

NOTE;- Palak leaves have a bland taste, so adding potato, onion, pepper, and butter enhances the taste.

• NOW HOT AND HEALTHY PALAK SOUP IS READY TO RELISH WITH A DASH OF BUTTER OR CRUTONS.