I always say that I must have been Indian in my former life. From the first time I stepped onto the subcontinent I felt as if I had been there before. From the hills of the Kulu Valley to the steamy Mumbai mornings, I absorbed every experience, every face, every smell and returned again and again. This recipe is from a friend who happens to be an incredible chef from India. This is a great use of summer garden tomatoes fresh from your garden or the farm stand for a twist on the ubiquitous gazpacho.
And for those who do not want to make the trek to hunt down these spices, you can come to our Indian Fusion Pop up dinner on Thursday, July 23rd and Chef Rahul Akerkar will make this for you! Seatings will be at 5:30pm and 7:30pm. Visit www.greenporterhotel.com or www.eventbrite.com for details and to purchase your tickets!
Chilled Tomato Soup with Fenugreek, Crispy Vegetable Garnish and Ricotta
Ingredients
4lbs of tomatoes
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup fennel, chopped
1/2 cup okra, cut thin on the bias (or zucchini)
2tbsp garlic, chopped
4 cups of Seasoned Fork garden stock
2tsp coriander seeds, roasted
2tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 cups of cream (optional)
1/2 cup of ricotta (optional)
1/2 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut the tomatoes in half and place them cut side down on a hot grill for 3-4 minutes to char them
Once charred, place the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until they soften
In a saucepan, heat half the olive oil and saute the chopped garlic and fennel until lightly browned
Add the roasted coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds and continue sauteing for about a minute. Add the roasted tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomatoes stew and disintegrate
Add the tomato puree and garden stock, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes
Strain the soup and puree the solids until smooth
Combine the pureed tomato solids with strained tomato in the pot and continue simmering for about 10 more minutes
Remove from the stove, cool and refrigerate
Deep fry the okra or zucchini in a wok until crunchy. Remove and drain on a paper towel
Serve the soup either hot or cold with a dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and some crispy seasonal vegetable like okra or zucchini.
