I have hardly used any of my cookbooks for anything more than bedtime reading for the last year, so I decided it was time to pick one up and try out a new recipe.

The cookbook I decided to choose a recipe from was my copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. This fabulous book was a gift from my good friend Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen and let me tell you, it is a great read, but really it is now time to start cooking from it again.

In this book, Madhur moves away from the Indian cookery that we associate her with and draws on four decades of travelling around the world to provide us with over 650 recipes. She covers dried beans and peas, nuts, vegetables, grains, dairy, soups, salads, drinks, and sauces whilst reminiscing about when she first tried each dish, with recipes such as : Bulgur Wheat with Red Pepper Paste (Turkey), Sweet Potatoes with Raisins and Cinnamon (Morocco), Persian Sweet and Sour "Ratatouille" of Fruit and Vegetables (Iran), Tuscan Zucchini Pie (Italy), Ginger Fruit Punch (India) and Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce (Nigeria).

Me being me, I decided to choose a soup, no surprise there then!



















Madras Curried Tomato Soup

2 tbsp peanut or canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp curry powder
2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coarse rounds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into rough dice
1 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted peas
2 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup of vegetable stock

Put the oil in a medium-large pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion. Stir and saute 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown. Put in the curry powder and stir it around for 10 seconds, then put in the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, peas, salt and 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Blend the soup in batches in a blender and then stir back into the saucepan through a coarse sieve, making sure you create a soup of the thickness you desire, by adding the stock. Stir to mix. Heat the soup, if you want to serve it hot, or cover and refrigerate if you want to serve cold. Garnish with chives, if desired, when serving.

Serves 4 to 6

I really enjoyed this soup, but Graham wasn't too sure. Probably because it was so creamy. I think next time I make it, I will taste it first without the cream and if I decide to add some, I will only add a splosh.

Disclosure Statement: I did not receive this book free from the publisher to review, this is my own copy. The opinions I have expressed are my own.