Hara Bhara Soup( Spinach/Palak Soup)

Creamy Hara Bhara soup

Soups are healthy and nutritious easily digestible food, provide they are made from fresh ingredients. Packet soup mostly contain corn flour which add pure calorie without much nutrition value and the preservatives, flavoring agents are also not too good for health specially when the soup is meant for pregnant ladies or Anemic patient. This  Hara Bhara soup is especially very good for those who have low hemoglobin. My daughter in – law who's hemoglobin post surgery went as low as 8, Hara Bhara Soup( Spinach/Palak Soup) gave such a boost that with in 15 days of taking this soup, without any supplement of iron her hemoglobin went to 12.2. So I strongly recommend this soup for one and all, especially when it is so tasty also.

Nutritional Value of Hara-Bhara Soup (Spinach Soup) / 250gm. spinach
Cal 50
Potassium1400mg.
Sugar 0%
Sodium 200mg.
Cholesterol 0 mg.
All Fats 0 mg.
Protein 7.5gm.
Carb 10gm.
Dietary fibers 5gm.

Vitamin A 469%, 

Vitamin B6 0%, 

Vitamin B120%, 

Vitamin C116%, 

Vitamin D0%,

Calcium 25%, Iron 41%

Magnesium 0%

Apart from this carrot adds to Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin A and Micro nutrients and Moong dal add Proten and other micro nutrients.

If cream is added then fat will be incorporated in the above said values.

Ginger, clove, cinnamon and other spices add not only the flavor but aslo help in aleviating cold, cough, sore throat.

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 15 min.

Servings: 4 large servings (400- 500 ml.)

Ingredients Required for Making Hara Bhara Soup

• 250 gm Spinach leafs (1 Small bunch Palak)

• 20-30 gm. Carrot (1 Small)

• 5 Tea spoon Moong dal(30 – 40 gm.)

• 2 Tea spoon Cream (Optional)

• 1 Lemon

• Salt to taste

• 1 Inch piece of cinnamon

• 2-3 Cloves

• 1 Inch piece Ginger

• Water

Direction for Preparing Hara Bhara Soup:

• Remove the stalk from leaves of spinach (Palak).

• Discard the stalks and wash the leaves nicely with lots of water.

• Cut the spinach leaves and keep aside.

Cut Spinach Leaves

• Cut ginger to small pieces.

Ginger Pieces

• Cut carrot to small pieces.

Carrot pieces

• Wash Moong dal nicely.

Moong dal

• Take a pressure cooker and put

• Washed and cut leaves of spinach

• Pieces of carrot

• Moong dal

• Cinnamon stick

• Cloves

• Ginger

• Salt

• 250 ml. water

• Close the lid and keep the cooker on high flame till pressure builds in the cooker.

• Lower the flame and cook for 2-3 min.

• Remove the cooker from heat and let it cool.

Boiled Mixture

• Remove cinnamon stick.

• Put the cooled boiled ingredients in the blender and blend to a paste.

Paste of boiled mixture

• Add water to make it of the consistency (thickness) you prefer and give it a nice boil.

• Take it out in a glass or bowl and add dash of pepper powder and few drops of lemon juice

• Mix thoroughly.

Hara Bhara soup with out cream

• Add some cream and drink it piping hot 

Hara Bhara soup with cream

 Happy healthy diet.:)

Tips:

• The color of palak/spinach varies from dark green to light green so do not worry about the color of your Hara Bhara soup it will be any shade of green but taste always will be good.

• Cinnamon, cloves should be avoided by pregnant ladies.

• Red carrots add more taste to the soup.

• Don't over cook the soup mixture before or after grinding to paste, it will destroy the taste and color and of course over cooking always destroys nutrients.

• Do not blend boiled mixture when it is hot else it will spill from the blender due to steam formed.

Suggested Variations:

• Moong dal can be replaced by Masoor dal

• A 50:50 mixture of moong and masoor dal can also be taken.

• Moong dal without green covering (Dhuli moong dal) can be taken.

• Few sprigs of Coriander leaves can also be added as they increase the iron content, make the soup greener and certainly add flavor to the soup.

• One medium size onion can be added to the mixture of ingredients

• One medium size tomato can be added to the mixture of ingredients.

• 2-3 cloves of garlic can be added to change the flavor.

Rajma(Brown beans in Onion gravy)

Rajama

 Rajma are called mutton of vegetarian because it is very rich in proteins. family loves Rajma -Chawa combination along with curd and salad so much that once a week it has to be cooked. The preparation is so much liked by my son that he would demand it for his lunch box also. And before I could bat my eye lids his friends from hostel also started landing home with demand of Rajama.How much a lady loves when her cooking is appreciated, so I had no qualms in preparing it again and again.

         Preparation time: 10 min.
        Cooking time: 45 min.
        Servings:  4 large.

  Ingredients Required For Making Rajama : 

• 250gm. Rajma washed and soaked for 10 - 12 hrs.
• 75gm. Onions (2 medium size)
• 2 Tea spoon Garlic-Ginger paste
• 50gm.Tomatoes ( Two Medium size0
• 3-4 Cloves
• 2 Black cardamon 
• 2 Petals of Aniseed.
• 2-3 Bay leaves 
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tea spoon Garam masala powder 
• 1/2 tea spoon Cumin powder 
• Salt  to taste.
• Chilly powder as per the taste.
• 1/2 tea spoon Turmeric powder 
• Cooking oil (100 ml) 
• Malai (fresh cream) ( optional) (100 ml) 
• For garnish Coriander leaves or Celery/Parsley leaves finely cut after washing.

Directions For Making Rajma:

• Wash the soaked Rajma and put it in pressure cooker along with:
• 3-4 Cloves
• 2 Black Cardamon
• 1 small Aniseed piece
• 2-3 Bay leaves 
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
• Salt.
•  Chilly Powder
• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder 
• 500 ml. of water
• Cover and put the cooker on flame. 
• When pressure is built in the cooker then allow rajma to cook on low flame for 1/2 hr.

Boiled Rajma

• Cut onions very fine.
• Wash and cut tomatoes to 1 inch pieces and put in a grinder and make fine paste of it.
• In a thick bottom wok put oil and heat.
• Add 1/2 cloves, bay leaves and cook for 30 sec.
• Add onions, lower the flame and cook till golden brown.Keep stirring regularly.

• Add garlic ginger paste to the onions and cook till the entire mixture leaves the wall of the wok.

Onion - Garlic and spices cooked and ready for Tomato to be added

• Add tomatoes into it and cook again till the entire mixture leaves the wall of kadhai.

Tomatoes added to the Onion-Garlic paste

• Add boiled rajma from cooker to the above mixture and mix nicely.

Boiled Rajma added to the onion garlic and spices paste

• Allow it to cook for 15 min. 
• Add water in between if required.
• Add cumin powder and garam masala.
• Rajama is ready to be eaten with plain boiled rice/jeera rice

Rajma ready to be served

• Remove the cooked rajma in a serving bowl and add malai (cream) and mix it gently. 
• Garnish it with the herb of your choice

         Enjoy Rajma with hot plain rice or jeera rice. :)

     Tips : -

• Throw the water in which the rajama is soaked and add fresh water for boiling.
• Add garam masala in the end. 
•  Do not add cooking soda while boiling rajma.            

Suggested Variations:

• For those who do not eat onion and garlic 2-3 teaspoons  extra coriander powder can be added. 

• Mix finely cut onion, tomato, little chat masala and red chili powder. Mix with hot boiled rajma and enjoy as chat- pati rajma chat.