5 Vegetable Alphabet Soup

5 Vegetable Soup is a soup which Mom frequently made for brunch when we were tiny tots. I simply loved the concept of Soups, so Mom found it easy to trick me into this by adding all vegetables which are finely chopped along with Alphabet pasta which is incidentally also quite popular soup amongst tiny tots in US. She added all colorful vegetables and each spoonful used to be full of proliferated Pasta alphabets. We all had a fun time guessing the letters and of course eating them! Even after growing up, on a rainy day I used to request Mom to make this soup and now after many decades when I am a woman, I insist on her final touch, with some execution from me. This soup is the perfect panacea for missing-mommy syndrome. :)

The Alphabet pasta which are available in US (you can find them at Trader Joe's) are large and little different from the ones you get in India but never mind the flavour compensates for it all the way. Some alphabets are colored, they also add a good texture and flavour to the soup.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 medium servings

Ingredients:
Vegetables (chopped) - 3 cups
[Onion, Cauliflower, Carrot, Beans, Cabbage]
Alphabet Pasta - 1/2 cup
Ghee/Oil
Maggi Cube (vegetable) - 2 cubes
Salt

Method:
Take a deep bottomed pan; once heated up, add ghee and ensure it coats the bottom of the pan. Saute onions for a while and once they are translucent, add the vegetables one by one. Once all of them are added, add 3 cups of water and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low flame, covered, add the Alphabet pasta & Maggi cubes. Check after 5-7 minutes, once completely cooked, turn off flame and serve hot.

Note - Maggi cubes pack in lot of salt, so do not add lot of salt in the soup.

Cabbage Mini Dosa (Cabbage Sanna Polo/ Cabbage Sanna Pole)

Sanna Polo or Sanna Pole is a Konkani delicacy made with many different approaches and vegetables of choice. There are different varieties of Sanna Polo, each with its own unique flavour and taste. This is a very simple recipe, packs in the taste of vegetables and adds lot of richness.
The trick to this dish is the quantity of Cabbage and Batter. If you add more Cabbage, they would cling to the pan and not come out as an even circular shape. If you add less Cabbage, the batter taste would be overpowering. So use your discretion accordingly.

Preparation time: 240 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Cabbage (chopped into tiny bits) - 3 cups
Dosa Rice (Sona Masoori variety) - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies (Byadgi variety preferred) - 5-6
Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon
Salt - As per taste
Grated coconut (fresh or frozen) - 2-3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - Just a pinch
Oil - For frying

Method:
Wash rice till clear and pre-soak rice in water for 4-5 hours. Roast red chillies in a teaspoon of oil and mildly sweat them in oil till they are partially roasted for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool. Grind along with Rice, Red Chillies, Tamarind, Turmeric powder, Salt and grated coconut to a coarse paste with very little water.

Mix the batter with chopped Cabbage pieces. Adjust salt and spice levels. Heat a shallow frying pan, take a spoonful of the batter mix and spread on the pan. Spread mini dosa batter as per capacity. Drizzle oil on the sides. Once cooked on sides, flip them over to other side and fry evenly on both the sides. The dosa's taste better if crunchy and little bit charred. Serve hot as a side dish along with rice and curry.

Some other varieties of Sanna Polo -

Fenugreek or Methi leaves Sanna Polo

Onion or Piyava Sanna Polo

Cabbage Vegetable Side Dish (Cabbage Upkari/ Kobi chi Bhaaji)

Cabbage is a vegetable loved by some, hated by some. I for one have a peaceful relation with Cabbage and of late have grown to love the different varieties which we can make at home using a simple crispy green bundle.

Cabbage Upkari can be a simple delicious meal for afternoon lunches or quick evening dinners. They are easy, quick to cook. The cooked Cabbage has a delicate, subtle flavour. The flip side of Cabbage is, it belongs to the Gas inducing family so individuals with high sensitivity to Gas, could sample smaller helpings or much better if they avoid if they have a sensitive palate.

Cooking time ~ 10 minutes
Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Ingredients:
Cabbage (finely chopped) - 3-4 cups
Green Chillies (slit lengthwise) - 2
Grated Coconut - 3-4 tablespoon
Turmeric powder (optional) - 1/3 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt
Water

For seasoning -
Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee/Oil

Method:
In a deep frying pan, heat few teaspoons of Ghee. Once the pan is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow the leaves to fry and the mustard seeds to pop completely. Stir gently and add the green chillies.
Add the chopped Cabbage pieces. Mix in with the seasoning. Adjust salt as per taste, add very less water, just enough for the Cabbage to soak in. Bring to boil and once the consistency reaches the boiling point, simmer on low flame till the water gets evaporated, cover with a lid if possible. Cook till the cabbage gets completely cooked. Turn off the flame once done and garnish with grated coconut. Serve warm as a Side Dish.

Suggestion: Cabbage with Grated coconut has a low shelf life so consume within a day or two, if not refrigerate. Cabbage cooks a lot faster than other vegetables. So, use your discretion while cooking. Cabbage does not require lot of water while cooking. The vegetable cooks on its own self-induced steam after the lid is closed.

Cabbage Olive Salad

Salad's are occupying a common spot in my kitchen now. I dished out this quick one after skimming through some delightful salad's on New York Times - Dining section. They have a delicious spread of salad recipes which are from the pantry ingredients and readily available ones. I recently sampled Red Cabbage and loved it to the core. This is a simple recipe when you don't wish for a heavy 3 course meal.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Cabbage (shredded) - 3 cups

Carrots (strip sized sliced) - 1 cup

Black Olive (Non-pitted, Kalamata Greek) - 1/2 cup

Salad Vinaigrette -

Vinegar - 2 tablespoon

Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon

Red Chilli flakes - Just a dash

Lime juice - 1 teaspoon

Salt - As per taste

Mixed herbs - 1/3rd teaspoon

Method:

Mix in the olive oil, vinegar, red chilli flakes, salt and mixed herbs. The vinaigrette has to be good enough to dress the salad. Give a good whisk. Add the shredded vegetables and toss well. Slather some lime juice and serve as a pairing with some warm bread.