roasted vegetable soup and 'subzee' (make one, get one!)

Directions

1. Roasted leek, fennel & pumpkin soup
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the leeks, pumpkin, & fennel with the olive oil, salt & crushed peppercorn. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer onto a baking tray & roast in an 350 F oven for ~ 20-30 minutes till the vegetables begin turning a golden brown.
4. On the stove top, grill the Jalapeno pepper till the skin gets charred. Allow to cool & scrub off the blackened skin using a paper towel. Cut lengthwise, remove & discard the seeds & chop roughly. Keep aside. You may choose to omit this ingredient for a milder tasting soup.
5. In a skillet, Heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the sage leaves & garlic. When they begin to soften add the crushed tomatoes & cook on medium heat till the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear.
6. Combine the tomatoes, chopped Jalapeno (optional) & the roast vegetables into the bowl of a a food processor.
7. Process till semi smooth, adding water if the mixture is too thick. Strain the mixture through a sieve, till all the puree is extracted. Reserve the vegetable residue for making the dip/subzee. (2nd part of this recipe)
8. Heat the puree with desired amount of milk to make a smooth soup. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with julienned fried potatoes if desired.

1. Vegetable curry
2. Heat Oil in a skillet till smoking hot. Add the cumin & fenugreek seed. Stir till they turn a golden brown & then add the dried fenugreek leaves. Stir till combined.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, cayenne pepper powder & salt. Cook on a medium flame till the tomatoes lose their raw smell.
4. Add the strained vegetable residue & cook till any residual liquid evaporates on a low flame.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro & serve warm with Pita bread as an appetizer. Alternatively, you may serve it as a vegetable entree with home made Naan.