Gujerati Tomato Soup

The boy’s favourite soup is Cream of Tomato – and I can’t blame him. We often make our own version in the Summer when our garden tomatoes are ripe and plentiful. This is a mildly spicy version that we can make from a carton of passata

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp asafoetida

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp chickpea flour (Besam)

1 litre chicken or veg stock

500ml passata

6 Basil leaves, torn

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

By now you’ll know that I’m bound to choose Cirio brand Passata but due to the spicing it’s really not essential for this recipe– Shops-own will do. For the stock I’m using Knorr stock pots, though Marigold vegetable bouillon is also very good. Asafoetida (Hing, in Asian stores) has a sulphurous odour but it soon disappears on cooking. I’m not letting the boy near it as he’s easily prejudiced.

The boy is looking forward to this – it’s spicy, but not overly so, and perfect for the season as it’s really not as warm as it could be. Heat the oil and add the asafoetida, cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as they start to crackle, add the chick pea flour and stir it until it darkens. Stir it enough so you don’t get lumps.

Slowly add the stock, stirring constantly. When it’s well mixed and smooth, add the passata. Add the basil, cayenne, turmeric, salt and sugar and let it simmer slowly for 25 minutes.

Pour through a sieve to get any bits out. For the best flavour, let it go cold in the pan before sieving and then reheat it. This is an hour or so to spend with the boy.

Adjust the flavouring – sugar and cayenne will be the likeliest culprits. A squirt of tomato puree is also a possibility.

The boy has his Christmas jumper on. We’re standing in the kitchen, chatting, holding deep bowls in our hands, enjoying this.  It doesn’t occur to us to sit down. We’re just enjoying the soup and each other’s company.