Tamatar Ka Shorba - Indian Tomato Soup with Whole Warm Spices

A very simple recipe, you can whip up with everyday spices from your kitchen and comes out perfectly giving the soup a very good taste. So what makes this soup different from the millions of other tomato soup recipes out there? Well, it's a lot thinner than the consistency of a normal soup. It is not chunky and is similar to the consistency of gujarati daal or kadhi. Overall, it's a deliciously brothy soup with cumin tadka and is incredibly easy to make ! If that isn't a winner in your eyes, then I don't know what is!

You will need :-

1. 1 kg fresh ripe tomatoes ( roughly chopped )
2. 2 tbsp tomato puree ( optional )
3. 1 big red onion ( roughly chopped )
4. 5-6 cloves garlic
5. 1 tbsp grated ginger
6. 2 green chillies
7. 1 small cinnamon stick
8. 3-4 cloves
9. 8-10 black pepper seeds
10. 2-3 bay leaves
11. 1-2 black cardamom pod
12. 3-4 green cardamom pod
13. 2 star anise
14. Salt to taste
15. 1-2 tbsp sugar ( sugar helps in removing acidity from tomatoes )
16. 2 tbsp oil
17. 1 tsp cumin seeds
18. Pinch of hing ( asafoetida )
19. Fresh coriander to garnish

Method :-
In a large pressure cooker place all the ingredients from no 1 to 13 with 600-700 ml water.
Let it cook till 3 whistle.
If you do not have pressure cooker put all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring it to boil.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes on a low heat till tomatoes are mashed completely.
Remove most of the whole spices with the help of spoon. But don't throw away. If one or two left in the mixture, it's fine.
Now by using electric hand blender or mixer blend tomato mix to puree. Make sure there isn't any lump of tomatoes in there.
DO NOT STRAIN this mixture. why you want to waste all the goodness of tomatoes.
Transfer the tomato mixture in a large saucepan, add tomato puree, if mixture is thick add 1/2 cup of water. Bring it to a good boil.
Add sugar and salt.
Prepare tempering ( tadka ) by heating a oil in a tiny saucepan, add cumin seeds and discarded whole spices , let them crackle add hing and pour in to tomato soup.
Check the seasoning and serve hot with fresh chopped coriander.
Goes perfectly with any crusty bread.