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Winter is finally going to be over

I am ashamed. I am guilty of not touching on my blog for months. My daily interaction with internet got badly truncated to surfing, emails, chats, and work and work. But, never mind, as the saying goes, Better late than Never.... so here I am at my confession box.

All the above were just because of my technical incompetence and laziness.With a job switch, I changed my laptop. So all my old stock of photographs etc took six long months and a trip to Ranthambhor, to get transferred to the new laptop.

But finally I am done, ready to get going.

This year, the winter was very different in Delhi NCR. It did not touch the magic numbers of 0 or 1 degrees, but tormented everyone with a prolonged presence and a very low maximum temperature.



Every morning, as we wake up, a curtain of white fog waits outside the glass window panes. On one of the clearer days, I managed to click the next apartment complex as in this photo.

Good news now... as winter finally seems ready to bid a good bye for this year. So, its time to shake my limbs, and start thinking of a way to celebrate. What can be a better way to celebrate than with a steaming bowl of Veg Clear soup. It is good for dieters, non-dieters, soup lovers,....everybody.

Veg Clear Diet Soup



Ingredients

Green cabbage 50 gms, chopped fine
Cauliflower 50 gms, florets separated
Broccoli 50 gms, florets separated
Spinach 50 gms, chopped
Tomato 2 large, chopped
Capsicum 1 large, deseeded, and chopped
Onion 1 large, sliced fine
Spring Onions 1 bunch, chopped

Garlic 1 large pod, crushed and chopped fine
Ginger 1 inch, chopped fine
Green chillies 1 or 2 chopped fine

olive oil(optional) 1 tsp

Method

1. In a thick bottomed pressure cooker, add olive oil. When heated, simmer the flame and add chopped garlic, ginger and stir continuously.

2. When it starts changing colour, add onions. Keep stirring.

3. As the onion becomes translucent, add all the vegetables and stir well to mix with the oil, ginger, garlic and onions.

4. Add salt (OR LoNa), crushed black pepper, and 1500 ml of water.

5. Close pressure cooker lid and allow it to boil upto 1 whistle.(You can boil it as per taste)

6. Simmer and allow it to cook for another ten minutes.

7. Before serving, add 1 tsp of olive oil(optional), white vinegar, green chillies, and green coriander chopped.

I enjoyed this wholesome soup for dinner. You can augment it with plain or garlic toast.

It serves thus dual purpose... it is satisfying to my taste buds and takes care of my need to spring back to an effective but satisfying diet.

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