Black Bean Soup

Microwave half a can of black beans (about a cup) for about 6 minutes. Saute slit green chillies + diced onion (1/2) + cumin seeds. Add dhaniya powder (1/2 tsp). Add finely ground tomatoes (1/2 cup) to this and stir. Now grind the black bean to a fine paste. Keep some beans aside. Add this to the mixture. Add salt + red chilli powder if needed. Optional: Add 3 tsps of cooked rice.

Add some milk and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes atleast. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Add a dash of lime juice if you like.

Badam Burfi / Halwa

Recipe from my periamma

1 cup Badam - soak for 15 minutes in hot water to allow easy skin removal. Grind the peeled almonds with enough milk so that it is a smooth paste. Add 1.5 - 2.25 cups of sugar, saffron to this paste. Sugar range is based on taste. Stir this mixture in a pan on medium heat. Check for sugar level. After about 12 minutes add ghee to this. Meanwhile lubricate steel plate with ghee. Just before the mixture solidifies empty it into the plate. If you hit the sweet spot then this will harden into cake. Else, you are stuck with halwa.