Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Carrot soup
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/carrot-soup/
soups are our comfort food and i make them with various veggies. i have shared many soup recipes earlier and i will be sharing a few more. i have also shared a variation of carrot soup with ginger – carrot ginger soup.
this carrot soup is the one which i make either with orange carrots or red carrots. sometimes i make the soup in the instant pot. in the recipe card, i have mentioned details on making the soup in the instant pot.
about this carrot soup
1. one-pot method: sauté and cook everything in a pot. makes the method of making the soup very easy.
2. flavor profile: the ingredients used in the recipe match the flavor profile of the carrots. the earthy flavor of carrot is balanced with the sweetness of onions, slight pungency of garlic, the herbal aromatic flavor of celery stems and the warm flavors of cumin.
3. cooking method: can be made on stove-top as well as in an instant-pot and even in a pressure cooker.
4. stock vs water: vegetable stock can be replaced with water and vice versa. though i must say that a homemade vegetable stock imparts a complex yet lovely taste to the soup.
5. consistency and taste: creamy, smooth and thick. sweetish tasting soup with hints of sourness from the lemon.
6. dietary considerations: vegan, gluten-free.
How to make carrot soup
1. in a thick bottomed pan or pot, heat 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil. add ½ cup chopped onions and ½ teaspoon chopped garlic.
2. sauté on a low to medium-low flame till the onions soften.
3. add 2.25 cups chopped carrots and 2 tablespoons chopped celery.
4. sprinkle ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon salt or add as per taste.
5. mix well.
6. pour 2.5 cups vegetable stock or water. i have here added homemade vegetable stock. even water can be added instead of a veggie stock.
7. stir and mix again.
8. cover the pot with a lid. simmer on a low or medium-low flame till the carrots become tender.
9. when simmering, do check a couple of times to see if the liquids have dried or not. if the liquids have dried, then add ¼ to ½ cup more of hot veg stock or hot water.
10. check a few pieces of carrots with a fork or knife. the fork or knife should be able to pass easily from the carrots.
11. after the carrots are cooked, switch off the flame. there will be some liquid in the mixture. let this liquid remain as we will use the liquids when blending the carrots. let the soup mixture become warm or less hot.
12. add the entire mixture with the liquids in a blender or grinder. you can even use an immersion blender to blend the carrots.
13. blend to a smooth puree. while blending, add ¼ to ½ cup water depending on the thickness you prefer in the soup.
14. place the entire pureed carrots in the same pan or pot.
15. keep the pan on the stove-top and simmer till the soup gets hot. stir at intervals. if the carrot soup looks thick, then you can add some more hot water.
16. when the soup becomes hot, season with ¼ to ½ freshly crushed black pepper and 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley. mix well and switch off the flame. instead of parsley, you can even use fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves).
17. this is an optional step. for some faint sour notes in the soup, you can add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice. i feel lemon juice slightly balances the earthiness and sweetness of carrots. but if you are not fond of any tangy or sour taste in a bowl of carrot soup, you can skip this step. any leftover soup can be refrigerated and then warmed up before serving. if the soup becomes very thick, then add some water and reheat it.
18. serve carrot soup in bowls or mugs. garnish with some parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves). top with some bread croutons if you like. bread croutons really taste good in this soup. to make croutons just toast a 1 or 2-day old bread or baguette in the oven or on a skillet (tawa). when toasted chop them in cubes. enjoy a comforting creamy carrot soup.
More soup recipes
Carrot Soup
Carrot soup. a delicious one pot, creamy and thick carrot soup that you will be making again and again. the recipe is also vegan and gluten-free.
(1 CUP = 250 ML)
main ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower or extra virgin olive oil. butter can also be substituted
- ½ cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion or 60 grams onion
- ½ teaspoon chopped garlic or 2 to 3 small to medium-sized garlic cloves
- 400 grams carrots or 0.9 pounds carrots or 2.25 cups chopped carrots or 8 to 10 small to medium-sized carrots – diced or cubed
- 2 tablespoons chopped celery
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt or add as per taste
- 2.5 cups vegetable stock or water
- ¼ to ½ cup water – while blending, optional
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped parsley or chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice – optional
For garnish
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley or chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
- ⅓ cup bread croutons – optional
Cooking carrots
- in a thick bottomed pan or pot, heat sunflower or olive oil on a low to medium-low flame. add chopped onions and chopped garlic.
- sauté on a low to medium-low flame till the onions soften.
- add chopped carrots, celery, cumin seeds and salt. mix well.
- pour 2.5 cups vegetable stock or water. stir and mix again.
- cover pot with a lid. simmer on a low or medium-low flame till the carrots become tender.
- when simmering, do check a couple of times to see if the liquids have dried or not. if the liquids have dried, then add ¼ to ½ cup more of hot veg stock or hot water.
- check a few pieces of carrots with a fork or knife. the fork or knife should be able to pass easily from the carrots.
- after the carrots are cooked, switch off the flame. there will be some liquid in the mixture. let this liquid remain as we will use these liquids when blending the carrots. let the soup mixture become warm or less hot.
Making carrot soup
- add the entire mixture with the liquids in a blender or grinder. you can even use an immersion blender to blend the carrots.
- blend to a smooth puree. while blending, add ¼ to ½ cup water (at room temperature) depending on the thickness you prefer in the soup.
- place the entire pureed carrots in the same pan or pot.
- keep the pan on stove-top and simmer till the soup gets hot. stir at intervals. if the carrot soup looks thick, then you can add some more hot water.
- when the soup becomes hot, season with black pepper and chopped parsley. mix well and switch off flame. instead of parsley, you can even use fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves).
- this is an optional step. for some faint sour notes in the soup, you can add ¼ teaspoon lemon juice.
Serving carrot soup
- serve carrot soup in bowls or mugs. garnish with some parsley or cilantro (coriander leaves). top with some bread croutons if you like.
- bread croutons really taste good in this soup. to make croutons just toast a 1 or 2-day old bread or baguette in the oven or on a skillet (tawa). when toasted chop them in cubes and serve with carrot soup.
Making carrot soup in the instant pot:
- use the sauté option and sauté onions, garlic on low or normal till the onions soften.
- press cancel. then add carrots, celery, cumin and salt. mix well.
- add 2 cups vegetable stock or water.
- close with lid and place the valve in the sealing position.
- press the pressure cook button and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
- wait for 5 minutes. then after 5 minutes do a quick pressure release, by lifting the valve.
- let the mixture cool down a bit and then blend in a blender or using an immersion blender to a smooth puree.
- from the blender, pour the carrot puree in the instant pot steel insert.
- if the puree looks thick, then add some hot water.
- press cancel button. then press the button and set time to 2 minutes on normal. let the soup become warm or hot. stir at intervals.
- add black pepper and parsley. stir and serve.
Some more tips:
- both red carrots and orange carrots can be used in the recipe.
- use carrots which are fresh and tender. avoid carrots which are fibrous and hard.
- water can be added instead of vegetable stock.
- best to use homemade vegetable stock and not canned ones due to the high sodium content in them.
- any neutral flavored oil can be used. you can even use butter to make a vegetarian carrot soup.
- you can add seasonings, spices of your choice in the carrot soup. but do keep in mind the flavor and taste of carrots so that the seasonings or spices balance or bring out the best in terms of taste and flavor in the soup.
- leftover carrot soup can be refrigerated and then warmed up before serving. if the soup becomes very thick, then add some water and reheat it.
Nutrition Facts
Carrot Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 110 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 496mg22%
Potassium 479mg14%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 22299IU446%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 10mg12%
Vitamin E 3mg20%
Vitamin K 19µg18%
Calcium 56mg6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 32µg8%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 21mg5%
Phosphorus 54mg5%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Paneer Tikka Masala
Paneer Tikka Masala is a popular Indian curry where cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese), onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices, grilled and then tossed in a creamy tomato based curry. This dish goes extremely well with butter naan or paratha or basmati rice.
About This Recipe
You know the most famous Indian food in the world? It is Chicken Tikka Masala, at least that’s what I think. You talk to anyone in the UK or USA and even if they don’t know much about Indian food they definitely know about chicken tikka masala. I think the dish is synonyms with Indian food in the west. The vegetarian version of it is of course Paneer Tikka Masala which is also quite popular and you would find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants.
Growing up in India, I had never heard of paneer tikka masala. Sure, we had paneer tikka but adding it to a curry was unknown, at least to me. I remember watching a MasterChef India episode some 10 years back which had chef Vikas Khanna and chef Kunal Kapoor talking about the origin of this dish. They also shared a recipe and so this recipe is inspired from their version.
They of course shared the recipe for chicken tikka masala but I changed it to paneer tikka masala and also made few changes depending on my preferences and availability. This recipe uses curry powder which is a common spice mix in the west (again this spice mix doesn’t even exist in India) and it makes sense since this dish originated in the UK. There are stories of how a chef added cream sauce to chicken tikka to please the taste buds of British people and that’s where it originated from.
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the tikka part where paneer, onions and peppers are marinated with yogurt and spices and then grilled. You can cook the tikka in tandoor, oven or in your pan. The other part of the recipe is the curry which is a smooth curry made with onions, tomatoes, cream and butter. The grilled tikka is added to the curry and then served as a main course with side of bread.
This Paneer Tikka Masala
- is super creamy, smooth.
- goes well with naan, paratha.
- makes a comforting meal.
- leftovers are great as well!
Ingredients
There are 2 parts to this recipe- the paneer tikka and the curry.
Paneer Tikka
Paneer: you can use either homemade or store bought paneer but whatever paneer you use, it should be firm and be able to hold it’s shape. You can find paneer at Indian grocery stores or make it at home.
Yogurt: for the marinade, it is best to use thick yogurt. Either use Greek yogurt or if using regular yogurt, use store bought yogurt which tends to be thicker than homemade yogurt. If using homemade yogurt, strain it using a muslin cloth for at least 3 to 4 hours to get rid of all the excess water.
Spices: the marinade uses coriander powder, garam masala, two types of chili powder, ginger-garlic and lime juice. You can also use fresh herbs like cilantro, mint.
The Masala/Curry
Curry base: the base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic which is quite a staple for most creamy Indian curries. I like using white onion for that sweet, subtle flavor.
Spices: this paneer tikka masala recipe uses curry powder which is a mix of spices and is popular in the western world. It’s not so much popular in India actually, in fact I didn’t even know it existed until I moved out of India. If you don’t have it, you can use a blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Flavor enhancers: to make the curry creamy, we finish the recipe with butter, cream and cilantro!
Step by Step Instructions
1- We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add yogurt (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon), make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe). To that add the following:
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 lime
2- Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
3- Now add 225 grams paneer (cubed into big cubes), 1 medium red onion (quartered and separated into petals) and 1 medium green pepper (cut into 1 inch cubes).
4- Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
5- Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1-inch cinnamon stick.
6- Let the seeds sizzle and then add 1 large white onion (roughly chopped), 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, chopped and 1-inch chopped ginger.
7- Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
8- Then add 3 large tomatoes (chopped) along with the following:
- 1& 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
9- Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
10- Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
11- Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
12- Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
13- Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
14- Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons cream and 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
15- Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry.
16- Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve paneer tikka masala with the following:
- Butter Naan: nothing like fluffy, soft homemade naan to dip into the curry.
- Jeera rice: rice seasoned with cumin seeds makes the perfect pairing.
- Roti: you can never go wrong with the classic Indian everyday bread.
- Tandoori roti: another great bread to serve the curry with.
Vegan Variation
For a vegan version of this recipe you can do the following substitutions:
- use extra-firm tofu in place of paneer.
- marinate the tofu with thick coconut milk (use the top part from the can) or vegan yogurt (plain almond milk works well).
- replace butter with vegan butter.
- replace heavy cream with coconut milk.
Tips & Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added toward the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No they are different. Paneer Tikka is served as an appetizer and has cubes of grilled paneer where for paneer tikka masala the grilled paneer is added to a creamy curry and served as a main dish.
Go for a mix of coriander powder, turmeric, cumin and ginger. For replacing 1 u0026 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in this recipe, I would probably use 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger.
They are both popular paneer recipes but the way you make them is different. For the tikka masala, we first marinate the paneer, grill it and then add to the curry. For the paneer makhani, the sauce is made with nuts, onions, tomatoes and then paneer pieces are added to it directly.
This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in April 2014. I have updated the recipe with better photos, videos and made slight modifications to make it better. The curry part of the recipe is same but I have added onions and peppers to the tikka part. If you wish to make it like the old recipe, just skip on the onions and peppers.
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Paneer Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Paneer Tikka
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp yogurt use thick plain whole milk yogurt which has been strained or Greek yogurt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 225 grams paneer cut into cubes
- 1 medium red onion quartered and separated into petals
- 1 medium green pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
Curry
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado oil, use oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter divided, unsalted or salted either works
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large white onion roughly chopped, around 150 grams
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped, around 400 grams
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder divided (for color, not hot)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar I used granulated white sugar
- 1 cup water or more as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream 30-45 ml
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
-
We will start by making the paneer tikka. To a large bowl, add thick yogurt, make sure the yogurt is thick (if using regular homemade yogurt, drain the yogurt for 3 to 4 hours before using in the recipe or use Greek yogurt).
-
To that add ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and juice of 1/2 lime.
Using a spatula or whisk, mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
-
Now add cubed paneer, onion (quartered and separated into petals) and green pepper
Mix until the paneer, onion and peppers are well coated with the marinade. You can use your hands here. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes at the least.
-
Meanwhile, let’s work the curry part of this recipe. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.
-
Let the seeds sizzle and then add white onion (roughly chopped), chopped garlic cloves and chopped ginger. Stir and cook for around 5 to 6 minutes until onions turn light golden brown in color, stir often in between.
-
Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with curry powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and sugar. Stir and cook the tomatoes for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and completely cooked. This step is important so do not rush this step.
-
Once the tomatoes are completely cooked, remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down a bit and then remove the cinnamon stick and transfer everything to a blender and blend to a fine paste. Set this aside.
-
Back to the tikka now, take the marinated paneer out of the refrigerator. Now, you can cook this in a pan or grill or in your oven. I have used a grill pan that I had. Spray the pan with oil and then add the marinated paneer, onions and bell peppers on the pan.
Cook until the paneer turns light golden brown in color and onions and peppers are slightly cooked, turning them few times in between for even cooking. Now it’s time to bring the curry together.
Oven instruction: arrange tikka on skewers and bake at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then broil for 2 to 3 minutes to get it browned (optional).
-
Now put the pan back on medium heat and add the pureed paste to it that we had prepared earlier. You can also add remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder at this point if you prefer a brighter color of the curry.
-
Add 1 cup water (or more depending on how much gravy you want), and stir well. Then add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cream and chopped cilantro. Mix and let it cook for 2 minutes.
-
Add the roasted paneer, onions and peppers into the curry. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve paneer tikka masala with naan or paratha.
Video
Notes
- I don’t add cashews or any nuts to this recipe but you can definitely add some cashews along with the onions and tomatoes to make it more creamy.
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) can definitely be added towards the end for that nice aroma.
- If using store bought paneer, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using in the recipe.
- You can also strain the onion-tomato mixture after blending it, that will make the curry totally smooth. I didn’t do it to save time.
- Older recipe: I have updated the recipe to make it better. The older recipe didn’t have onions and pepper added to the marinade and had a tablespoon of less butter in the curry. You can definitely use the old recipe, it’s almost same except these minor changes.
Nutrition
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